Today started with a light drizzle and remained overcast for the rest of the day. Sam and Stuart spent the night and early morning ringing Manx Shearwaters. 75 new birds were ringed and retraps included a bird ringed in 1996 and a control ringed with an E ring.

Manx Shearwater

The regular morning check of the Ringed Plover nest revealed a small recently hatched chick with a second discovered in the afternoon. Other waders seen today include a Dunlin, six Redshanks and two Common Sandpipers on the Narrows.

Ringed Plover Chicks

It was changeover day and so the remainder of the morning was spent cleaning the Observatory and welcoming our new guests. George, last years Assistant Warden, has returned for the week and will be involved in a lot of ringing. 

In the afternoon Sam and Stuart surveyed the Swallow nests, many are now on chicks and a Pied Wagtail nest was also found in one of the old pigstys. In a strange turn of events a dead Black Redstart was found on one of the Swallow nests in the Observatory Tool Shed. It is likely that this was the one seen around the last week that was unwell.

The mornings moth trap was busy with four Grass Emeralds and two Garden Tigers the highlights.

Birds today: four Gannets, one Grey Heron, one Dunlin, four Curlews, six Redshanks, two Common Sandpiper, four Black-headed Gulls, one Swift, 130 Starlings