Well, the winds dropped and finally some birds showed their faces. Tuesday was an additional day off for me, so I spent the afternoon trespassing at the Nelson Head cattle drinking pool bushes. Redstart, 2+ Spotted Flys, 6 Northern Wheatears, Garden Warbler and 5+ Willow Warblers wasn't a bad haul I suppose (especially when compared to the previous few days). A bunch of Iccy's and Red-backed Shrikes have been turning up along the east coast, there was a Citrine Wag at Titchwell and Mark Golley found a Red-throated Pipit on Blakeney Point, but nothing so exciting for me unfortunately.
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Late May Bank Holiday Weekend - what a let down!
It was all looking great for the weekend - easterly winds with fronts moving up from the continent bringing rain to ground those tired migrants. In reality it turned out to be as dull as the water flooding through the ditches from the opening heavens above. The highlight of the weekend was actually found in raptors. At Cley I witnessed a female Marsh Harrier take an adult Black-tailed Godwit. It grabbed hold of it on Simonds Scrape and carried it off to devour in the reedbeds. Also a rather close Barn Owl hunted close to the road at Lessingham (see below) at 10am in the morning.
Migrant-wise, a couple of Spotted Flycatchers and Lesser Whitethroats were all I managed to muster up.
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Migrant-wise, a couple of Spotted Flycatchers and Lesser Whitethroats were all I managed to muster up.
More Boxes
Up and off over to Pool for 7 AM to meet up with Andy and Clive {The Climber}. 3 Long-eared Owl nests Checked. All 3 had young, only in one of the nests were the chicks old enough to ring. Tawny's all seem to have smaller broods this year with 2 chicks being the maximum. Also more Kestrels and Barn Owls found. And another Mandarin Duck in a Tawny Box.
A Long and rewarding day.
Steady away
A Steady week with a few Warblers and Waders. 5 Common Sandpiper ringed this week and a few Whitethroats plus Dipper, Blackcap, Willow Warblers. Tomorrow of to check the rest of Owls so should be a busy day.
Owls about that
A couple of days out with Andy checking Owl Boxes. 4 Breeding Pairs of Barn Owl in our boxes so far, including Dark Breasted today .
Also Tawny's and Kestrel. 
An end to another busy week with other species including Goosander, Mandarin
Wheatear, Linnet, Treesparrow, Blackcap, chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Bullfinch and
2 Male Pied Flycatcher . One of which was a Control, ringed on 8.6.2007, at Priddock Wood, Derbyshire, SK2086. Distance of 35km.
Wheatears and Warblers
A steady couple of days with a visit to Whiteholme and Elland Gravel Pits. I set up for Wheatear at Whiteholme as there have been 4 about the same area for the last week. The Birds were more interested in having a bath then the free meal worms on offer. After about 2 hours one came in had a quick bath turned round and took the worm.
Yesterday set two nets up at Elland Gravel Pits, a nice still morning .
Blackcap and Willow Warblers were ringed.
