6th May

A calm day with a light southerly based wind produced a good variety of migrants; most notably a 1st summer female Marsh Harrier seen around Ancum, the first migrant Kestrel of the year, at least four Tree Pipits and an increased count of 327 Meadow Pipits.    Other birds included 12 Whimbrel, two White Wagtails, a Robin, two Chiffchaffs, two Willow Warbler, a Brambling, three Siskins, a group of three Redpoll sp. which were probably Lessers and in what is turning out to be an excellent spring for the species, at least 8 Goldfinches - in context, we have now ringed the same number of birds this year, as previously in the entire history of the observatory!

Tree Pipit (photo by Dave Wakefield)