John is not the only one with IT probs…
Swifts in 2 groups of around 50/60 birds flying low north up the bog early this morning, some screaming to let me know they have arrived!
Sedgies singing here also but rather worrying I haven't heard grasshopper warbler yet despite 3 visits to known locations on the bog.
The birch in front of the waiting room has been 'managed' so there are some little bushes for the displaying sedge to sit in but thankfully the bigger bushes have been removed to restore the open view of the bog. I waited (as usual) and in came a male Goosander for a brief look under the waves which put the skids under a passing mummy mallard with 11 young. A lone redpoll alighted on an old willowherb stem but was presumably disappointed to find the seed heads empty.
On my rounds of the nestboxes there were singing pieds waiting for females, they will need to arrive soon! Other pairs had between 3 and 8 eggs but the tits are in the hatching stage with a nest of great tits feathering up nicely. The nuthatches have 'glued' down the boxlids with mud but they will be feeding young now.