Rings

 We snuck in a short patch watch at Melby yesterday before our guests arrived. The weather was lovely but the tide was out a long way so the birds weren't close. It was busy though with over 20 purple sandpipers, our first spring dunlins and a colour ringed knot.

We actually felt quite sorry for it. We will look into information on it.

Ouf friendly Grouse was there too.

Today, we managed to squeeze in another spring Skerries trip. Not that we are obsessed or anything!

Bit busier today with 3 sand martins, 1 swallow, 8 chiffchaffs, 1 collared dove, 6 GT northern divers, 1 tree pipit, 2 common sandpipers

, 1 in flight

It was a lovely day and we stopped by at Kergord to find a common crane that had been spotted.

Cracking couple of days

Digging the ditch

 Good couple of days so it's been spent out in the garden . Jill has been breaking down pallets and finished the steps. Also the ditch has had some more digging. The trench is wiggly avoiding trees 

The chickens and cats helped .

Today was a bit drizzly first thing but ended up really sunny, so after more ditch digging, Jill popped out for a bit.

Our friendly grouse from last week was still in the same area, so Jill pulled over to watch him. After about 20 minutes he came right up to the car and bizarrely started looking at himself in the car wing mirror!

Then it was down to the beach. Not many waders but two, almost summer plumage Great Northern Divers interacting with each other. Clearly a pair.

Nice meadow pipits and hare on the way home and the lone magpie

The common gulls are now paired up and back on their favoured spot.