Bit of a crazy weekend with an event at work including a dawn chorus walk. After the last one (heavy rain and sting winds) this one was a pleasure. Loads of birds around but the highlights were booming bittern and a spot fly (169) in the carpark. Our 'showing people birds' event was excellent and well attended helped by a good number of birds. Beardies and the bittern kept performing and most visitors managed to catch up with them. A brief spoonbill (170) on the saltmarsh added some excitement but it was the arrival of waders (temminck's, curlew and wood sands) that was the main interest.

Garden ringing goes well with 37 birds ringed in the last week. Jackdaw on Sunday was only the 2nd I have ringed (still got the bite marks) and I caught the first baby blackbird yesterday evening.

On my home last night I saw a large brown raptor drop into the road ahead of me. I assumed that it was a buzzard so was very surprised to flush a red kite! Stopped in a gateway but couldn't re-locate it.