What's in the Box?

Not much to report today as much of it was spent in meetings. First thing from the Tern hide a pair of teal and at least 3 wigeon were still present and I was sure I heard a Mediterranean gull but I could not see it.

The moth trap had been raided by a great tit so the moths were few, but a beautiful carpet was new for the year. The great tit is probably feeding young a suspicion backed up this afternoon when I checked some of the nest boxes. Of sixteen boxes I checked four were empty, one occupied by wood mouse, one with nest, but no eggs and signs of a predated adult great tit. The other ten all had active nests, of which seven were occupied by great tit and three by blue tit. All the blue tit were still sitting on eggs, two were broods of nine and the other stayed put so I got no count. Of the great tit one had nine eggs, one four eggs and five newly hatched chicks, one a brood a of at least eight chicks about six days old and the rest were sitting tight.

A few swift passed over during the afternoon suggesting that the arrival of this species is now properly underway. Although there are always a few early ones the main arrival often happens almost all at once, so I will not be surprised if there are lots by the weekend.