Tawnies and Spoonbills but no Pratincole yet .....

With an extremely smart looking Black-winged Pratincole gracing the cereal fields north of Ringstead for its second day - 31 May/ 1st June - will it make it on to redwell or Holme Marsh? Pictured below are this year's 2 young Tawnies from the nest box in the pines, ringed on 23rd May and looking as laid back as only young Tawnies can! Seeing these birds being ringed was a particular delight for a visiting party of birders from Northern Ireland, where of course Tawnies are absent. An added bonus came later in the day with a group of 5 Spoonbills flying slowly east past the Observatory.

Drinker Moth caterpillar taken at Redwell Marsh NOA.