Crossbills

At long last some pleasant weather arrived today. The sun was out and the wind although still easterly had dropped to a gentle breeze. It was time to start getting some of the ewes and their young lambs turned out on to the marsh. As this involves getting the ewes and lambs through the group of as yet unlambed ewes, each little family has to be moved individually by picking up the lambs inside the pen and carrying them across the field with the anxious mother following on behind, or trying to trip me up if she's a bolshie type. I was just about to pick up my third set of lambs when I had a distinctive hard "chup-chup" and looking up I saw 6 chunky finches with prominent bills and obviously forked tails tanking towards me across the field. Crossbills, my second record for the patch and a Patchwork tick! They rocketed by and carried on northwards at great speed.
Sheep done, it was pleasant enough to sit out on the patio for lunch for the first time this year. This coincided with news of a White-tailed Eagle over Burgh Castle only 6 miles away so I ate lunch, a delicious Samphire Pork Pie and our own home-produced air-dried ham, scanning the skies just in case the eagle should drift this way. Sadly of the eagle there was no sign but the warmth brought 6 Marsh Harriers into the air, 2 Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk and 2 Kestrels, a Green Woodpecker flew through the garden and the Reed Buntings ignored my presence and fed greedily on the patio feeder. Not bad at all!