We're ready.........

........., but are the Swallows? This morning Ian and I spent an hour clearing a net ride ready to undertake some ringing at the annual Swallow roost that forms in one of the wet reedbeds at the obs. At the moment there about a thousand Swallows roosting, and I say 'at the moment' as since the last count on Thursday (26th) evening the weather has been fairly unsettled and that has a habit of breaking the roost up. If the weather then becomes settled and Swallows start moving again, the roost will build again.

Below is a picture of the cleared net ride and a Speckled Wood that was sunning itself, or attempting to, on some fencing adjacent to the reedbed.