Swift half news - 12th May 2010

• Three of the four blackbird eggs in the honeysuckle have hatched - the fourth is imminent I think - but I still think eventually these wee birds are going to be tea for our cats unfortunately.
• A new species of bird in the garden today - a Whitethroat (a summer warbler - gone back to Africa come the autumn). A really nice find - and I'm convinced now that the mystery bird I saw drinking from the pond last summer was also a whitethroat now. I wonder if we'll get our hawfinch back - a real stunner - seen once last year in one of the damson trees.
• The swifts brought back another big fluffy down feather (from a pigeon again I think) to their nest space in the roof. No eggs yet though...