One of the highlights of early summer was a male Cuckoo, which spent several days on the Whins and was very vocal. It often got chased by small birds mistaking it for a bird of prey and harassing it each time it flew around. It is possible it bred nearby as a female was heard uttering its unusual bubbling call too on one occasion.
On Far Bank a pair of Swallows decided to build their nest under a new porch and had to dodge the traffic as they took food into the nest on a regular basis.
These and a pair of Jays and a pair of Stock Doves were all confirmed breeding here for the first time.
A Hobby on the 1/7 was the third site record and another bird was seen again on 29/8 also.
A Green Woodpecker made a brief appearance on 2/8 ensuring that we recorded all 3 UK woodpeckers on the site this year for the first time.
