Rain Stops Play

'Twas a surprisingly clear morning when CJ, TT and Billy Whizz made their way down to the Bay hoping against hope that the forecast showers would hold off for a while. It was pretty slow going for the most part, with blackcaps and Cetti's making up the majority of an enormous 14-bird haul. There were also some lovely views of well-put-up nets shining in the sun.

Things were livened up a little by the arrival of a sparrowhawk which luckily hit the net while we were extracting. Despite the best efforts of Billy Whizz (boy was that name inappropriate in the circumstances), the sprawk was caught and Billy got a tick and some punctured digits (much to CJ and TT's amusement).

At 10:30, a handful of swallows cut over the bay in advance of a heavy shower which arrived moments later, cutting proceedings short.