A nice surprise yesterday morning when I discovered two Common Cranes on Potter Brompton Carr. A very welcome and long overdue 'Find Tick' for me. Fantastic, but this is a private site, so special arrangements have to be put in place to allow a wider audience. This done people were invited to meet at 1730 hrs. The birds were looking settled at 1700 hrs, but promptly flew off at 1720! Typical. Fortunately they chose to land in a recently sown field close to a public road on Sherburn Carr, so much easier for numbers of people to view. Most local birders managed to connect in the evening or this morning, when I managed the record shots below. A few passage waders are also starting to appear with a flock of six Ruff yesterday and a Spotted Redshank this morning.

After spending the morning on Potter Brompton Carr I had a short visit to the Wykeham Raptor Viewpoint, where the Goshawks were performing well with at least four birds seen. Also wonderful to enjoy Siskins displaying plus a few Crossbills in the nearby pines. Cracking!

After a fairly slow period early summer migrants are now starting to arrive in force with Chiffchaffs singing at a number of locations this morning. An obliging drake Garganey was still present in the somewhat atypical surroundings of Northstead Manor Gardens. A visit to Potter Brompton Carr was fairly quiet although a Snow Bunting heading NW was new for that site. Two Dunlin were also new, whilst duck numbers continue to decline here with 38 Teal, 22 Wigeon and 14 Gadwall present.