The weather was grim here on Saturday, but it meant that insect-catchers suchs as swifts, swallows and martins were hunting their food very low over the lakes. It was virtually impossible to count how many swifts we had. 100....200? If only they would sit still and be counted!
Every now and then, a swift would come tearing through the car park at shoulder height, as if they were on a dare to get as close as possible to me or my volunteer helpers. It was incredible. I wonder how many times we said "wow".
The weather was still as windy on Sunday, but warmer and dry, so the insects were shade higher, or perhaps there were just a few too many people in the car park for the swifts to fly so close and low today.
One of the spectacles on Sunday, once the sun warmed up and the insects flew high, was the number of hobbies that were feeding on them, along with high-flying swifts. Other highlights included the marsh harriers and the wheatear by the car park, the cuckoo flying over the car park, and the warbling warblers all around the Lakes.