With the extremely wet weather recently it seems that a number of whinchats have decided enough is enough and have started to head south. Birds that were on eggs during the worst of the weather managed to see it through and are busy feeding young. Kestrels have managed to fledge 32 young from 14 nests and can be seen hunting around all of the trails. A few small broods of black grouse have been flushed around the Howgill area. Some ring ouzels appear to be nesting for the third time! A young osprey visited Tindale Tarn for an afternoon last week.