It has been a much quieter week for catching birds this week, mainly due to strong winds and rain. 

The main victim of the wind has been our Manx flag, which has flown proudly from the lamp standard outside the Obs since we arrived in mid-July. As you can see from the picture, it is now more like a red rag!!! Only one foot remains and as soon as it is calm enough to get a ladder to it we will take it down. We had hoped to leave it up until Sorcha arrives next Sunday with her friend Will to spend a day with her Mum, but it is too knackered now to leave up. 

Despite catching fewer birds we did manage to reach 11,000 (exactly) by Sunday, so now the target is 12,000 before we leave.

Although quiet for birds it was exciting in other ways. The 'alleged' Russian Submarine was the talk of the island, as reports of it moved closer and closer to our east coast, with miltary aircraft and ships heard one night. All passed uneventfully and as far as we know there are no Russians moving around the island, unless well disguised as the Badger! 

The Waxwings have started to move through the island on the way south, we saw about 100 today and at long last the flocks of Redpoll are becoming more regular. Thursday and Friday this week are forecast calm, so it will be an all-out effort to catch plenty of good birds before the gales arrive again.