Wow, that was random!

2/4/08 Holme NOA Simeon, James and Connor
We started late at about 8 by walking through the pines. We picked up the male Firecrest and the female showed well too. The male sang a few times in the morning sun. The sea was virtually dead, with only 2 Red-Breasted Mergansers, 300+ Common Scoter, a few Eider, and only 1 Long-Tailed Duck. A walk through the dunes produced a few Siskins and 2 Tree Sparrows over. Sitting at the observatory we ate lunch.
I (Simeon) suddenly picked up 5 large birds flying west over the church which turned out to be Common Cranes! We all managed to get onto them thankfully. 10 minutes later I spotted a raptor circling overhead which turned out to be a ringtail Montagu's Harrier! It was really early (apparently the fourth earliest record) and one of the first in the UK this year!
The male Firecrest appeared on top of the Budlia bush outside the observatory and started singing. It gave amazing views as it fed in a small bush.
The 20 minutes of exitement were over, it had been a random flurry of nice birds!
Troughout the day 12 Sand Martins and 4 Swallows flew over the broadwater on passage, some of the first this year. A Marsh Harrier, 3 Common Buzzzards, a Barn Owl, a Grey Heron and a Little Egret were also on the reserve at different times during the day, and at least 30 Brambling were in the pines.
All in all it was a very good day, signalling the true start of migration!