Tuesday 11 June

After a number of days with summery weather, this all came to an end today. The weather closed in and rain started at 3pm. The starling chicks have all flown the nest; over the past few days we watched their number dwindle from 3 to 1 this morning, until they had all disappeared. The blackbirds are still busy with their young. The rhodondendron clearance is continuing in the Castle Grounds, but the burning results in some alarmingly large flames.