29th March,2010.

First of all I notice that there has now been in excess of 10,000 visits to the site from all parts of the world. May I thank everyone who has taken an interest in what I have offered and I shall try hard to repay your time during the next weeks and months. My intention was to provide something better than simply summarizing sightings of birds on Islay by adding extra information and personalized material. I'll keep on trying and, remember, I have three other Blogs ( see opposite ) which I fully intend "operating" to the same, or similar, level of output in the future.

Now, update time! Yesterday (Sunday) I did the repeat coach trip down to Glasgow and out to Dumbarton, setting the Beauly Firth behind and saying goodbye to my daughters for a few weeks. Snow still cloaked the higher slopes of the hills within the Cairngorms and Drumochter Pass, but was largely gone elsewhere.

Today I picked up the car and thoroughly enjoyed the drive northwards and westwards to the ferry terminal at Kennacraig. The hills to the east and north of Loch Lomond were covered in snow,which I suspect had fallen overnight according to the forecast. These, and the similarly covered high peaks surrounding Arrochar and the Rest and Be Thankful Pass, provided a thrilling backcloth to what felt increasingly to be an exciting return journey home after several weeks of difficulties with transport.

The ferry was delayed a lttle while due to a creel rope having entwined around a propellor, which was soon sorted out by a diver descending and freeing things up.
I was then particularly pleased to bump into a past colleague from RSPB, Roger Broad, who I've not seen for ages, which meant two hours passed very quickly! Even then, the journey had a further surprise in the form of Michal Sur, returning from the Seychelles after seven months to take up a further short term contract with RSPB. Never has a journey flown by so fast!

And so, after sorting out over the next couple of days all the inevitable bits and pieces associated with an absence of almost three weeks, I'm looking forward to getting out and about and making sense of what seems to be a late spring. Certainly groups of Barnacle and Greenland White-fronted Geese are still around and Grey-lag Geese appear widespread, in pairs, with the males taking up a very proprietorial position at the first hint of interference or disturbance. Back home!!

Good news and bad news.

Well, the good news is that the problems with my car have hopefully been resolved and I should be able to retrieve it shortly when I return to Islay. With car engines and control mechanisms being so finally attuned nowadays apparently some systems can "react" to the various additives that are, or aren't added to fuel. Nissan's had some trouble with this in 2009 with my vehicle's problems being attributed to the same source. What seems an attractive proposition in terms of fuel selection may not always turn out to be so!!

The bad news is that that I'm out of things with a sickness bug. Contact with children, and picking up something "doing the rounds",when you're used to the "sanitised surroundings " of Islay bathed, as it is with replenishing weather!,is almost an inevitability. What had plagued half the senior school where my daughters attend settled its remaining portion on me with the resulting maelstrom of internal upheaval , and its aftermath ,taking out the last two days. Now, girls, I know that men "do" the illness bit rather well, but this was really the wanting to meet your Maker scenario! So, no news of nature, birds either I'm afraid. From what I hear little of note has been found , or is around , on Islay, so I'm looking forward to getting back some time soon and getting into the fray!

23 rd March,2010.

Soon after dawn the subdued song of a Chiffchaff came from the woodland opposite from exactly the same territory as a bird occupied last year! Lacking in volume and confidence it nonetheless announced the arrival of this migrant within the window of reasonable weather we've had over the past couple of days. Common species like Pied Wagtail and Linnet moved north and, at last, spring migration appears to be gaining momentum.

The local Buzzards put on an absolutely magnificent display above and around a shelter belt near to the house where I presume they intend to breed. Besides the usual display above the site they whirled around as if on the end of kite strings, sweeping back and forth in a series of sweeps.

22nd March,2010.

The last two days have been disrupted by daughters being ill, so not too much to report. However, have still managed the local walks. A Tawny Owl calling out in the early ( day lit ) morning was a surprise, as were, finally, the appearance of Treecreeper and Long-tailed Tit locally, two of the latter visiting the feeders in late afternoon. A marauding female Sparrowhawk flashed through the garden and perched up for a while in the adjacent woodland. The cacophony of alarm calls from various species actually belied the quite large number of titmice, finches etc that are around in the immediate area.

I'm really intrigued by the situation surrounding Yellowhammers in the local area. They're quite common and appear to have survived the winter well. The habitat they're using is no different to that in many other places where they are now absent, although it obviously must be in some fundamental respect. The "core" habitats appear unchanged, as do the cropping practices, which stability may have much to do with their retention and success. A great pity to have lost elsewhere what is a really attractive species which, with several in song, add a welcome dimension to the local farm landscape. Not living cheek by jowl with them I'd never realised they commenced their breeding season this early, particularly this far north , given individuals can sometimes still be found in song in August.

20th March,2010.

Whilst Friday's weather was a bit extreme with very blustery winds, with everything keeping its head down in fear of being caught up and swept away; that of today (Saturday ) is very pleasant. Despite this welcoming change little appears to have altered, at least superficially. The finch flock seems to have dispersed and far fewer Siskins are around, evidence of some movement in activity, but no other major changes or occurrences have taken place. Finally, at least two Wrens were seen, both skulking around so it seems we need to wait awhile before the woodland echoes to their explosive song. As the darkness of the evening deepened the local Tawny Owl struck up, its wavering tones carrying far and wide across the now becalmed landscape.

17th March,2010.

Viewed from day to day I suppose there is an actual ,perceptible improvement in bird numbers and bird activity. Siskin are suddenly more obvious and prolific, Skylark is in song, a lone Goldcrest sang in a nearby woodland, a fortunate survivor of the winter or a returning resident (?), and Song Thrush are in full bore at various places. One sang virtually incessantly from dawn until midday immediately outside the house and made me ponder on the energy demands of such highly charged behaviour. In the evening a single Blackbird gave forth its song, the mellow notes redolent of what we will be so accustomed to over the next two-three months.

Skeins of Pink-footed Geese still overfly the house as they move from,or between, local feeding grounds. And as a fitting adventure to any day I can attest to the difficulty and excitement of separating four, largely black dogs that choose to have a fight when meeting up with a neighbour on the same walking duty along the nearby very dark lane!!

14th March,2010.

Despite the commoner passerine species being in song up here, some species are still in small flocks as well ( Chaffinch, Yellowhammer, Lesser Redpoll). It may well be that some species are "returning" after moving away previously due to the bad weather. Whilst snow at lower levels has now gone the higher hills around us still carry an appreciable amount so we're not there yet!!

Replenishing the feeders immediately attracted many Chaffinch and Yellowhammer and, at different times, both male and female Great Spotted Woodpecker. On the final walk out of the day with the dogs around midnight, a Barn Owl gave a couple of "screeeech" calls nearby, splitting what had otherwise been a landscape clothed in silence!!

12th March,2010.

A pleasant enough day but rather dull. Bird song continues to gather in intensity and a Great Spotted Woodpecker spent the morning drumming in the woodland nearby to the house. The passerine flock in the stubble field adjacent to the house was a repeated focus but produced nothing new. A small party of Lesser Redpoll picked around in rough ground along the boundary of the garden. Suddenly a male Common Redpoll ( Mealy Redpoll )appeared, its greyer, more contrasting plumage and whiter wing bar standing out against the browner tones of its relative.

Down on the Firth Whooper Swans and large parties of Grey lag Geese repeatedley rise and fly around calling as if preparing for their imminent northward flights. A recent message from a contact in Iceland advises that both species are begining to arrive from their wintering quarters, perhaps even from here in Scotland. Their winter has not been that severe in the south of the "island" with even odd Blackcaps being present.

11th March,2010.

Cold,cloudy with some rain and sleet late in the afternoon and yet some things appear farther advanced than in the supposed milder west!! Despite snow still being on the tops of the surrounding hills spring actually seemed to be in full swing except for the appearance of flowers. Whilst where I am ( west of Inverness and near Beauly ) is within a varied landscape bordering the Beauly Firth, the amount of birdsong in the woods and general countryside was both staggering and uplifting this morning. Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Robin, Chaffinch, and even an early Yellowhammer were all in good heart and the calls of Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Greenfinch and Tree Sparrow all rang out from the adjacent woodland and hedgerows. I'm afraid all birding rested on aural confirmations given such was being challenged by my ineffective handling skills of two collies being walked!! I was rather relieved the area is very quiet and my inadequate efforts weren't being witnessed! The youngest, at eight months, could be an apt contender for the World's Strongest Dog competition given his pulling ability that was certainly better than that of his supposed human "controller".

Over late morning and into the afternoon I had the pleasure of being visited by David Spivack and his wife, Amanda. David and I worked together for many years at the RSPB ( he still does ) and an appreciable amount of coffee was drunk and stories exchanged!! Good times!

On the move! !0th March, 2010.

In transit for most of the day! Down to the village for before 0800 hours to get a bus to the ferry, which got to the mainland at 1210 hours and linked with a bus to Glasgow, from where I then got a bus to Inverness, arriving a little after 2000hours. Pretty good after covering the width and an appreciable length of Scotland.

As ever on some journeys a "bus community" rapidly formed on the Glasgow to Perth leg of the trip. Scottish and Yorshire humour came to the fore with an hilarious conversation surrounding the potential for reusable coffins. Absolutely uproarious and lending itself to "green" objectives too!! As can be imagined little wildlife was, or could , be noted from a fast moving bus, but it was noticeable how much snow there was between Stirling and Perth and how sterile the landscape looked, caught as it was still in the grip of wintry conditions.

Doubtless whilst I'm away the weather will alter dramatically and, hopefully, at the same time, the persistent problems with my car will be resolved by the specialists to whom it is shortly to be transferred!! Normality can resume in all respects!