This is an image sent in last night by visitors who are over for a fortnight. The Hares, I think have not be so active this Spring compared to other years.
Last night at the back of 10pm when I was up looking the sheep, I carried on and went to check out the burn. There was a large splash in one of the pools, and on further examination I found the body of a freshly killed Mallard drake. About 10 yards downstream, there was its' head, and on discussion with friends today, we now think that what I had disturbed was an Otter. I went back this morning and there was no sign of the poor Mallard or even its' head.
This morning before 8 o'clock, Malcolm had counted 282 Pale bellied Brent Geese down on Loch Indaal. He managed to read the rings on 20 different birds and sent these off to the Irish Brent Study Group based at Strangford Loch. Later this afternoon, Malcolm had a response from Ireland to say that some of the birds had actually been seen at 17.40 yesterday at Inner Dundrum Bay in Co. Down and about 100 miles from here!
On the reserve at Gruinart today, James had a couple of Garganey and also an Otter on the floods. Yesterday, here at home, while cutting the grass in front of the house, there was a pheasant egg on the middle of the grass....
Carl e mailed in. "A couple of Shags were down on the rocks at Carn and the odd Buzzard on a pole, but apart from that, very little was moving. The "harbour"seals were enjoying moan fest in the harbour at Portnahaven, but I guess rain is a bit of a non issue if you are a seal! Redshanks were calling at the lochan between Ellister and An Gleann on the return journey, and a few Willow warblers were doing their best to sound cheerful from the forestry. There were a couple of Lesser Black backs with the Common gulls paddling about in the fields at Octofad. Whimbrel were calling over Port Charlotte on my return home."
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