The weather held out again today, in fact I managed to put some weedkiller on, a job that has been on the "must do" list for a while but it has been too windy and often wet of late. Another job done today was cutting the grass, not that there were many cuttings, but at least it keeps the grass tidy!!
The Starlings along behind the cottages fledged the other day with 5 youngsters emerging. There does not appear to be any sign of any of the young Pheasants today but a former gamekeeper reckoned that with the weather we have had over the past few days there would probably not be much insect life around for them to feed on. The Mute Swans that were sitting on the nest down on the lochan at Rockside road end have brought out their young, but with only 2 cygnets to be seen with them, were there more initially, I do not know, but they were all on Loch Gorm.Visitors had seen a Peregrine taking a Dunlin off the shoreline of Loch Indaal today. George had a Wheatear down on the shoreline below his house, something he rarely sees there. Over at Finlaggan he had 2 Cuckoos, one of which was eating a large caterpillar. He also saw another Cuckoo at Coultorsay. On the first nature ramble of the year led by Becky over at Bunnahabhain yesterday afternoon, a Yellowhammer was seen, as well as a Spotted Flycatcher, a Reed Bunting and also a Whitethroat.
Many thanks to Danny Arnold and his wife Wanda for their input over the last fortnight while they were over on holiday. Tonight we had our monthly meeting of our local "informal" bird club with 14 folk coming along, 9 locals and 5 visitors. It was good to meet up with the visitors and share some time with them.