Sat 7th March

Michal finally admitted that it was just a rather dirty Greenland Whitefronted Goose that he had seen the other day, but I am not saying that he went to the trouble of washing it and presenting us with this image tonight. He had been out since before daybreak and had spent most of the morning waiting patiently for the right bird to come along. While he was out he also heard a few Snipe drumming.

As I write this entry, the wind outside has got up along with squally rain showers thrown in for good measure.

Fri 6th March

It is odd to mention that the shooting season is now over, but the few pheasants that came down during the actual shooting season were all male birds, no hen pheasants and no Red legged Partridge, but with the closed season now here, hey presto and the hen pheasants and the Red legs are down around the house again, not that we are shooters though! Having said that it is nice to see them out and about again!

Thurs 5th March

After the image from Michal on last night's blog of a Skylark posing as a lbj, tonight has Michal found a new species of Geese? Are there any more out there, and could it all lead to a major twitch here on Islay. We will just have to wait and see.

The weather has not changed much today with dirty snow showers around before lunchtime and better in the afternoon. The only difference was it was us, here on the Rhinns that caught it yesterday, with the rest of Islay faring better, but today it was the reverse!

Wed 4th March

What do they say about the weather in March, in like a Lion and out like a lamb? In some ways, so far this month, we have had everything, apart from thunder and lightning! Today was no exception with the dirty snow showers appearing just after 7 am, nobody seem to like them and looked miserable. Michal caught this lbj trying to rid itself of snow, George showed us an image of a Roe deer with snow on it's back, while down at Sunderland Farm we saw a Buzzard with a white dusting on it, looking rather puzzled by it all!

Tues 3rd March

A really great image of the Great spotted Woodpecker taken this afternoon by Margaret. At lunchtime I was out, as it had dried up, and had a close sighting of a Treecreeper, it could not have been more than 6 feet away, no need for the bins for that one, but the camera was in the house! I had not expected to see much today as it had been a foul night with rain and wind, I had forgotten to say the other day that the Fulmars had been in, sorry!

Mon 2nd March

There was no sign of any of the Herons when we were out today, but down at Bruichladdich, there were a few Turnstone down on the shoreline and further along the was a small group of Pale bellied Brent Geese. Round at Ballinaby, there were not so many Lapwings to be seen today, but there were 12 Ringed Plover on the edge of a large flooded part in one of the fields.

Mon 1st March

Like as I said last night, another month away, and the rainfall for the month came to only 1.5", compared with 3 times as much last year, but no doubt it will all even itself out by the end of the year!

We had another Barn Owl out when we were coming home the other night, as well as several frogs on the road again. Yesterday, we counted 7 Herons when were out, and today there were a couple of Mistle Thrushes in full song, is Spring round the corner? Certainly, the days are stretching out.