Routine survey work 23rd and 24th April.

It was good to see the cows with calves around the house this morning and to anticipate the presence of lambs which are arriving at the present time. The shot below is taken through the kitchen window, which looks out directly onto the pasture concerned. It's always amusing to find a calf scratching its chin on the window sill and see its big eyes watching my presence!!

As I left on the 23rd virtually the first birds I encountered were two nominate Canada Geese. For the first few years after I came here in 1999 very few of these birds were in evidence, indeed , it was more customary to see one of the sub-species arriving with the influx of wintering geese than wandering birds from the mainland. This has now changed and a small pronounced passage occurs each spring, usually of single birds or pairs, but the occasional small party as well. I've also had birds flying through off SW Islay or north up the Sound of Islay. Whilst there is a sedentary population on Colonsay the majority of birds are usually seen when travelling north on the mainland, i.e. up through Oban.  I've also found birds in the summer on Jura so it may well be this could be a species we gain as a new breeder at some point.