Routine.....but not by choice!

 Sorry, folks, but have been a bit preoccupied by an absence of a hot water supply.  The solution looks likely to be technical , as opposed to being based on supply, which is always a consideration when the actual water involved comes off the hills overlooking the property. Wednesday should see the problem "sorted".

Mainly in past days I've been seawatching, given one of the premier observation spots in Scotland ( Frenchman's Rocks or nearby ) is only a couple of miles away. My reason for choosing this place to live in many respects!.  At this time of year things are getting a bit late for mainstream passage, but you never know! Whilst weather can play a major part at times of routine passage northwards in Spring, or the reverse in Autumn, I suspect real "goodies " are more a product of hard persistence. Occasions when you're faced with a calm sea and more likely to get a sun tan than a good bird!! Sadly, I've also to say that I've very often provided the coverage but never connected with the real speciality ( not yet anyway! ).

I always feel a bit awkward when reeling out what might be seen in a very routine morning outside of a main passage period (  G.B.B.G., Herring Gull, Common Gull, Kittiwake, Arctic Tern, Fulmar, Black Guillemeot, Razorbill, Gannet, Shag, Eider )  besides the possibility of an odd straggler or so. For some people, the effort of four hours or so, might represent what they strive hard to see in a whole year!!

Locally the first young Wheatear are around, with a couple of Stonechat broods having been around for the past ten days or so. The remaining Curlew and Lapwing pairs on the nearby hill, two and one respectively, are still fiercely protective of what will now be wandering youngsters, a sda outcome given the numbers of attempts were notably higher than that!  The last couple of days has seen an abrupt absence of Cuckoo with no birds seen or heard. Even at this early stage , as the ground breaking sat tag work by the BTO showed last year, the first birds will be commencing to return to their winter quarters and may even  have left.
There you have it , the first mention of winter in June!!