March - Out like a Lion

So much for the idea that if March comes in like a Lion it goes out like a Lamb - it's wet, windy and the ferries are cancelled again. Enough of that though.
Wildlife sightings have been pretty good over the last week. The Mountain Hares have performed well - poor picture but it was nice to see this one running about.

The WT Eagles will all be incubating eggs now but the final touches were still being added - the essential soft furnishings!

The good days have been awesome...

...the Red Deer seem to be hanging on to their antlers but they will be shed in the next couple of weeks.

A nice encounter with a Golden Eagle being mobbed by a Buzzard showed the size difference very well.

A particularly wet and windy day saw this Grey Heron sheltering on a river.

The feral Goats are still hanging around on the beach but they will soon drift off to the cliffs again.

Otter sightings have been difficult recently but it's not unexpected. Normal service will now resume!

I might be a bit quackers but not as quackers as this Mallard.

Home and away

An exciting time over the last couple of weeks. We had a quick trip down to Newcastle to see the family but I did manage to see the Golden Eagle being released before we left Mull.

It was nice to catch up with a few different birds while we were away - Purple Sandpiper, Coot, Moorhen, Shoveler...

...and Great Crested Grebe.

Back on Mull the Grey Herons are always good to photograph.

Some birds have nested already but some are just getting ready to settle down to breeding. This Buzzard seemed keen to use seaweed as a nest lining!

The first Northern Wheatears have arrived so spring is on it's way but there is still time for a bit more snow.

It was nice to see a sub-adult WT Eagle flying around outside the shop the other day.

March - In like a Lion...

...we'll see if it goes out like a lamb!
I still have ongoing problems with BT and their broadband so I'm doing this post at the shop. When it takes four hours to get connected you don't want to be writing a post as it's usually time for bed at that point! Enough of that.
The gales at the beginning of March had a plus side as a Ring-billed Gull turned up in my garden - result!!

The following day it was outside the shop.

A single Adder was seen on a sunny day but this Blue Tit singing was a much better photo opportunity.

More wind followed and made the waterfalls into water-rises!

You wouldn't think that this Reed Bunting photo was taken while the wind was blowing through at 40mph - quite calm at ground level.

Still only a single Adder on show a week into March - so I may have to find another site for them.

On the plus side I did see a couple of Common Lizards on the same day.

It was a lovely, calm, sunset that evening.

After the sun went down I picked up BB and headed out into the dark to search for Barn Owl - we were not disappointed.

End of February

Can you believe February is history already?! There is nothing exciting happening on the wildlife front except that slow crawl into spring. There is something new every day - it might be another species of bird bursting into song, the Collared Doves getting frisky or the Crossbills eating shells on the shore!

You can't fail to be impressed with the splendid male Red-breasted Merganser - he has already won his mate.

I have seen my first bunch of frogspawn at the end of February plus the Primroses are starting to emerge.

The Treecreeper becomes more obvious for us during February and it's nice to get a shot of one being the tree mouse and scampering up the tree trunks.

The WT Eagle will soon be on the nest so they have less of the wanderlust and spent quite a bit of time flying around together.

I have seen quite a bit of this young Golden Eagle over the winter and it seems to like stirring up the Buzzards - come on if you think you're hard enough!

The year list stands at 89 species while PWC scores are 61 species and 73 points.