Otter, Snipe, Woodcock, Owl!

No, not the title of a new dance or song but highlights of the day. At midday when I was coming back from training there was an Otter feeding just outside Debbie's Coffee House in Bruichladdich. This evening, out for a dusk tour and as well as the magnificent experience of the Barnacles heading to the roost we also heard Snipe drumming, saw Woodcock roding and watched two, heard one, Barn Owls. Earlier, a Lapland Bunting had been seen at Ardnave too. What a super day!

24hr Stag

A stag group in the wilderness was really good fun. The guys had travelled from all over Britain to be here and with such magical weather from Sunday to this morning we were really blessed with good times! Learning firemaking, water purifying, coastal foraging (seafood bisque!) we also had time to watch the stars, Red Deer, Sparrowhawk and Buzzards as well as Fulmar, auks and
on our return a pair of Canada geese alone on the sun swept beach. Superb.

Golden Plover Golden Eagle

It was a wet start and pretty awful weather wise for most of the day. Starting with a distant Eagle up on the hill beyond Borichil lMor. We worked our way around, Reed Bunting, Skylarks
and M'ipits as well as Lapwings and Curlews displaying. The sun was shining when we stopped at Kilchoman and Choughs were on the ground and easily spotted. Sandmartins and Wheatears were seen earlier by clients, but best of all were over 300 Golden Plover in summer plumage. Fantastic!

Texa Rangers

A beautiful and blue sky day and we headed off to Texa to recce for a course next month.
Eider in the water with Shag and Gannet and a pair of Peregrine on the cliff edge. Plenty of wild goats and lots of Lesser Celandine Grain-aigein and Scurvy Grass Carran in flower. Wonderful.

Gannet - lots, Harrier 1

Around the Rhinns this afetrnoon with guests from Delhi, India. Great to share experiences and to show Islay off on a reasonable sunny but freezing cold day. Curlew, Barnacles, Whitefronts, Divers and plenty of Gannets too but best of all and most time consuming was a male Hen ahrrier hawking one of the glens beyond Port Charlotte. Fanatstic to watch it working every
nook and cranny.

Chough 2 Goshawk 1

After yesterday's start with rain and poor visibility today I was out with clients in bright sunshine and plenty of wind. We started just south of Ardnave and headed southwards. Chough watching from the accommodation pick up point and then onto watch the Barnies and Whitefronts loafing in the fields. The light was so very good we could see all the details very clearly. We headed along Gruinart flats; Lapwings very much on territory, Curlew, more Barnies, Skylark and plenty of Whooper on thewetland. Then further on along the road from some cover near Coillubus a large-ish hawk exploded outwards sending plenty of 'wee brown jobs' into panic. We watched as it flew right infront and then across the Landrover and up into the sky. We got great views of a white supercilium and brown chequed underneath, heavily barred tail and we had to think for a moment what it was. 'Goshawk!' two of us called and we 'pursued' it up the glen. It flew quite high on pointy wings then dropped into more cover further on. After such good views we lost it. We waited but had' no luck. Being so brown and chequed it was a juv. and as it was quite a large bird - more likely to be a female. I immediately telephoned Catherine - the RSPB warden and the office to get the word out. What excitement.
We had an elderly lady with us, who two years ago witnessed an Osprey feeding at Gorm. She obviously brought us good luck! Onto the Merse where we enjoyed Goose watching and waders at a distance.

Lesser Black Backed Spring Kit!

Out early this morning at up behind Port Charlotte were 2 Lesser Black Backed Gulls.Very rarely seen in winter, they certainly show spring is on it's way, as well as the odd Wheatear that has been seen too. Sandmartins are streaming over in Southern Britain but I still await them here. With the cold north winds things are certainly been held back! Our Megan, eldest daughter, saw a Bumble bee yesterday whilst emptying the compost.

I have been sent a poem form a bushcraft student who is pictured here leaving Port Ellen after the Feasach Ile course last year!. Thanks Dave Bliss - you make it all worth the wilderness !

Ninja Kit List - Dave Bliss

I'm travelling light this weekend,

The forest won't know that i'm here,

My knowledge is light as a feather,

And my Bushcraft is 'without peer'.

I'm carrying just the essentials,

I've pared it down to the bone,

I've got my waffer thin laptop,

And a Gucci pouch for me phone.

My new pants are made by Thermos,

I've a thing that makes Bushcrafty toast.

I couldn't decide which hammock to take

......So I finally settled on both !

My seating system is awesome :

A cammo recliner and stool,

It's made from tubes of titanium,

Upholstered in 'merino' wool

These binos are made by NASA,

Ranulf Ffiennes tested me socks,

And the chap that designed my combats,

Also did Princess Di's frocks.

My fare will be authentic and wholesome;

Just dried beans (for mountain man stew)

I've also got pot noodles,

and sweeties,Oh, and chokky bits too

Knives, to me, should be simple;

Function and form, hand in hand

The handle of this one is Dodo Shin :

There's only five in the land

Truthfully ? Axes bore me ;

You seen one, you seen em' all,

So I keep it down to the basics,

And just carry three..... as a rule.

You gotta know about water,

And how to make it pure.

I 'Pre-mac' and boil it 'till Sunday( and use "Volvic", Just to be sure).

I've got twelve ways to make fire

And I know that three of them work ;

I got a magnifying glass and "Swan Vestas"

( me "Zippo" is, just a perk ! )

I'm " keepin' it real " in Bushcraft,

My mates all think that I'm great,

But they had to change the venue

And didn't tell me 'till late .

So here I am , in the forest,

Just nature and nothing but dark.

That's it......I'm off home early :

Stuff that for a lark !!!!

I am sure it is the same for birders too.......