Primroses - Bruaich Jerich, Port Charlotte

Primroses appear to be particularly abundant this year.

Primroses

It must be spring, at last!
Malcolm

Beinn Dubh Valley

Despite the strong east wind, Jim and I headed to the east of the island on Monday for a circular walk from Bayllgrant to Beinn Dubh valley, Lochs Fada and Leathann and back to Ballygrant. The main reason was to explore the  archaeology and natural features there. There's a fascinating nearly quarter of a gridsquare without a single contour line that is like a bowl of marshland and where the Lapwings were rolling and tumbling. There seems to have been an influx of them this year, which is truly delightful. For the more energetic, climb Beinn Dubh and view the natural dyke from on high as it rolls over the top of a dun.
Becky

Mysterious, solitary iron post?

'Bowl' of marshland with no contours. Beinn Dubh to right of picture.

View towards Beinn Dubh from more westerly of the duns.

The natural dyke runs just right of centre from summit of the dun towards the foreground.

Eacharnach ruin (translates from Gaelic as Park for Horses)Also known as Mullach Dubh (Common Knapweed - I think!)

Wonderful - spring is here!

Probably Peltigera membranacea (turns from grey to brown when wet)

Some sort of parasite?

The natural dyke viewed (in summer) from summit of Beinn Dubh, running across the dun.

Primroses - Bruichladdich

Primroses - Loch Gruinart

The primroses are starting to thicken up.  Saw my first bluebells of the year today too....  And my first Wheatear.  Carl

Early primroses

A few primroses are struggling out along the banks - but they have not really got going yet.

Early Primroses

Fiona MacGillivray sent me this photo of a Primrose which she saw last week in Gruinart Wood. As she remarked, it is incredibly early for these spring flowers - a sign of the mild weather we've had this winter.
Becky

What a difference a week makes...

I have been away a week and at this time of year that means you notice big changes when you return.  Over on the mainland there were singing Chiffchaffs and Willow warblers everywhere, and I had heard neither on Islay before I left - although others had picked up the odd one or two.  I saw my first Sand martin at Lochwinnoch RSPB reserve where I stopped to drip dry for a few minutes on my way down to Prestwick.
Back on Islay now and there are Willow warblers all over the place, and I heard a Blackcap singing as I pedalled past Bridgend woods yesterday.  A big skein of around 120 grey geese, probably Pinkfeet, flew very high over Bruichladdich Distillery the day before yesterday, all neatly arranged in an almost perfect V formation and heading purposefully north.

The bullocks were pictured yesterday crossing a section of marshy ground in the centre of the Shorefield.

One of the Shorefield bullocks has been a bit naughty recently - jumping the fence on a number of occasions.  This is always a bit of a worry as bullocks and roads are not an ideal combination. Even though there are lots of unfenced roads on Islay and meeting cattle while driving is quite a regular event, we still want to keep them in if at all possible.  Cattle will challenge fences though, for all sorts of reasons, most of which are quite unfathomable - particularly in this instance as there is no shortage of really good grazing in the Shorefield.  The grass is fairly flying up at the moment.

The whin too is coming into full bloom - although it is not quite at its dazzling best yet.

There are lots of primroses out now too - this clump was snapped in the roadside ditch opposite the Shorefield yesterday.