Wild snowdrops?

The snowdrops now adorning the banks of the burn in Port Charlotte are an altogether daintier version of the flower than those in my garden, or, I would suggest, in Bridgend Woods.  Carl

Optimism

Daffodil bulbs pushing up through the moss that passes for our lawn at Lorgba in Port Charlotte.
Carl

Phew - a pleasant morning...

It is a relief to be able to report on a pleasant, benign morning on Islay after all that meteorological lunacy.  We even have some sunshine...  This was Loch Indaal from Lorgba this morning.
Carl

Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)

Found in my peanut bin at Lorgba in Port Charlotte this morning when I went to fill up my feeders...
Carl

Herring Gull Banging at Window

Our, frankly rather irritating, Herring Gull is back.  I think it was round about this time last year that he (she?) first made an appearance, banging loudly on one of our our bedroom windows at Lorgba.  All very friendly (even vaguely amusing) at first, but the novelty soon wears off, and it is really irritating if it starts at five in the morning...
Carl

Port Charlotte Rookery

I counted 45 nests at the Rookery at Lorgba in Port Charlotte this afternoon - which I have a feeling is the highest number we have recorded here?  Not all of them are in this photo!!
Carl

Rookery

I counted 42 nests in the Port Charlotte rookery this morning, and there is still much building going on - so we may still add a few to that total.  Rookeries are fairly noisy places and much as I like rooks I am currently very glad of the sound proofing qualities of double glazing - particularly first thing in the morning....  This picture was taken from a bedroom window in Lorgba.
Carl

Lesser Celandines at Lorgba (Ranunculus ficaria)

Hebridean sheep

Hebridean sheep feeding on cattle nuts on Lorgba croft above Port Charlotte yesterday.

Ground Beetle - Carabus granulatus?

This lively chap(ette?) was at Lorgba this morning.  Approx 30mm long.

It's amazing what two days of sunshine produces...

The first Lesser celandine flower of the year at Lorgba.

Late Daffodils

These wild daffodils (well, wild-ish, they came from Jura House Gardens and are planted at Lorgba but they are wild-type...) have finally struggled into bloom



The majority of our domestic daffodils are still some way off however...

 Carl

Fierce sky over Lorgba this evening

Siskin (Carduelis spinus)

Nice to have a Siskin back on the feeders at Lorgba yesterday - they have been absent all winter...
Carl

Common Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)

Snowdrops are now fully out in our garden at Lorgba, Port Charlotte.
Carl

Rook (Corvus frugilegus)

A Rook visits our lawn yesterday during the Big Garden Birdwatch.
Carl

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Robins in the snow this morning at Lorgba
Carl

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Took this rather nice shot of one of our local Robins while going up to feed the chickens yesterday.

A scrum of Starlings

A scrum of Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) polished off most of half a loaf in no seconds flat on my lawn this morning.
Carl

Robin (Erithacus rebecula)

Checking out whether the chickens have left anything in the leaves at Lorgba.