Digging the ditch

 Good couple of days so it's been spent out in the garden . Jill has been breaking down pallets and finished the steps. Also the ditch has had some more digging. The trench is wiggly avoiding trees 

The chickens and cats helped .

Today was a bit drizzly first thing but ended up really sunny, so after more ditch digging, Jill popped out for a bit.

Our friendly grouse from last week was still in the same area, so Jill pulled over to watch him. After about 20 minutes he came right up to the car and bizarrely started looking at himself in the car wing mirror!

Then it was down to the beach. Not many waders but two, almost summer plumage Great Northern Divers interacting with each other. Clearly a pair.

Nice meadow pipits and hare on the way home and the lone magpie

The common gulls are now paired up and back on their favoured spot. 

More Out Skerries

 Still making the most of a quiet spot in bookings before we get really busy in May. So it was off to the Skerries again 

 It was pretty quiet. Jill started by having another good look for the Stone Curlew but couldn't find it. Then news came out that Chris had found a Mandarin in the harbour but it had flown. We went and had a look but couldn't find it. We ended up having a coffee with some new friends Danny and Frankie who hope to move to the Skerries. Good luck guys!

We then did some more general birding, and found lots of meadow pipits, a blackcap, 5 Chiffchaffs, kestrel, wheatears, ringed Plover, goldfinch, 3 red throated divers, white wagtail, 5 great northern divers and 5 mergansers. We had a disappearing otter too.

Jill found some animal prints, very tiny so we think they are weasel.

We decided to head back early for the ferry and as we got back, our friend Matt came to find us as he had heard the Mandarin had been refound again by Chris near the bridge between the two islands. We gave Matt and Jake a lift and Chris and Anne very kindly pointed it out. Always nice to see Mandarins. Matt thinks it's a Skerries first. Thanks Chris!

It ended the day nicely, and it didn't start raining til we got off the ferry