March on the Isle of Skye
| 4 March 2012 . . . .
A few spring flowers are beginning to appear. I saw my first Celandines today and spotted Primrose and Coltsfoot yesterday. A visit to Waterloo, on the edge of Broadford Bay, produced the following: |
|
 Bar-tailed Godwit |
 Wigeon | (Ken Billington)
| 5 March 2012
Another fine day today, so took a walk up to Loch Cuil na Creige. No birdlife but there were 20 red deer by the loch.
Spotted a nice display of Hazel catkins on the way: |
 Corylus avellana (male catkins and female flower) |
|
7 March 2012
Wintry showers today but managed a walk by Camas na Sgianadin. The only significant bird sighting was a solitary Greylag Goose:
Driving along the A87 to Camas na Sgianadin I noticed this emerging Goat Willow:
|
|
12 March 2012
Skylarks were singing this morning and one or two caterpillars have emerged from hibernation:
|
|
13 March 2012
On a recent visit to Cnoc a' Mhadaidh ruaidh (near Kyleakin) I was alarmed to see that this charming bit of heathland was being invaded by Gaultheria shallon:  This native of North America is widely regarded as a problem weed by heathland managers because it smothers other vegetation. It is more common in the south of England, where it is believed to have been planted as cover for pheasants on shooting estates (Wikipedia). |
|
22 March 2012
The first of a series of regular visits to Kinloch woods yielded several interesting birds:
|
|
24 March 2012 . . . .
The warm weather has brought out one or two butterflies from hibernation:
Peacock |
|
26 March 2012 . . . .
Warm and sunny again, bringing out more butterflies:
|
|
28 March 2012
Down in the woods again:
Also found my first violet of the year:
Walking up the Heaste road from Broadford, I spotted my first summer visitors - a pair of Wheatears:
|
|
30 March 2012
Heard my first Chiffchaff today - on the Broadford Industrial Estate!
|
|
31 March 2012
The first bluebell (in a sheltered corner of Kinloch woods):
|
