Well I thought I'd continue the 'change' theme seeing as it's my last day volunteering for the RSPB on Islay (sniffle)......until I return for a month in October! Hurrah! Anyone who hasn't tried residential volunteering yet, I heartily recommend it! It’s a fantastic way of supporting the work the RSPB do, even if it’s for a couple of weeks, and a truly great experience. I’m sad to be leaving even though I’m coming back.

So, back to what else is changing around here. The last few days has brought strong winds, and the late brood of swallows nesting on the South Hide have been practicing their flying skills before their long journey south, learning how to use the wind and alternating this with clinging on to the vegetation outside the windows! Here’s a couple of pics – you can still see the white gape on this fledgling.

   

And every day for the last 3 days I’ve seen a Small Copper butterfly on the trails leading up to the hides – looks very fresh. The Small Copper has two broods in the year, the later one being end July-September hence their current flight period.

And as for the weather....

  

Yes this truly is an amazing place. I'll be back! ;-D