When working for a wildlife charity it is generally assumed you have to be a bit of a fan of nature, and while this is mainly true, this time of year heralds the arrival of a species that is enough to break the mind and spirit of anyone within a mile radius of these migrants. The cuckoos always seem to be a favourite amongst people who have evidently never been woken at 4am to the repetitive and quite frankly unimaginative call of this bird, and with three hanging around the staff house, hysteria is starting to set in. Oh the shame I was only using a camera to shoot these birds...*
On the left is the female, and on the right the male.
On a far lighter note the less annoying species are in full throttle singing, feeding chicks, and just... being birds. Here's a willow warbler hanging out with the bluebells
And our woodland trail is looking stunning with the bluebells in full bloom. Islay is generally covered with the flowers this time of year, which makes it a perfect time to visit us!
*The author would like to point out that cuckoos are alright really, and shooting them with anything other than a camera is highly illegal