The three-week long live trailer for Game of Thrones seems to finally be over and we're getting some vaguely spring-like weather and blue skies again (although it's a bit worrying that you're talking about how balmy it is when the car thermometer reads 3.5 degrees). I managed to get out at the weekend and visit one of the nearby seabird colonies at Bullers of Buchan. We're running a guided walk there at the end of May and it was a change to get an early look at what the seabirds were doing and make sure it was possible to walk to Slains Castle and back within 2 1/2 hours without it becoming a forced march along the clifftop.
As expcted there were no Puffins back yet. It's still quite early for them so we'll have to wait and see if the numbers have been hit by the recent Puffin wrecks along the coast. There were over 100 Razorbill (far more handsome than Puffins if we're honest) on the sea and plenty of Kittiwake and Fulmar already nesting and displaying on the cliff ledges.
This is a really stunning bit of coastline and well worth exploring, if you fancy coming along on the guided walk it's on 25th May, part of the Energetica Walking & Wildlife Festival and you can find more details (including our other seashore walk here at Strathbeg) at http://www.energetica.uk.com/festival/
Fulmar courtship. Not as threatening as it looks.
Back at Strathbeg we're still waiting for spring to really kick off properly. The Black-headed Gulls have started nest scraping, although there's no sign of any terns joining them just yet. We have put up a fence around the pool this year (the orange netting you can see from the centre) in the hope that it will put off a few of the Otter that caused so much havoc last year. We've had the first few signs of migrating waders as well with the odd Ruff appearing on the pools and low ground, and the beach at St Combs has had Snow Bunting and a large flock of Rock Pipit reported in the past few days.
Aside from that we've been busy with preparation for the Craft Fair on Saturday- latest to arrive are this great batch of British bird garden planters. The fair opens at 11am on Saturday and we've got plenty of stalls, art, cake and a spinning and weaving display as well as some pond dipping for the kids.