I've been away from the reserve for a few days but I can tell from flicking through the sightings book that many birds are still on the move. Large numbers of swallows and martins overhead at the weekend, twenty plus wheatears on the reserve last Friday. The Mull is superb for watching passage migration, whether it be incoming traffic in the springtime or birds heading for their wintering grounds in the autumn. From time to time you will see oddities - last year there was a random black redstart sitting in the lighthouse complex for a short while. Each day has its surprises: you just need to keep your eyes and ears open.
There were a few surprises for me yesterday morning as I walked to the visitor centre via the south facing cliff path - a pair of stonechats perched near Foxes Rattle. Our usual pair of stonechats are normally the other side of the reserve so this may be a second pair - we had seen two males a week or so before - have we doubled the usual number of stonechats?! As I stood pondering this and looking down at the herring gulls gathered on the rocks below I could hear the unmistakable sound of a pair of cackling fulmars, a well hidden nest somewhere there.
I continued on to the lighthouse, putting up little clouds of linnets as I walked, then popped into the lighthouse complex and took a look over the wall, down onto the cliffs under the foghorn. I am getting used to there being mainly kittiwakes but today there was a generous helping of glossy black and white razorbills. One pair was mating and they all seemed to be trying out their nest sites - a most encouraging sight. Last Thursday seemed to be the turning point as our volunteer Gordon counted 500 + guillemots and 90 razorbills below the foghorn, he commented "this has to be the spring arrival!"
The last leg of the journey took me past the lighthouse garden walls and I could see that the garden snails have returned there in great numbers again. As I put the key in the office door a whitethroat started to sing amongst the hogweed in front of the visitor centre. Since we saw the first one last Thursday there are one or two whitethroats back on the reserve and it's good to have their scratchy little warble added to the mix - when they are in full voice the feathers on their throat puff out and bristle.
Whitethroat copyright Sue Wolfe
Twite have been reported by several visitors and staff - the best area to catch them seems to be near the entrance to the reserve, on the NE side (taking the clockwise route round the circular trail). A kestrel is usually to be seen in the afternoon, hovering over the heath in front of the visitor centre.
As the weather has become milder and more plants are in flower, so the butterflies and bugs are making an appearance. In the butterfly department it is mostly small whites that are in evidence, but our Information Officer, Rob also spotted a green-veined butterfly. Rob has also seen common carder bumblebees and white-tailed bumblebees.
Lastly, both species of partridge have been seen on the reserve: two grey partridges near the visitor centre and one red-legged partridge at the lighthouse.
Another guided walk on offer today at 1pm. (every Tuesday and Thursday at 1pm from the RSPB visitor centre)