I'm delighted to announce that the RSPB visitor centre will be open for the 2014 season as from today, Sunday 9 March! It will be open 10am - 5pm Thursday - Monday during March and every day from April onwards when I should have a team mate and volunteers to help staff the visitor centre. We were semi-open yesterday as I donned my marigolds and did some more dusting and polishing. It was nice to see a few people on what was a rather windswept Mull of Galloway day. The forecast is better today so I hope to catch up with some more folk as they come for a constitutional and a cuppa. Both the RSPB visitor centre and the Gallie Craig Coffee House are open (GCCH is currently open Saturday to Wednesday), the Lighthouse tower and exhibition will be open from Easter (check their Facebook page for all the latest news and fabulous photos).
People can get a little confused over what's what at the Mull so here are a few words of explanation. The Mull of Galloway Experience is comprised of the three attractions at the Mull - the RSPB nature reserve and visitor centre, the Gallie Craig Coffee House and, of course, the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse holidays and attractions. This year is another very special one for the Mull as the Community Trust will be celebrating its first 'birthday' in the summer (the local community bought the site from the Northern Lighthouse Board last July). Together, we're planning an extra special weekend of family fun - more details will follow, watch this space.
Back to the current situation... the contractor is coming out today to connect up our two Foghorn cameras to the screens in the visitor centre so there may be a little upheaval initially but it will be worth it to get fantastic close-up views of the seabirds on the cliffs. I have been back for a week and keeping an eye out for the usual suspects as they return - calling the register as it were! I have seen fulmars gliding in the stiff breeze, kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots, including the black guillemots rafting on the sea. I've spotted one or two gannets, flying low over the water. Ravens tumbling and playing in the wind; they seem to love their aerobatics as much as the fulmars do. On my first day back I watched the pair of peregrines on a hunting expedition; I leant against Kennedy's cairn and watched for a good quarter of an hour. More detailed sightings will follow in a separate blog.
Finally, one thing I haven't see so far is a puffin. Hang on, wait a minute, what's that lurking in the bolt-hole in the newly constructed section of drystane wall by the lighthouse?
See next blog for more details!