This will be a shorter sightings blog than normal because we are immersed in preparations for the coming weekend - The Mull of Galloway Festival, a celebration of the first anniversary of the Community Buyout . Three whole days of activities organised by the Mull of Galloway Trust - talks, activities, story telling for children, craft stalls... And that's just on the Friday. Saturday, there's also tank demonstrations, African drumming... Sunday, there's a music event in the afternoon. And what is the RSPB up to? Well, we've got plenty going on as well - we'll be helping you to find out more about the wildlife that makes its home at the Mull and showing you how you can help wildlife in your garden. There's also a Treasure Trail - come and get your share of Captain Gannet's lost treasure! There will also be craft activities and tombola. Masses of things to do and much of it for free. Check out the Mull of Galloway Festival Facebook page for more details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1407291389531918/?ref=ts&fref=ts
Back to the sightings blog. The cliffs are appreciably quieter now that most of the guillemots (and all of the razorbills) have left. There are still a couple of guillemot chicks to be found, hiding behind a watchful parent and not yet ready to take the plunge from the cliff ledge into the water. If they make it into the sea safely, they will be looked after by their father until they are able to fend for themselves.
The kittiwakes are as noisy as ever though and still tending their chicks beneath the foghorn so we are making the most of our close views while we can on the cliff cams. These chicks are busy exercising and flapping their wings and it surely can't be too long before they have their first flying lessons. The shag chicks are really juveniles now and behaving like a certain type of teenager, hanging around in gangs on the rocks below the lighthouse cliffs, looking shifty.
Yesterday was certainly a game of two halves with the weather improving dramatically just in time for the guided walk at 1pm. Yesterday's best comic moment came while the rain was still coming down heavily. Chris, our newest fantastic residential volunteer, had noticed a pied wagtail taking shelter under the picnic table in front of the visitor centre. He even managed to get a quick photo, see below, though you can't see how hard it is raining from the photo.
Photo: Chris King
Chris is very keen to make the most of his time on the reserve and comes in early each morning/stays later to do some wildlife watching. Monday evening we were both down at the foghorn and watching numerous gannets diving and fishing. Soon we realised that there were several fins to be seen where the gannets were hunting: porpoises. We counted up to 10 fins, it was a bit like the field of vision test that you get at the opticians. One fin, three fins, no fins, seven fins... On Sunday evening, Chris saw around 200 manx shearwaters, between Lagvag and the foghorn. You are quite likely to see shearwaters throughout the day, flitting in and out of the waves - you'll need binoculars as they are quite small and a fair distance out.
The windier conditions, plus Rob being on holiday (come back soon Rob!) mean that our butterfly and moth sightings aren't as good as usual. However, the glitterati of the beetle world, the rosechafers, are still present in sheltered corners and can be found on the ragwort and yarrow.
Right, now I must get back to Captain Gannet and his treasure trail...