Spring comes to Skye, at last

After a week of interminable cold wind and rain, winter's dying blast was witnessed by the tiny river Lon an Eireannaich overflowing its banks. Spring had, relatively speaking, arrived back on the Isle of Skye, with a marginal reduction in wind speed, watery precipitation, and deaths from hypothermia. The red deer are now regularly emerging from the forest and their charcoal grey winter coats are finally showing signs of browning. Meadow pipits are back in the field, having returned from their southern sojourn, and revelling in their favourite "cloud of midges" flying formation, reminding us of what will be arriving sometime in May.

                                  Looking back to March:

                                                                      Rock doves battling with a snow storm

                                                                 Sparrow hawk on the bird table

                               Unidentified floating object (probably a low Stratocumulus lenticularis cloud)

                                                                 Sea eagle being bugged by a crow


                                                                 And back in April

          Lilac primroses in the garden