Positive signs from the cliffs

Well it’s the 24th and there is finally some good news going about with our sea birds. The gull colonies are producing young gulls and the first of these are taking to the air. Terns are on young in many places. Last night and today we saw Guillemot chicks and lots more Kittiwake young(my best birthday pressie). The RSPB walk was led by Eric Meek today and we were up to Marwick head. Although sparsely populated it was all happening with birds on eggs and young. Bonxies and Arctic’s light and dark all attacking returning birds. Puffins were very evident today as well. Eric brought out the interesting idea that the cold winter might have caused a lag in the time it takes the sea to warm. This being the case it could be why there are still sand eels about when in previous years they had gone by now. Whatever the reason I am just glad they are still here and hope they stay for a few more weeks so we can get some sort of success from the breeding sea birds this year.