Wednesday 17 March 2010

Mid March ravens, hares and school children


We had a visit today from 20 pupils (P6s and P7s) from a nearby primary school.   They are doing a  renewables project, so they came to look at both the wind turbine and the wood chip boiler.   It was great to have a chance to show them round.  We had arranged a wood chip delivery which gave us a chance to show off the electric sliding roof on the fuel store.  And now that the wind has remembered how to blow, the turbine was actually generating when they were here.   Lots of notebooks and pens, and an impressive amount of note taking!  And this being Mull and island education being so good, they were going to stop off at Calgary beach to eat their packed lunches on the way back to school.  What a life.



On the farm, life goes on - still a couple of cows to calve - considering we only have 12 cows, this has been a very slow calving period.  The gathering is planned for next week.   Spring cleaning cottages.  Last minute maintenance.   Farmer had to do a bit of ditching down by the old boathouse - just near this fantastic rock.

Spring equinox approaching in a few days.  Very low tides, and matching high tides.  Strong winds forecast.  The season is finally changing.  Hooded crows seem to be paired up everywhere you look.  Dozens of frogs playing that game of 'chicken' - frozen in my headlights driving home in the dark.  The little lochan next to Duill and Shian has clouds of spawn in the shallows.  I haven't seen a wild primrose yet, and the snow drops in the garden around the farm house are still flowering - they seem to have enjoyed the prolonged cold this winter.  Watched a raven in our neighbours field, on the ground, pulling at something I couldn't see, its heavy head and beak almost animal-like as it turned to look back at me.
A feral black cat prowling the farm yard at the moment and upsetting the house cat.  Bold as brass, sitting out in the grass as Farmer went out to start his day this morning.  I haven't seen a hare this week but last week disturbed one ahead of us on a walk near the Cruachan - this habitat is not high enough for the resident hares to need to turn completely white, but we do see some funny half white ones every now and then.  There is more information on hares on Prasad's blog.  And finally Treshnish joined Facebook and has its own Page.
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