What cills?

The builders have started.  I was beginning to feel more confident, that our dream for Shian and Duill was finally within our grasp.

Having the extension cills for the new windows on site would be a good thing.  Although I am assured there is a lot to be getting on with in the meantime. I guess there is.

Having dug out the founds for the Shian 'sitooterie', J moved onto Duill.

Too late to go back now.

I took the dog down to Calgary and came home with the Farmer who kindly did my turn on the school run.   It was stunning. And put the world to rights in my head.

These are some of our neighbours sheep.  Farmer has been steadily working away in the fank at dosing our own ewes before putting them back to the hill. Despite his bad back, he decided to do them on his own, at his own pace, and in his own time.   He should finish them tomorrow.

I won't say anything about the forecast for the northern lights last night.  I was so excited, it sounded as if it was going to be a show of a lifetime.  Thousands of tweets and posts on Facebook from people up and down the country fired up by Stargazey programmes on the telly.  All waiting.  I was waiting.  I was very disappointed. But I thank my lucky stars that I had the experiences I had in October last year.

Parasols and binoculars.

Early morning trip to the bus at Calgary.  The beach quiet but for the calling of oystercatchers and a few gulls at the gentle water's edge.

The sea so still and the air already warm.  Above the road, breaking the silence I could hear my neighbour working his dog as they gathered the ewes and lambs slowly towards the farm.

Later on, mid morning by then, Mull Bird Club members arrived for a walk around the farm.

There were not many birds calling, presumably all lying low in the heat.  A male Hen Harrier flew over a few times while we were in the Haunn field.

A Meadow Brown lands on a member of the Bird Club, while Farmer explains something.

In the heat of the day.

It is always nice to show people round, and to see Treshnish through their eyes.

The last Ragged Robin in a ditch in the Haunn field.

The view from Toechtamhor of Bird Club members and sail boat!

We ended up at the Boathouse, looking at the sea. It was a very hot but pleasant way to spend the day.

Unfortunately the clasp on a gate between the triangle field and the hill park had broken and so some of the hill ewes and lambs got mixed in with the cheviots and their lambs.  This will mean more work for Farmer tomorrow in the fank.

Time of regeneration and new generation.

Walking on Treshnish at this time of year is particularly exciting for us. Looking to see the old favourites, like the carpets of pink thrift, or giant clumps of marsh marigold, or clinging orchids on cliff tops, and discovering new waves of wind blown natural regeneration.

Early purple orchid and primrose.

Sea thrift and lichens.

Sea campion.

Farmer could not find Brownie yesterday and I went with him to look. Thankfully we found him safe and sound in with the cheviots and the other zwarties, having clearly decided that he had had enough of being with the rest of the tups. This is definitely the time of year to spot the natural regeneration. The freshly unfurled leaves seem to light up in the sun. And it was really nice to see how well keeping the stock out of the various areas was working and that the young trees were beginning to attain a mass of their own as they spread out from the seed source.

The foreground of this photograph is bracken coming through (unfortunately) but the mid height fresh green on either side of the older trees are young native broadleaf trees. Successful natural regeneration!

Farmer built this wooden tree guard a few years ago, having seen a tiny birch appear in the Black Park field. I am sure all this time people walking by have wondered what on earth it was doing - but this spring finally it has reached enough size, and the protected tree can be seen.

The barn owl box, with natural regeneration appearing beyond the fence.

Shelter for the sheep in winter, not much regeneration here!

Lichen like blossom on blackthorn trees.

Looking down into sheltered gully between the farmhouse and the sea. Bluebells.

Blackthorn blossom. And lichens.

Young self sown rowan tree appearing above the heather.

Early purple orchid.

These lonely isolated trees, clinging on - holding up against the winds in the winter. For how much longer is any one's guess. But in the distance you can make out the new growth appearing in areas fenced off for natural regeneration.

I love the shape of these trees silhouetted against the sea - up near the cattle shed. Regeneration is appearing here too, which is fine to see, for the health of the woodland but I will miss the shapes the older trees had created.

A new generation. Bottle fed lambs.

Sunset two nights ago. The wall of our office is painted white, so the yellow glow is from the sun, which then did this to the sitting room window.

Rocky walls of climbing thrift, down near the Ensay Burn mouth. Curlews calling. And an oystercatcher.

It was difficult to photograph this to show what a huge clump of marsh marigold this was, down by the boathouse beach.