Seagull Weather

Half a dozen gannets appeared around midday, diving for fish in the bay and soaring on a stiff southerly wind which gusted to Force 8 at times and brought occasional, stinging showers. The seagull family, and these birds in particular, are one of the few that seem to enjoy this weather.

We haven't seen gannets all winter, and they are always occasional visitors here, even though their nesting grounds are off the west Scottish coast. But, when they do arrive, they're fascinating to watch. They're big birds with a wingspan of almost 2m (6ft), yet they suddenly plunge from a great height, vertically, into the sea, seizing a fish before bobbing back to the surface; and, within minutes, they're in the air again.

During the summer they dive on the shoals of bait fish which are forced to the surface by predators below. The fact that they are so active suggests that the fish are already in the Sound, another indication of Spring.