A Warm Spring Day

We were forecast wind and rain for today but it's turned into a beautiful spring day, with a brisk southwester bringing us sunny intervals.

This spring's lambs seem to lack all sense of timing. After the one that appeared far too early (see the Diary entry for 1st March), who, incidentally, is doing fine, this flock is starting to produce a good ten days late. Perhaps it's the unusual winter we've had - or a lazy tup.

More wildflowers are coming into flower. This very early primrose has a sheltered spot against some dark rock which has warmed in the recent sunshine.

Gorse has established itself in a few places in the Kilchoan area. Just coming into flower is this bush along the Kilchoan to Sanna road, near the bridge which crosses the burn called Allt Uama na Muice. In the background are the rugged hills formed of the Great Eucrite.

This afternoon we had a glimpse of our first slow worm. He'd been sunning himself on some rough grass by the raspberry plants when we disturbed him.

Slow worms are often mistaken for snakes but they are lizards. We like them in the garden because they eat slugs. The only true snake we've seen here is the adder, after whom our township is named. Ormsaigbeg is derived from the Norse ormr, a snake, and vik, a bay, the beg being Gaelic meaning small. As far as I know they've never bitten anyone.