Spring Time

Spring is coming to the Outer Hebrides.  The clocks moved forwards an hour last Sunday (British Summer Time) and the weather is definitely warmer than when we arrived.  We had a beautiful day on Sunday and did not light the peat fire as the house was so warm with the sun streaming in. 
The shrubs are starting to get leaves on them and there are daffodils everywhere in the road sides by the houses.

Miniature Daffodils

With the warmer weather the bird life has definitely increased.  We have seen hen harriers, a golden eagle and owls out hunting over the heather.  (Still looking for otters and sea eagles)  The graylag geese have also arrived.  They are not very popular with the crofters (farmers) as they eat the grass and make a mess, especially when there is a mob of 5000 on your paddock as one of the crofters up at Solas had.   The eagles are also not so popular either as they are accused of attacking lambs (along with the sea eagles, ravens, and "hoodies").  The large eagles apparently pick up the lambs, take them up and then drop them to kill them before taking them away.  It's a tough life being a lamb out here.

a Golden Eagle

The other wild life that are in for a lot of bad press at the moment are the wild (not very wild at all) red deer that live on the moorland.  There was 1700 counted at the last census.  About 80 stags are shot each year for trophy hunting.  By my calculations you are getting at least 700 fawns born each year so there is a rapidly developing problem here.  With the increasing numbers, the deer are coming down onto the macher and into peoples gardens to graze.  This is bad enough but deer and ticks go hand in hand and there is a serious tick problem here now as well (partly due to the deer).
To make it even worse the ticks carry Lyme's disease (zoonotic) and louping ill (untreatable neurological disease of sheep, cattle and alpaca).

Red deer on the moor

Public meeting are being held to workout what to do, with exterminating the deer a real option.  Talking about extermination, I am pleased to announce that hedgehogs have been eradicated from North Uist, but are still very prevalent on South Uist.  Hedgehogs were introduced (why?) and are a pest, attacking ground nesting birds.  (I met a registered "hedgehog dog" the other day in the clinic that works for Scottish DOC).  One of the not very wild animals that we have come across that no body has a problem with has been the ponies at Lock Sgioport - unless you have Digestive biscuits that is.

Maureen and ponies at Loch Sgioport

Lambing is just starting but we are having an epidemic of cervical prolapses in the ewes.  I worked the weekend and replaced six.  Most are very fresh and I have had several that I have replaced and then gone on to have live lambs.  The reason seems to be the very good Winter that they had here (every silver lining has a cloud).  Off to the Butt of Lewis this weekend !

A sunny morning at Clachan Sands