April

We are often asked what April on Mull is like? These days it is impossible to predict. Sometimes April time comes and it begins to feel like spring – but sometimes it can still feel very wintery! The days are longer and the sunsets never fail to deliver, but it can be cold as well as quite warm. It is a case of being prepared for all weathers, sometimes in a day! We are ready for the lambing to start, and the gimmers (pregnant with their first lambs) are in from the hill grazing in nearby fields so they can be checked more often than if they were out on the hill..

We begin to see the Wheatear back along the coast at Haunn and along the track. The cuckoos arrive – for we are lucky to usually have quite a few of them on the farm, and it is common to hear them as you walk along the coast, on the hill above the Haunn cottages and around the farmhouse and the Treshnish Cottages. They can even get quite noisy! We often see White tailed eagles along the coast. During the lambing in both 2014 and 2015, Farmer got quite used to seeing a juvenile along the coast while he was out checking lambs, nearly every day!

Why not choose a sunny sheltered spot to sit and take in the view? There is nothing like taking time to watch the uncoordinated antics of fluffy new lambs playing in the sunshine to remind you that Spring is here. Or spend some leisurely time searching for tadpoles in Treshnish lochan and the restored pond beside Duill? When you are out walking, please look out for ‘cowped’ (stuck on their back) ewes. If you see one, you can literally save her life by turning her back onto her legs and hold her for 15 seconds to recover before letting go!

April is usually the month when the Mull Ranger Service organises a beach clean at Calgary. It is amazing how much plastic and rubbish washed in on the winter storms, and thankfully with many hands making light work, it isnt long before the job is done and we stop to chat over cups of tea and biscuits. It is a friendly affair and holiday makers are welcome. It is always nice when Treshnish guests come along and lend a hand!