Up The Track

The road to our neighbours' house on Coll. It's nice to have friends here, and to connect each time we come. The kids enjoy playing together and we get to talk about everything island and non-island related.

We've been enjoying seeing lots of interesting birds here — including a cuckoo and a hen harrier — and I'm quite keen to track down the RSPB warden for a chat. A good chunk of the land on Coll, around the area we're staying, is owned and managed by the RSPB. Their work on the island is best represented by the corncrake which now breeds here in significant numbers despite almost dying out in the UK as a result of modern farming methods. The corncrake is an elusive bird and although we've heard a few calling males at dusk, we aren't likely to see one at this time of year. I was lucky enough to get a good look at one a couple of years ago, in late spring, although at the time I didn't realise quite how unusual a sighting was!