Why wait? Come this season.

The Bishop all is a swirl

Alterstanes getting a pummelling

west side of Rona

 It was before 7 this morning when I got onto the RIB Osprey in Anstruther and Colin headed the boat out on the harbour into a pretty unpleasant sea. I had been off the island for a flying couple of days but needed to get back to the island before the weather really set in. It is all down to luck really and as Colin guided the boat over and between great rolling swells I thought back to the contrast of the last time I headed out to the island when it was mirror calm, warm breezeless and magical. As we got to the island we gradually merged with a mass of seabirds all on the seas flat surface. It made a stunning sight for the BBC Countryfile film team that were with us and the cap it sandeels balls formed with all the seabirds suddenly piling in to catch the fish at the surface. Today was a different experience and by later this afternoon the wind had worked the sea up into even more a a mess.

approaching the island a couple weeks ago - what a contrast.

A mass on seabirds on a still sea.

 I have been off for a couple of days to be on the stand at the Scottish Bird Fair. It was all a bit of a rush, I got home late Friday evening, was at the Bird Fair to set up by 8am the next day and spent 2 days at the Fair nattering to people about the island.It was a great couple of days meeting old friends and colleagues and encouraging people to come out to the island. The commonest thing I heard was "I have been meaning to visit the island for years",  A couple of years back heard the same from a lady who had lived in Crail for 40 years, looking at the island everyday, but had eventually made it out not long after her eightieth birthday. Well we don't really mind how long you leave it just as long you as you do actually make it out. But why wait?

The Isle of May stand shared with the Bird Observatory.