This day (yesterday)

Just a taste of images from one day on the May,

First thing this morning and I had a quick look around the terns down at Kirkhaven to get a feel for how they are doing but also if they have laid any eggs on the road. One nest has appeared over night and will need to be marked to prevent people from treading on it.

After breakfast and coffee (fuel of the island) it is off to do some counting of the monitoring of the cliff plots. The 20 plots of various cliff faces across the island are counted 5 times, some from cliff top vantage points (as above) and some from the researchers hides (as below)

High excitement from the team before they head into Anstruther for the day, all looking a bit skanky. Some (mentioning no names) have been on the island continuously for 7 weeks and because of the lack of water no showers have been taken in that time. I just hoped that they had a silt trap in the council showers in Anstruther.
Seabird

The Seabird RIB from North Berwick arrived with 12 photographers intent of capturing puffins and maybe the island as well. All the visitor boats have been very busy for the last few weeks, running full almost everyday.

Just before the May Princess arrives the island's 7th red-backed shrike of the spring is caught and ringed, it has been a great season for these chunky little chaps.

The May Princess came in at three o'clock, full yet again as visitors clamour to see the island in the glorious weather.

With blue skies and carpets of sea campion and thrift the island is looking at its best.

The May Princess also brought on bags of laundry (thanks to Kevin, Fiona and Alec for looking after us). With so little water available the only clothes washing has been by hand in rain water but a laundry run to coincide with the welfare shower run in Anstruther means that most people are almost presentable with clean bodies and clothes at the same time, at least for a day.

The team back from Anstruther looking like a Vidal Sasson advert having each spent about an hour in the council showers on the harbour front followed by fish and chips, ice cream and beer. And pizzas once they got back on the island.

A cracking evening with most of the inhabitants, humans and birds taking a stroll around.

And the terns up at the Beacon frenetic as ever even in the last daylight of the day.