Had a wonderful day at the Tiree Agricultural Society Show on Fri where I was asked to judge the dogs. This lovely 4yr Border Collie took the Collie class & was also my Best in Show. Well done to everyone who took part & well done to all who helped organise the show, it was a cracking day.

How's this for a whooping find today during a Rock pool Session? A massive Hermit Crab. Usually we find loads of wee ones but this one was a belter. Never seen one so big before & just goes to show that there is always something different to find when exploring in nature! @naturescot.bsky.social

The summer holidays are here and so are the Ranger "Dànachd Bheag" Sessions! For big and wee kids. The Ranger Service also delivers Guided Walks, Otter Watching and more. To find out more email [email protected] or phone 07391239502 #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree @naturescot.bsky.social

Our beaches are beautiful but they are also home to loads of wildlife. Some of our birds use the beaches for nesting, creating a little hollow in the sand & laying their eggs. This is particularly true for our tern species like the Arctic Terns who have taken up residence on a no of small beaches.

Mornings like these make the early lambing starts worth it (as do all the lambs and ewes being fine)! #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree @naturescot.bsky.social

It's that time of year that the SNOB's start emerging!. Short-necked Oil Beetles are a rare beetle 1st found in Tiree in 2023. They are closely associated with the Northern Colletes Bee. I went out to check on the site where they were first discovered by the Ranger Service today & found 57!

Happy Easter folks. Did you know the Easter bunny is actually based on Brown Hares? We have plenty on Tiree & the breeding season is still on for them. I counted 8 in a group this am boxing away. It can be hard to get a pic though but this one sat for me the other evening. @naturescot.bsky.social

Be aware when driving around Tiree this Easter holidays. The lambs are out & about and haven't got any road sense atm. They love lying on the tarmac as it's nice and warm and have a habit of being on the opposite side of the road from their Mums when a car is going along. @naturescot.bsky.social

Funny looking lamb on the croft this am! Spotted some movement on the pebbles & went to investigate.Turned out to be a wee seal having a good rest.Photos taken from a distance so as not disturb. Sleep is as important for young seals as for lambs. #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree @naturescot.bsky.social

Beautiful start to the morning with lots of inversion around the island at sunrise. Made counting the sheep & the lambs a bit difficult but this run of fab weather is helping the lambs thrive! Two new lambs on the crofts this am. Halfway through lambing now! #TireeRanger @naturescot.bsky.social

Do you know what to do if you see a sheep on its back? With ewes heavily in lamb at the moment they can become stuck on their backs. Being on their backs is incredibly dangerous and if not sorted can be fatal, as well as leaving her prone to attack from birds.

We have had a lovely run of weather with some cracking evening light. Fingers crossed it continues as it's not long until lambing gets into full swing around Tiree. #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree @naturescot.bsky.social

Never get fed up of this view to start the day. Cold and clear this morning & a good day to get some of the repair tasks done! #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree @naturescot.bsky.social

Where have all the seals gone? that's a question I get asked alot at this time of year. Our Grey Seals are currently moulting and spend alot of time on haul out sites as it takes alot of energy to grow a new coat.

Was really interesting to see the mounted Sperm Whale Skull @ the National Museum of Scotland whilst at the Marine Forum in Edinburgh on Sat. Many of you will have seen the skull on the beach at The Maze that has been there since June last year.

To find an Otter you have to think like an Otter! I've been really busy carrying out Otter Surveys around the island as part of some proposed work recently. Winter is my fav time to look for them as I feel they are alot more active & just scanning the rocky shore often brings one into the binos.

As many of you know, Tiree is an important site for migratory birds. For the last few years Bird Ringing projects have been run here with a focus on migration & colour ringing. In May 2024 the Clyde Ringing Group ringed this Whimbrel, the smaller cousin of the curlew & fitted it with a colour flag

Some cracking sunrises the last few days and out and about early with the camera getting some shots of the wildlife that is about. #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree @naturescot.bsky.social

Yday AM I got a shout from 1 of the Crofters that he had found a turtle on the beach. Sadly it had already died but I collected it for samples & measurements to be taken for @strandings.bsky.social. This is a juv Loggerhead Turtle & the 3rd one in the last 3 years that has washed ashore in winter.

It's chilly baltic here atm but no snow on the ground for us. I do love seeing it on the mountains from here. We have had great views of the Skye Cuillin & snow on South Uist.Here's a wee shot of the LOTI leaving yday with the Paps of Jura behind. #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree @naturescot.bsky.social

Happy New Year folks. An interesting one for the 1st day back. I got called about an Otter in a garden that had been hanging around. As you can see this guy is blind in one eye and I could see some fresh wounds under his chin.

I'm officially on holiday & it's time to turn the emails off. From myself, Willow & the rest of the flock we wish you a Nollaig Chridheil & Bliadhna Mhath Ùr! I hope you have enjoyed another year of Ranger posts featuring walks, access, marshmallows, otters, sheep and more.

A bit of survey work at Happy Valley last week when the weather wasn't too bad. I do love a good scramble & a chance to investigate spots off the normal tracks. Winter time is the best time to do so as there aren't any breeding birds to disturb. #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree @naturescot.bsky.social

It's tupping season atm here in Tiree. There are various breeds of sheep (15-16 in total) found across Tiree but none more stunning at striking a pose than this cracker of a Blackie! Dare I say it but it won't be long until lambing! #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree #Sheep @naturescot.bsky.social

What's that coming over from Coll? It's an early boat, a very early boat. Cracking morning here after the weekend! #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree @naturescot.bsky.social

Cracking afternoon with the P5-P7s today @ Tiree Primary School. They are currently learning about WW2 as their term topic. I'm a bit of a history buff & was in Normandy in October raising funds on a charity walk along the D-Day beaches.We talked about Tiree's role in D-Day...

It was a lovely crisp day on Wed,with a hard frost on the beaches. Love the sound of crunching underfoot & the sand sparkled in the winter light. Otter pawprints were also frozen in time from the night before. Wet and windy weather again now over the weekend so time to coorie in. #TireeRanger

An unusual & sad find on Tiree's beaches today. A Little Egret that must have succumbed to Storm Bert. It is very thin. Numbers of this species are inc in Argyll but sightings here tend to be yearly. With my size 6 foot in shot you can really see why it's called Little. #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree

The calm after the storm & one of those "pet" days that we get in Titee in winter. Great for some beach surveying along Gott as well as taking some shots with my new camera. Gotta love the winter light & big skies. The Otter was a bonus! #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree

Today's job:- sample this young female Common Dolphin for the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme. That entails taking loads of photos looking for unusual scaring, measuring & finally taking skin, blubber & muscle samples which are then posted for analysis. Sad but interesting job. #TireeRanger

Well this is not what I expected to see outside the house this morning. A satellite collared Barnacle Goose. Trying to track down the project to send the images too. Taken from the bathroom window so another tick for birds spotted from there lols #TireeRanger #DiscoverTiree

Time to sign up to Blue Sky. @NadairThiriodh is here Follow for all things Tiree Ranger Service. #TireeRanger. Follow for scenery, wildlife & island life! Also sheep! Here to help you enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Zoologist,Ringer Views my own.