It feels as though April has sprinted past us and as we head into May, the island is looking and sounding more colourful than ever. The greens are so much brighter now that the grass is growing again, the sea is bluer with sunlight refracting through it now that the last (!) of the big storms has passed. Pockets of lemon yellow primroses have sprung up all over the machair and the Oyster Catchers are in full song. The Ringed Plovers, with their impossibly fast legs and look of earnest business (in an alternate universe I’m convinced they would be carrying briefcases) are enjoying the rich pickings on the shore of Sanday Beach.
Speaking of rich pickings, Gerry found a King Ragworm on Sanday Beach the other morning. This creature could potentially be the stuff of nightmares and there was a lot of talk about films such as “Tremors” starring Kevin Bacon and, of course, “Dune”. The specimen found by Gerry was approx 50cm long so I think we are quite far away from being unable to walk on the sand without creating apocalyptic scenes, but nonetheless, I will watch where I am putting my feet from now on!
Lambing is in full swing now and the fields are filling up quickly. The lambs are starting to scamp about together in marauding hordes, testing out their legs and being playful. One lamb in particular got to be extra playful when Caroline sent a video message to her friend whose hen do she was missing due to lambing; it became a sailor for the day and quite frankly, it stole the show. I’m sure there is a place for it on Broadway in a production of Anything Goes!
Last weekend saw the arrival of more yachts in the bay and the first of the cruise boats has put ashore. The sudden influx of visitors and the arrival of the oompa loompas (Bella Jane’s bright orange seasuits) means the season is underway. Cafe Canna is now open for business and a few sherberts have already been enjoyed in the Spring sunshine.
The Puffin Trail has now been set up so visitors can follow the trail which starts at St. Edwards Church on Sanday out to the stacks to see our puffins. The puffins are slowly starting to arrive and, at certain times of day, they will still be out at sea either rafting or feeding so it's worthwhile spending some time there to wait for them.
Our new Ranger Tom Allen has started in Canna this week. Tom is joined by his partner Rona and they have already settled in and got straight down to work. They moved to Canna from the Shetland Isles where Tom was a Project Officer for the RSPB. Tom and Rona are joined by their gaggle of guinea pigs. We welcome them both to Canna and look forward to working together and becoming part of the community.
The Canna House Project is entering its final stages of refurbishment. Simpsons are aiming for the start of July to finish their part in the project. Over the Summer months the conservators, wallpaper specialists, AV team, furniture movers and interpretation team will be coming to Canna to begin the next phase of putting the house back together including 6 conservation students who will use Canna House as part of their learning. Indi and Glyn gave the community a tour of the house to see what progress has been made and to explain the next part of the project. Canna House and Garden is due to open to the public in 2025.
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