May was warmer and drier than last year with the temperatures in the 20s on some days. And the rainfall was some 30 per cent less than 2015.
Having said that, the winds were often from a cool north-easterly direction, not conducive to birds trying to migrate north. May, like April, was an interesting birding month, again with more than 100 species recorded.
Here are some highlights. Further to the April reports of nuthatch on Arran, there were more reports from Brodick Castle grounds on May 3 and 5. This species is spreading its range north and this may be the year that it first colonises Arran.