COLONSAY'S WEATHER 2010-2011 [Link to 2011-2012]

Wind in knots at 9.00 am; temperature in Celsius; rain in mm
Best max = highest temperature this week; G = days of Gale
Ave min = AIR temperature

COLONSAY WEEKLY WEATHER SUMMARY 2010 (SUMMER)

Week to

Ave wind Ave dir. Ave. max Best max Ave min Ave sun Max sun Total rain Max fall G
14 Mar
9.4
200
09.0
09.5
01.7
04.2hr
07.9hr
0.2
0.1
-
21 Mar
15.6
210
10.4
12.2
05.4
02.9hr
08.6hr
9.1
3.4
2
28 Mar
15.7
175
09.9
10.6
05.0
03.7hr
06.9hr
18.0
6.2
-
4 Apr
15.2
160
08.2
10.3
01.6
04.9hr
10.4hr
18.7
8.2
-
11 Apr
10.7
190
12.0
16.0
05.3
05.5hr
11.7hr
3.6
13.3
-
18 Apr
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
25 Apr
9.3
230
14.3
16.0
04.4
06.9hr
13.0hr
9.3
6.4
-
2 May
10.0
130
13.3
15.6
07.0
03.8hr
10.9hr
18.4
11.1
-
9 May
6.6
290
12.4
14.5
05.0
08.2hr
13.0hr
7.7
4.8
-
16 May
8.4
260
12.2
13.2
04.2
10.6hr
13.3hr
5.1
4.1
-
23 May
3.7
165
16.5
20.3
09.1
06.9hr
12.8hr
7.6
6.9
-
30 May
8.0
240
15.3
18.9
06.9
07.8hr
14.2hr
6.9
2.6
-
6 Jun
6.3
145
17.9
20.4
09.2
08.1hr
13.7hr
5.3
5.3
-
13 Jun
8.4
200
16.6
17.6
08.7
06.5hr
11.2hr
8.7
4.4
-
20 Jun
5.3
295
16.3
17.2
09.2
08.4hr
12.8hr
0.0
0.0
-
27 Jun
6.9
175
18.5
20.8
12.2
3.9hr
9.4hr
5.1
1.9
-
4 Jul
13.1
160
19.3
20.7
11.3
5.5hr
9.1hr
31.7
21.3
-
11 Jul
11.0
180
16.6
18.9
10.8
4.5hr
7.4hr
45.3
15.8
1
18 Jul
13.0
170
17.6
20.2
10.8
4.9hr
10.3hr
20.7
10.9
-
25 Jul
5.1
170
18.2
19.6
10.8
5.2hr
14.3hr
25.3
14.5
-
1 Aug
7.6
225
16.4
16.8
12.0
2.5hr
5.8hr
20.6
5.9
-
8 Aug
7.7
265
16.1
17.2
11.4
4.5hr
12.8hr
5.6
2.7
-
15 Aug
9.2
265
16.7
17.3
10.8
8.1hr
13.2hr
17.0
8.6
-
22 Aug
12.4
210
18.1
20.8
11.6
8.0hr
12.1hr
40.2
25.5
-
29 Aug
6.9
300
16.2
16.7
09.8
7.3hr
13.2hr
7.3
11.4
-
4 Sep
8.6
110
17.8
20.3
10.0
8.6hr
12.8hr
4.1
3.2
-
11 Sep
12.1
170
17.9
19.1
12.4
5.2hr
7.7hr
17.9
8.5
1
19 Sep
16.4
270
14.7
16.2
11.5
4.2hr
6.7hr
38.8
15.4
2
25 Sep
8.7
090
6.6
19.0
09.0
3.0hr
6.9hr
30.3
19.1
-
3 Oct
10.4
170
15.2
16.3
09.6
4.6hr
9.4hr
33.6
11.0
-
10 Oct
20.0
125
16.2
18.6
10.6
5.9hr
8.7hr
5.9
3.4
2
17 Oct
6.0
115
14.2
16.5
06.8
4.7hr
9.3hr
0.9
0.9
-
24 Oct
14.0
170
12.1
13.9
05.2
2.4hr
6.7hr
49.2
18.4
2
31 Oct
15.0
210
12.8
14.6
06.8
2.7hr
8.3hr
62.6
19.1
-

COLONSAY WEEKLY WEATHER SUMMARY 2010/11 (WINTER)

Week to

Ave wind Ave dir. Ave. max Best max Ave min Ave sun Max sun Total rain Max fall G
7 Nov
14.4
195
12.0
14.1
05.3
0.9hr
03.4hr
56.4
22.0
2
14 Nov
18.6
150
9.5
10.8
02.6
2.6hr
05.7hr
58.3
23.9
2
21 Nov
12.3
105
9.5
10.5
03.4
2.3hr
05.6hr
11.9
7.8
1
28 Nov
6.4
140
6.8
09.0
-00.2
3.0hr
05.3hr
00.2
0.2
-
5 Dec
8.9
140
4.4
07.1
-03.0
2.6hr
04.7hr
00.9
4.8
-
12 Dec
7.0
180
8.0
09.9
00.6
2.1hr
04.0hr
13.6
9.8
-
19 Dec
6.8
120
6.5
09.7
-03.5
1.8hr
04.4hr
11.2
10.2
-
26 Dec
3.6
120
3.4
08.0
-05.1
3.1hr
04.3hr
7.7
6.6
-
2 Jan
7.6
130
7.8
09.2
04.1
0.0hr
00.0hr
12.5
6.4
-
9 Jan
12.7
205
7.1
08.3
-00.2
1.5hr
04.0hr
39.8
14.8
-
16 Jan
15.0
190
8.9
10.9
04.8
1.1hr
03.5hr
58.6
12.3
-
23 Jan
8.9
260
7.8
09.3
02.7
2.7hr
06.7hr
04.7
02.9
-
30 Jan
7.7
215
5.3
08.8
01.1
1.6hr
06.1hr
02.6
02.4
-
6 Feb
21.8
240
8.7
10.8
03.1
0.4hr
03.0hr
52.9
16.1
2
13 Feb
10.0
185
8.4
09.4
02.6
3.3hr
07.0hr
26.2
11.2
-
20 Feb
12.7
130
8.2
09.2
01.6
1.5hr
03.5hr
27.6
12.3
-
27 Feb
18.0
235
9.8
12.7
05.1
2.8hr
08.2hr
32.1
08.2
-
6 Mar
06.0
150
9.3
10.3
04.0
2.7hr
09.0hr
01.6
01.0
-
13 Mar
21.0
210
7.5
08.8
02.6
1.3hr
05.6hr
58.5
21.1
1
20 Mar
13.3
120
8.6
09.9
02.7
5.5hr
09.2hr
08.1
03.4
-
-

Highest temperature on record: 27.7 (June 1995) - Highest temperature this year: 20.8 on 25 June & 20 August
Most sunshine this year: 14.3hrs on 22 July
Greatest rainfall on record 46.7 (Jan 1992) - Greatest rainfall this year: 25.5 mm on 16 August
Gales: see righthand column above; Lowest temp: - 11.8 C. GRASS min.
Snow: 4.5cm on 17th Dec 2010, increased to 10.7cm on 18th, down to 8.9cm on 19th.

Here is some information about weather in this area

and here is a table of weather 1971 - 2000 for our nearest official site

COLONSAY NATURE CALENDAR SUMMER 2010

Date Observation
FEB  
17 Carpets of snowdrops Colonsay House, Torr an Tuirc and some at graveyard
18 Catkins on hazel at Uragaig. Sole celandine in flower Homefield burn. Gorse appearing in light flower throughout Kilchattan e.g. Glaic a' Mhuirt
22 Sheltered stonecrop noted to be very fleshy and very green (looks vigorous); sunniest day so far this year, 8.8 hrs
26 Wettest day so far this year, 13.1 mm
MAR  
5 1st daffodil in flower seen at the Leppard's, Glebe (but it is a new house and probably modern variety)
7 Pussy on the willow, Uragaig and elsewhere
14 Starling preparing nests, Homefield porch
16 1st "normal" daffodil noticed in flower - one each 1 Glassard, Old Mill, Torr an Tuirc, Primary School
17 Warmest day of year to date, 12.2 C
18 First daffodil in flower at bend on Kiloran Bay road, also at Homefield garden. Male hen harrier hunting the Leana Ghlas. Third recent and reliable report in a fortnight of a Golden Eagle hunting the "Central Massif"
22 200 barnacle geese field beside L. Fada and 300 at Machrins farmhouse
23 Primroses and opposite-leaved golden saxifrage in flower Kiloran Bay road
24 3 new-borne lanbs at Scalasaig
26 Coltsfoot in flower at Craiggans, Uragaig
APR  
1 Celandine full flower all south-facing ditches; violets and pink purslane flowering opposite "new" C.H. entrance, also hawthorn leaves on lower branches. Buzzards mating opposite Baptist manse.
3 Bittercress in flower, seaview West. Cladonia lichen with bright red fruits atop Carn Mor
11 Wood sorrel in full flower An Gleann (sth side Loch Fada). Peacock butterfly Loch Sguid.
19 Barnacle and white-fronted geese still present (final day?) - David Jardine
20 Marsh Marigold in flower, sycamore in leaf, Burmah Road. Bluebells in flower, bay Road. Blackthorn peaked within last few days (peaked 17th April in 2009). First two swallows, Machrins (Seamus) ... first seen on 18th April in 2009, A' Choille Mhor.
21 First cuckoo, Glen Odhran in afternoon (Seamus)
23 First corncrake, 9pm Machrins (Seamus)
29 Early Purple orchid in flower, Uragaig Bheag roadside
30 Possible Mountain Everlasting in flower Uamh nan Sassonach, Machrins; also soft Cranesbill (golfcourse) and at 4pm first Wild Garlic, roadside C/H avenue (Katie Gillespie)
MAY  
1 Milkwort, Deergrass, Tormentil in flower, 100m contour Miogaras; sedge in damp pit 50 metres nw of NR38052 96026
2 Cuckoo flower beside Baptist Chapel driveway
8 Silverweed, thrift, spring squill, scurvy grass, sea campion all very much in evidence.
13 Raven attacking lapwing nest, An Deabhaidh
15 Flock of over 40 hooded crows at Carn Cainnle; first heath-spotted orchid in flower; damsel-flies Loch Sguid. Bog-cotton flowering everywhere, also profusion of lousewort, hop trefoil, birdsfoot trefoil, thyme-leaved speedwell, squill, bog-bean etc.
22 Roseroot and scurvy-grass in flower at cliffs. Greylag goslings widespread, young shags in nests. Corncrakes very much more visible than usual – perhaps the herbage is a little late?
29 Iris commonly in flower, May (or Hawthorn) about 50%, should peak within a week; curds of flowers forming on Rowan; Sea Milkwort, Butterwort, Roseroot, Scurvy grass, Silverweed all in flower. Mountain Thyme and Hop Trefoil on golf course and lots of Mountain Everlasting. Bog Bean is almost past, cinquefoil coming on. Water lily leaves visible, no flowers yet.
JUNE  
4 The first blooms appeared on the Uragaig honeysuckle today, and buds are apparent on some spear-thistles. Hawthorn at its best.
8 Cow parsley is well-established, now angelica as well. The bog-cotton is now at its best, in beautiful pristine drifts. Field clover is in bloom, speedwell everywhere, ox-eye daisy, red campion, ragged robin. Nice displays of hawkbit. Meadowsweet is coming on, but no flowers yet.
13 Meadow vetchling, yellow rattle, heath bedstraw, lady's bedstraw, mouse-eared hawkweed everywhere. Burnet rose in usual places – including cliff at Loch Sguid. Water lilies in flower Loch Sguid, Dubh Loch, Loch Fada etc. Field thistle in flower everywhere, not spear thistle yet. Burnt orchid west end of aerodrome.
19 A young buzzard did not fledge within last 5 days - was hiding in nest!. Saw first bog asphodel in flower today, Central Massif
26

The young buzzard was stock-still, just a little golfball of a head and his beady eyes peeping through the nest litter. Bog ashodel rampant. Meadow cranesbill in flower on Bruthach Cas Bhriste.
JULY  
3 Bell heather flowering widely; Northern Marsh orchid seems to be benefitting from light roadside mowing; black baby rabbit beside Loch Turramain; ash tree at Garadh nan Craoibh lost its top – had been sporting magnificent bracket fungi. Don and Mary MacLeod rescued a dazed sparrow-hawk after collision with a window.
10 Young buzzard has now fledged and flown, within last 14 days. Round-leaved sundew has perfect buds on top of lengthy stem, is on the point of flowering. Bullrush seems to be thriving at Kilchattan and at Black Gate.
12 Zigzag Clover in full flower, Uragaig Bheag
24 Camomile flowering near Altair an Fhear Mhitchell; bull rushes at Black Gate and Angela's both doing well. Starlings nesting again.
31 Gorse seedpods have all cracked and are seeding; there are nuts on the hazel at Scalasaig and Uragaig; Raphaelle reports Irish Lady's Tresses are in flower... despite the very dull weather of late.
AUG  
6 Both traditional and variegated montbretia are in flower, also purple loosestrife in all the wild places, also rosebay willowherb. Grass of Parnassus in clumps in The Glen (Garvard), about a fortnight later than near aerodrome.
14 Rowan has heavy crop of berries.
20 Some blackberries in fruit, but not enough to pick.
28 Blackberries being picked faster than they can fruit! Heather very brown on hill tops and exposed slopes, as if stressed (April & May drought followed by wet July?)
SEP  
4 Swallows beginning to gather on wires. Silage making underway – this was the second sunniest week of the year.
19 Fungi at their best, e.g. Lawyer'sWig (Shaggy Inkcap); gathered 1 hazelnut, seemingly need to leave it alone for a fortnight to ripen?
25 Walked up Gleann Raon a' Bhuilg and around the loch... noted sessile oak clinging to cliff, also Devil's-bit Scabious and Hawkbit thriving, plus lots of tormentil and bog-cotton and even some Ragged Robin. Christa noticed what seems to be an un-recorded crannog, highlighted by vegetation. The water-level seems to have been lowered by about a metre in the distant past, but access is still a problem; perhaps ladders and planks?
OCT  
03 Millefeuille (yarrow) in perfect flower at Weighbridge. Saw pair Golden Eagles.
07 6 Brent geese at Por Mor, close to road
24 Surprising number of flowers in re-bloom (storksbill, buttercup, hawkbits); gorse coming into flower Glaic nam Mhuirt. Brilliant visibility in north airs.
NOV  
07 17 whooper swans flew over Loch Fada on 2nd , were on the loch on 3rd and at 8.30am on 5th there were exactly 40 in all, who took off into 20 knot sw wind in three groups, then headed (slowly) away, perhaps towards Islay.
DEC  
05 2 swans and 2 youngsters around Glassard Bay and Port an Obain; Great Northern Diver seemingly very distressed, sitting dolefully on links at Port an Obain; large numbers of both Green and Golden Plovers - many more than in recent years, especially Balnahard, Machrins and Port Mor. Poor weather on mainland has driven woodcock to Colonsay, and there are plenty of snipe - quite fortunate for the shooting party this weekend.
19

Snow lay this week, peaked at 10.7cm. There had been large numbers of golden and green plovers lately, not evident now. Geese, blackbird, wren prominent... the weather has been magnificent, calm, sunny and light airs but low temperatures.

26 Snipe plentiful all week; greylag geese unable to graze due to snow cover, spent a lot of time at Port Mor, roosting on the road and making a lot of noise (and dung). Temp fell to -11.8 on 24 th ; unbroken run of below-zero overnight lasted 9 nights. This was the coldest week of the year. Douglas Scott asked to check if the sun on midwinter's day would appear above the skyline behind Seaview; directly in line with the Standing Stones; I missed it by a few minutes but I think he may be right. This is not connected with dawn as such, it would occur mid-morning but – if proved – would permit an observer to recognise mid-winter.
JAN  
02 Unusually, no sunshine at all was recorded this week; but a pair of ravens at Scalasaig are canoodling, the first sign of spring. The very warm weather led to an irruption of Talitrus saltator (“sand hopper”) in seaweed recently applied to Homefield vegetable garden. These creatures are nocturnal and travel daily up to 100 metres, following the tide. Unfortunately, they also are affected by light – perhaps they seek the reflection from the sea? The nearest light surface being the white walls of the house, and the brightest area being the ground-floor windows, they arrived in their thousands from about 8pm onwards – many hundreds managed to get through the double glazing, and we found that they could easily hop two to three feet into the air. Luckily dark surfaces such as chairs were not an attraction, and they favoured the carpets, which are light in colour. They were not attracted by the bright fire, so must be heat-sensitive. Large numbers were consumed by a Labrador puppy, with no obvious ill-effect to the puppy. Humidity indoors is about 32%.
09 No sunshine at all was recorded on 10 consecutive days before 5 Jan. Over 1000 geese counted heading south above Lifting Stone at dusk, seemed to be Barnacle.
16 Shelduck at Port Mor. Snipe and woodcock prominent.
23 Snowdrops in flower
30 Flock 200 starlings formation-morphing at Homefield
FEB  
06 Big flocks of geese, often mixed species. One large flock ca. 1000 Barnacle seen at various locations.
13 Croci in flower beside burn at Homefield; daffodils in bud...
20 East wind – felt cold. ca. 30 greylags in Port Mor
27 2 independent sightings of a Red Kite this week. Machrins has a beautiful jet-black calf. First warm, sunny day of spring on 26th.
MAR  
6 First daffodil in full flower on 28th February, Homefield (last year Mar 18th); Ravens feeding their young at A'Chrannaig; otter basking on surface beside pier. For future ref : First coupe (in over 60 yrs) of Georgina's Hazel Coppice 27 Feb – 3 Mar. Extra stool cut beside house for monitoring.
13 Daffodils at Mill, School, Torr an Tuirc etc on 7th , (last year 16th ); weather deteriorated – snow, sleet and hail showers towards weekend. Male hen harrier working Templefield
14 Starlings nesting Homefield (same date as 2010); Celandine and Bittercress in flower Homefield; Christa saw 1 st wheatear.
16 Sunniest day so far 9.2hrs; Dillon saw Red Kite.