COLONSAY'S WEATHER

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

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
-

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 this year: 25.5 mm on 16 August - greatest on record in one day 46.7 (Jan 1992)
Gales: 3003; 3103; 0407;

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.