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Hen Harrier showing for a few thrilling seconds this morning - brief but brilliant! As is typical of our sightings on Rathlin, it quickly swept away behind a hill and didn't appear again. Presumably the same bird as was seen equally briefly yesterday

Chick feeding time is ramping up for the auks here now, as more and more beakfuls of fish are being delivered to the cliffs. Common Guillemots bring a single fish lengthways, while Razorbills and Puffins pack a few in crossways

Our young friends are growing well! Now about two weeks old, these Ringed Plover chicks are starting to develop brown feathers and a dark collar, a noticeable change compared with pics taken last week

Great Black-backed Gulls also now have their own fluffy bundles of joy - there are about 24 pairs dotted around the coast of the island, and this family lives on the eastern shore

These Oystercatcher chicks are also growing up fast - this family usually keeps their distance on the far side of Mill Bay, but last weekend they strayed close enough to enjoy the scruffy downy look of the youngsters

Update on Mrs Cappuccino... our most distinctive Razorbill was still patiently tending her egg yesterday. She definitely had a break during the week, when we saw Mr C doing daddy duties for a while. It's a long incubation process, and a chick won't be expected until early July

Very special to see Rathlin's seabirds at sunset this week - a great show of Puffins at this time of day, as well as the usual epic crowds of Common Guillemots, Razorbills and Kittiwakes swarming around the cliffs #SuperSeabirdSunday

Everyone's had a good soaking here over the weekend and this morning our feathered friends were looking distinctly bedraggled! A soggy Corncrake showed surprisingly well in the wet grass, then a Robin so saturated it was barely recognisable

About as close as we can get to #UrbanPlants on Rathlin - a nice collection of Fumaria beside the Manor House steps today. Dense-flowered Fumitory, Tall Ramping-fumitory and White Ramping-fumitory, all blooming among the Charlock and Common Field-speedwell #WildflowerHour

Daisy and friends finding a home on top of an old traffic cone on Rathlin - #UrbanPlants know how to thrive in unconventional habitats #WildflowerHour

Burnet Rose sprawling all over this spot earlier this week - quite a fabulous sight. Also found a stunning pink example in a different part of the island #WildflowerHour

Wild Strawberry in a scenic spot - it's a steep uphill walk to here but well worth it to enjoy the view. A few juicy berries along the way are a welcome bonus 😋 #WildflowerHour

Suddenly seeing quite a few Painted Ladies - a sign of a recent influx of migrant insects. Counted at least 7 along the cliffs yesterday, plus more around the harbour and elsewhere. Other arrivals included numerous Red Admirals and our first Hummingbird Hawkmoth of the year

Other travellers appearing yesterday included Rush Veneer - only our 11th record of this migrant moth. Numerous Silver Ys have also arrived on the island in recent days, this one choosing to rest in a prickly patch of Gorse

Appearing at the same time as lots of migrant butterflies and moths, there has been an obvious influx of these hoverflies this week - Eupeodes corollae and Episyrphus balteatus. Almost every flower seems to have one! Wonder how far they've travelled to reach Rathlin

Lots of interest hunting for hoverflies on the buttercups yesterday, but this stonking shiny sawfly totally stole the show! This is only our third encounter with an adult Abia candens - always a buzz to see one

Some quality bee action yesterday too - saw a male Tormentil Mining Bee (Andrena tarsata) right where we found this species last year, and a couple of Painted Mining Bees (Andrena fucata) were working away at the Bramble flowers, last seen here two years ago. It's a special spot!

They've fledged! For the last month we've been watching this pair of Grey Wagtails, and yesterday they were still carrying food to the nest. But tonight they were tending to at least 2 youngsters hopping about on the rocks - the first record of successful breeding on Rathlin!