Took the low road (and ferry) to Lochgilphead today to avoid the snow which has fallen over the past few days. Best sighting en route was a male Mandarin "sailing" across a bay on the East shore of Loch Eck. Also there, a pair of Mallard and (nearby) a female Goldeneye. The woods there are full of Bluebells, although they still have some time to go before flowering. Elsewhere in Argyll, I saw few signs of wild flowers. No Coltsfoot at Loch Gair yet, and only a few Daffodil buds in the verges between there and Lochgilphead. Positive sightings included a soaring Raven, a sitting Buzzard, plenty of Hoodies and lots of Eider, the males in fantastic breeding plumage with moss green "ears" and rosy breasts. I watched one off Dunoon dive for a food item (possibly a crab or a shellfish), then gobble it up at the surface.