Monday 20th April: In the office all day, mainly preparing teaching materials for a RAFTS / SFCC "Introduction to Scale Reading" workshop that is being held on Friday for Trust biologists who want to start scale reading. Barry has put together two PowerPoints, one explaining the basics and the other with a number of scale images for people to practice on. Another case for CSI Melrose - some dead smolts brought in from Tillmouth, but the cause of death instantly recognisable from their general appearance. They had a "slightly digested" look about them and some bill marks, showing they had been caught and eaten by Goosanders, but then regurgitated when the birds took flight suddenly. We've had examples of this before, when fully laden birds have had to jetison weight to get off the water quickly.

Tuesday 21st April: Out with Kenny, who is on trap duty this week, as I wanted his help to do some measurements at the traps, to get the repairs started. Just as well I was with him, as over 400 salmon smolts in the Tinnis trap. No rise of water, just the time of year -this is the first big number of the season. This number of fish rather delayed us, so we were late to the experimental Willow plantings we are doing at the top of the Jed. Didn't quite manage to finish, so Kenny will have to arrange another date. Not helped by the fact that one of the new pairs of secateurs we bought to take the cuttings with broke. In the evening, did more of the scales workshop teaching materials.

Wednesday 22nd April: In the office till the late afternoon, when Kenny got back from Tweedstart & went out with him to do the traps in case there was another large catch at Tinnis - as it happens, only a 100 or so today.

Thursday 23rd April: Out early for the regular April Goosander count. Not many till actually reached Kelso. Went very quickly this time - usually I have to make two long detours inland to get round riverside cliffs but the water is now so low that I was able to walk past them on the river side. In the afternoon finish off the teaching materials for the workshope tomorrow.

Friday 24th April: RAFTS/SFCC "Introduction to Scale Reading" workshop, at Faskally.