Sandra (Taylor)
Well-known member
Friday 23rd
Loch na Keal – Killechronan – Kilfinichen – Ardvergnish. Heard a peregrine as we got ready to leave the cottage but couldn’t locate it. Spotted a lovely male hen harrier just past the campsite at Killechronan. Greylag geese on our side of the loch. (Raining heavily now) Half way along the other side of the loch was another great northern diver in summer plumage. In Loch Scridain near Ardvergnish, a flock of waders flew in. It consisted of turnstone, ring plovers, redshank and dunlin. Further on was a sole lapwing at the water’s edge, and a female hen harrier near Deiseg. Had a raven and a greenshank on the ‘no eagle day’. At Aros there were lots of ducks in the bay and estuary – mallard, wigeon, gulls, mergansers. Scanned unsuccessfully for otters near the wrecked boats, which are looking much more ‘wrecked’ than last year. I used to think they were quite photogenic but now they just look a mess. Wonder if someone will drag them out of the water and add them to a bonfire?
Saturday 24th
Bid a fond farewell to the cottage (and, as it turned out, my fridge magnet) and caught the ferry from Fishnish, then the Corran Ferry and went to Fort William to do a big shop, as our son & his partner are driving up to join us later today. We went the long way round to Strontian and booked into our log cabin at Seaview Grazings. (We had booked this after it had been recommended by a BF member and we were not disappointed). It was a large and very roomy chalet (Colonsay) and had a wonderful panoramic view from more than half way up the site down onto Loch Sunart. It rained all day and most of the night too.
Sunday 25th
Up early for a leisurely breakfast. It is tradition with us that Sharon cooks breakfast. Spotted three whooper swans in the middle of Loch Sunart. It was raining and windy. Redwings, chaffinches & blackbirds were everywhere as we drove over the mountain to Pollach, with standing water everywhere. Lovely spectacular waterfalls and rushing streams. Then back to the Ariundle oakwoods when the rain eased.
Can any BF members explain this: on a stone in the middle of the
forest track was a pile of rowan berries. We always thought these
were left by pine martens to mark their territory but some way further
on was the same spread out mass of berries but on the same stone
was another lot but these looked as if they had just been picked and
put down – not as if they’d been inside a pine marten. Incidentally,
there wasn’t a rowan tree or any sort of berry tree in sight on the
forest edge.
Back to the chalet but our son went out again on his bike to suss out further the walk we’d just done in the woods. He wanted to see where it went and if it would be suitable for Sharon.
We saw a swift 3 or 4 times (or 3 or 4 swifts!) from our lounge window, flying over Loch Sunart. Investigations and questions put to BF members then the recorder for Argyll seem to veer towards a pallid swift but we were certain it was a common. The latest recorded time was some years ago on 3rd November.
Monday 26th
Away from the chalet to catch the 10.00am ferry from Lochaline to Fishnish on Mull. The kids hadn’t been to the island before and the weather forecast today was good.. As soon as we arrived we drove to Grasspoint. Nothing of note. Then down Glen More (an otter was seen near the mussel farm).
As we neared the three lochs in the Glen a taxi driver shouted to us that there was a golden eagle up in the sky above us. We pulled into a big parking area and as we watched a tour bus arrived and the leader said it was one of a pair whose territory it was. Great views of it for 10 minutes or more.
On Loch na Keal we saw a great northern diver in summer plumage. Our son and his partner especially were thrilled with this sighting. It was out in the open water and the light was just in the right place. Further along the track we saw another – this time in winter plumage! Herons and hoodies were along the edge of the water. Greylag geese on the grass. Far fewer fieldfare or redwing than we saw last week. A peregrine over the trees.
We caught the last ferry of the day from Fishnish.
Cont........
Loch na Keal – Killechronan – Kilfinichen – Ardvergnish. Heard a peregrine as we got ready to leave the cottage but couldn’t locate it. Spotted a lovely male hen harrier just past the campsite at Killechronan. Greylag geese on our side of the loch. (Raining heavily now) Half way along the other side of the loch was another great northern diver in summer plumage. In Loch Scridain near Ardvergnish, a flock of waders flew in. It consisted of turnstone, ring plovers, redshank and dunlin. Further on was a sole lapwing at the water’s edge, and a female hen harrier near Deiseg. Had a raven and a greenshank on the ‘no eagle day’. At Aros there were lots of ducks in the bay and estuary – mallard, wigeon, gulls, mergansers. Scanned unsuccessfully for otters near the wrecked boats, which are looking much more ‘wrecked’ than last year. I used to think they were quite photogenic but now they just look a mess. Wonder if someone will drag them out of the water and add them to a bonfire?
Saturday 24th
Bid a fond farewell to the cottage (and, as it turned out, my fridge magnet) and caught the ferry from Fishnish, then the Corran Ferry and went to Fort William to do a big shop, as our son & his partner are driving up to join us later today. We went the long way round to Strontian and booked into our log cabin at Seaview Grazings. (We had booked this after it had been recommended by a BF member and we were not disappointed). It was a large and very roomy chalet (Colonsay) and had a wonderful panoramic view from more than half way up the site down onto Loch Sunart. It rained all day and most of the night too.
Sunday 25th
Up early for a leisurely breakfast. It is tradition with us that Sharon cooks breakfast. Spotted three whooper swans in the middle of Loch Sunart. It was raining and windy. Redwings, chaffinches & blackbirds were everywhere as we drove over the mountain to Pollach, with standing water everywhere. Lovely spectacular waterfalls and rushing streams. Then back to the Ariundle oakwoods when the rain eased.
Can any BF members explain this: on a stone in the middle of the
forest track was a pile of rowan berries. We always thought these
were left by pine martens to mark their territory but some way further
on was the same spread out mass of berries but on the same stone
was another lot but these looked as if they had just been picked and
put down – not as if they’d been inside a pine marten. Incidentally,
there wasn’t a rowan tree or any sort of berry tree in sight on the
forest edge.
Back to the chalet but our son went out again on his bike to suss out further the walk we’d just done in the woods. He wanted to see where it went and if it would be suitable for Sharon.
We saw a swift 3 or 4 times (or 3 or 4 swifts!) from our lounge window, flying over Loch Sunart. Investigations and questions put to BF members then the recorder for Argyll seem to veer towards a pallid swift but we were certain it was a common. The latest recorded time was some years ago on 3rd November.
Monday 26th
Away from the chalet to catch the 10.00am ferry from Lochaline to Fishnish on Mull. The kids hadn’t been to the island before and the weather forecast today was good.. As soon as we arrived we drove to Grasspoint. Nothing of note. Then down Glen More (an otter was seen near the mussel farm).
As we neared the three lochs in the Glen a taxi driver shouted to us that there was a golden eagle up in the sky above us. We pulled into a big parking area and as we watched a tour bus arrived and the leader said it was one of a pair whose territory it was. Great views of it for 10 minutes or more.
On Loch na Keal we saw a great northern diver in summer plumage. Our son and his partner especially were thrilled with this sighting. It was out in the open water and the light was just in the right place. Further along the track we saw another – this time in winter plumage! Herons and hoodies were along the edge of the water. Greylag geese on the grass. Far fewer fieldfare or redwing than we saw last week. A peregrine over the trees.
We caught the last ferry of the day from Fishnish.
Cont........
