North Uist at Last

Friday May 6

No internet access at our Hebridean Cottage - none  that allows me access anyway. Shall have to phone the owner - in Elgin - to-morrow as Karen suggests. Odd to have a caretaker who knows nothing about the internet and wasn’t here to greet us either.
We both had a good night’s sleep, comfy mattresses. We have to vacate by 10 anyway so we took our time in leaving before driving to Uig and the ferry. We got there very early, as did many others. Only Shags and Cormorants in the harbour this year. We read for a while, then checked in, collected our tickets and parked at the very front of Row 2. A walk to buy a hot drink took up some time, then I did the DT crossword.
The ferry was 35 minutes late. It arrived when we should have been leaving. Nuisance. As instructed, hazard lights on - parking near the lifts signal to the CalMac workers - we parked on board and took the lift to the upper deck. Bliss compared with several flights of steep steps. We sat at the back on a covered deck which has bars around it. More sheltered than the top deck.
We saw a couple of Red Breasted Mergansers soon after leaving, nothing else until rougher water near  northern Skye. Groups of Guillemots, fewer Razorbills and even fewer Puffins and Black Guillemots, were discernible beyond the wake. Gannets, Fulmar and Kittiwake  occasionally passed. As the islands fell away so did the birds.
The crossing only takes an hour and 45 minutes but we retired inside to the warm 20 minutes before we arrived. Another lovely looking day but only 11C.
Great to be driving on Uist again, water separated by land. We missed our turning but soon turned round, anxiously scanning all the houses we passed until we found the right one. I opened the stiff drive gate and Pam parked on the grass in the front of the walled garden. The porch opens into another porch. There are two sitting rooms on either side, one with a dining table,  a very large kitchen diner, a small downstairs bedroom and utility room and a bathroom. I haven’t been upstairs yet but there are two more double bedrooms up there.
Having failed to make the internet work, we drove to the RSPB reserve of Balranald, the turning is a quarter of a mile up the road,
We didn’t hear any Corncrakes at all. Plenty of Lapwing, Tufted Duck, Curlew, Whimbrel, Shoveller and Mallard. Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls in a field being ploughed, it looked more like a beach than soil. As we reached the RSPB visitor centre - half a small Bothy, the other half the toilets, Pam called ‘white gull’. A juvenile Glaucous Gull flew past. We found it again on the return journey when I took a few photographs.

The machair has been electric fenced this year, two Whimbrel in the distance, no other birds. The tide was out, about 50 Sanderling scurrying the water’s edge, a few Ringed Plovers, Common and Arctic Terns. The weather is too good.....
Back at the cottage, still no connection, so I’m writing this on Office for uploading some other time. The moth trap is set up in the front garden, I wonder if we’ll trap anything in an exposed garden surrounded by moorland and water. Here’s hoping.

To Skye

Friday May 13

Sad to leave Mull in the best weather we've ever experienced here. A double-edged sword.....great for scenery, too hot for Otters and many birds. Looking forward to North Uist though. J and D say that the Phalaropes are back and there's a White-winged Black Tern there to-day. Hope the cottage is up to scratch too.

We'd packed before a 6.15 breakfast and it only took 35 minutes to reach Fishnish, where the 7.25 ferry was pulling in. The sea was very choppy to-day due to the brisk north westerly wind - much cooler too. The 25 minute crossing to Ardnamurchan was smooth. As was the drive north to Corran where the ferry was again approaching the dock. So smooth, we might have planned it !

Fort William Morrison's for petrol and a small shop for to-day's food before driving to Kyle of Lochalsh. When I first visited Skye over 50 years ago, it was with a group of kids in Shewan's old Minibus + camping equipment. The road was a dirt track, long and bumpy, Tall mountains looming on both sides, having to avoid herds of Red Deer crossing the 'road'. We'd underestimated the time it would take to drive to Lochalsh and had to camp by the side of the road. I don't remember what we did for food. A small ferry took us across to Kyleakin from where we drove to the Cuillins. We were camped on the beach, we did have loos and a standpipe but nothing else. It rained for three days, no climbing done, too dangerous. I have an abiding memory of lying in my two man tent with Mick, watching Highland Cattle eating seaweed on the beach.

A lovely bridge took us over to Skye to-day, no longer a toll to pay. Do islands attached to the mainland or each other still qualify as islands?

We saw a Golden Eagle on the way to Lochalsh, it soared overhead.

The journey had been hampered by two groups of French campervans, one of three, the other of four. They'd left the viewpoint outside Fort William shortly before us, trundling their way west, travelling very close together on a road where passing is well nigh impossible. Very thoughtless and inconsiderate.The group of three eventually pulled in so that the queue could roar past. The four.......trundled on until an empty stretch enabled Pam and two others to step on the gas and leave them behind. Little point as it turned out. A queue at Broadford. Eventually, a policeman told us that the road was closed for a couple of hours and to go and have some lunch. Where? The one cafe and its parking area was chokka. We stayed where we were, ate and read.

An hour and a half later, traffic started to appear from the opposite direction and we were off. The car wreckage we saw in the ditch on the opposite carriageway was horrendous. The worst damage I've seen. After visiting the Old Man of Storr, we arrived at our Skyehaven B and B where the owner told us that it was  a local woman who had been taken to hospital in a helicopter but died before they got there. I'm amazed that she survived that long from the totalled wreckage. Sad.

Out of here by 10.00 in the morning, then the afternoon ferry from Uig.   
No photos to-day, Ive added one of a delightful lamb and another Swallow.

 

R and R

Thursday May 12

A day out with Arthur Brown is an annual treat. He drives, knows where the birds are and provides home cooked food.

To-day was a pick-up from Tobermory at 9.30 day, he collected us from the bridge below Cathy's at 9.00, we drove in with him. 

An interesting group. Full house of 8 as always. A couple from Melbourne, another from British Columbia via Quebec and a pair from Leeds. The van is roomy and we sat behind the driver all day with plenty of legroom and our own door. The others swapped at intervals.

We took the Salen road, stopping several times to view the sound, a Common Tern sat on a buoy causing a few problems, distant and against the light. Then, cross country to the west coast and Loch na Keal. Whilst Arthur and the group were sea watching, I saw a White-tailed Eagle fly across the bank of trees on the landward side, landing in a tree for all to see through the scope. I set mine up and phonescoped but cannot download the pics at the moment - works fine at home. 
And it still did.

This one was very high !

I believe that the only way to get good pictures is to go out on the Lady Jane again. If only Martin would improve the jetty...I had enough trouble getting off at low tide last time.
Another stop for coffee and a choice of home-made biscuits brought our first Golden Eagle of the day, we saw five in total. In my binoculars, it showed beautifully, golden head and warm shades of brown wings. The photographs are disappointing. Taken against a bright blue sky they become silhouettes - and distant ones at that.

At another lochside stop, we became aware that a pair of Barn Swallows were taking advantage of one of the few patches of mud on the island to do some nest building. Irresistible.

Lunch was taken at a second Goldie site, where it duly obliged. We then spent some time returning to Aros and the loch's northern shore, seing our second White-tailed + various small birds. 
As we crossed a bridge over a rocky stream, Arthur told us that the Dipper's nest under the bridge had been washed out by recent storms, he hadn't seen it since. And.......there was one. I took two photos through a tinted window past Pam and Fernando's heads.

Paulina (Canadian who took dozens of photos at every stop), was a dab hand at getting back on the bus, showing Pam a photo on her screen and asking for an ID. On two occasions it was a bird no-one else had seen to-day - including husband.

The coastal drive to Calgary is narrow, with climbing hairpin bends, deciduous forest clinging to the  hillside and stupendous views on another hot and glorious day. One view of Ben More, the highest mountain on Mull and,  qualifying as a Ben,  had everyone clicking away.

 
This is where Arthur gives us a history and geology lesson to keep us entertained as there's nowhere to stop. Inch Kenneth, closest island  to shore,  where the Mitford family had a home and sister Unity came to convalesce in 1944 having failed a suicide attempt because she was in love with Hitler. North Mull is volcanic and the Roches Moutonee and Rigs are clearly seen. So were the islands of Dutchman's Hat, Lunga and Flodda which make up the Treshnish Isles. Ever windy Tiree is beyond.

Nothing in Calgary Bay, no need to shelter in weather like this, which is not good for birding either. The birds and animals are hot and sleep the day away. The moorland road back to Dervaig has another Golden Eagle territory. We parked in a pull-off near the old school house where one turned up on the hill opposite - where it nests - within a short time of arrival. I was sat on the bus step looking the opposite way, enjoying my Lemon Drizzle cake when Pam called birds. Two young Golden Eagles came over the hill by the schoolhouse, much closer than the others. Brilliant. We also added our first Whinchat.

The Torloisk road is in a hideous state of repair. Arthur, after a stop at his home to drop off the food stuff, drove part of the way up the Dervaig end which is better, No Harrier nor Owl to-day, just Tormentor (named so as it was used to alleviate toothache), and Fleabane to add to the flower list. We also saw several Green-veined Whites and a Small Tortoiseshell to-day.

Loch Cuin was lovely in the late afternoon light, two Dunlin the highlight for the group.

We returned to Tobermory to drop off the group as Arthur was trying the Frisa Road for raptors. No luck.

Adding the Coal Tit, Siskin, Greenfinch  and Great Tit on Arthur's garden feeders a total of 54 birds on a very enjoyable day. Arthur's trips have a feelgood factor.

Back to the lovely Cathy. Lily the donkey was tied up in the bottom yard. Pam went down to photograph her and she'd gone. A hot Cathy appeared at our bedroom window. The donkey's feet had been trimmed and she'd walked her, the lamb and the dog back up the hill to the field. That would have made a good photograph.

The car was not carefully packed, we'll sort everything next week.

Just Moseying

Wednesday May 11

Awake early, after a very early night by my standards, I again tried to write yesterday's account and to upload photos to my Blog. So frustrating, this broadband is very slow and keeps cutting out.  It was good to begin with.....

I've actually finished it this evening - playing games between uploads.

Just as well that we didn't do much to-day. A long day yesterday, another to-morrow and then the lengthy drive to Skye on Friday. We drove to Salen, listening for Grasshopper Warbler in the reedbed across the road from here. Nothing apart from a Chiffchaff, our first since the Borders. Eiders, Red-breasted Merganser, Oystercatcher and Sand Martins on the Salen estuary. Then, across to the west coast and lovely Loch Na Keal. A stiff breeze this morning, producing white horses, still another scorcher. We stopped beyond the White-tailed Eagle parking spot, which was full anyway. Pam saw a Golden Eagle rise above the mountain across the Loch whilst a Sedge Warbler sang from the small reed bed and a Great Northern Diver showed briefly. This hot weather seems to have sent them onwards.

As we were about to drive on, an adult White-tailed Eagle flew medium height across the loch towards last year's nest position. Cruising the ridge, a Peregrine which had been hassling it, made an awesome stoop from high above. Brave bird. Or foolish. The eagle disappeared from view. Lovely experience.

Another of Arthur Brown's stopping places eventually came up trumps. We stayed here for an hour, watching six Whimbrel fly onto the rocks, Red-breasted Merganser and Great Northern Diver in the bay and another White-tailed Eagle, its huge wingspan obvious even at the distance and height at which it was travelling. It was going in and out of cloud as it spiralled away.

Then... the local Goldie took flight, giving lengthy views as it left the crag, gathering speed along the edge, before rising on the thermals. 

The drive to Calgary Bay is very scenic. Road clinging to the cliff edge in many places, metal crash barriers protecting from the drop onto the rocky shore - not many passing places either. Fingers crossed that one doesn't meet anything, we didn't to-day.

Calgary Bay features on many a picture postcard. The only lay-by possible for loitering to take photographs, is not in the best position. A woman in the car in front, leant out of her window to take a pic as they were driving along. Wish I'd thought of that. 

 We missed the turning to Caliach Point, thought to be the best sea watching place on Mull (Gordon Hamlett). We love it there. We had to turn back, no wonder, the road isn't sign posted but it's the first left after the Calgary tearooms. My exercise for the day was getting out to open and shut the gate across the road, part of the way down.

We then sat at the end, overlooking a loch, Ardnamurchan visible across the water. Just the sheep, lambs and us in the blazing sunshine and blue sky. We wrote postcards and read for almost two hours. So lovely.

We put the moth trap out last night and again, it started whistling after about five hours. That battery must not last the night. Cathy told us to put it on mains supply to-night, we're off to do that as soon as I've finished this. Not many moths trapped under a clear sky last night. 2 Common Quaker, 1 Clouded Drab, 2 Yellow-horned and one Spruce Carpet.

Dolphins on the Starboard Bow

Tuesday May 10

What a great trip. We went out ftom Tobermory on a Sealife Surveys vessel to-day. So warm that we sat in short sleeved blouse until lunchtime, when we hit a  more exposed area. The first hour or so is largely birdless, with the opportunity of seeing Tobermory from the sea - the best way to view the rows of colourfully painted buildings clinging to the mountainside. The top tier have started painting in colours now. A particularly vicious mustard yellow and a lavender standing out.

Pam saw our first Mull Dipper from the pontoon walkway to the boat - I was returning from registering with Richard.

The White-tailed Eagle's nest on Ardmore Point is even further back and, almost invisible, this year. 
The first excitement was seeing a Great Skua flying strongly from the right before crossing the bows and flying away. Good views for everyone. Then, half a dozen Manx Shearwaters wheeled on the left. One of my favourite birds. Such beautiful flyers, graceful and apparently effortless, alternately showing pale underside and black upper, often close to the waves.

A film crew looking for Dolphins had departed just before us. A woman whose name I forget, but she appears on Springwatch and was on the Sir David Attenborough 90th birthday tribute programme the other night, was amongst them. They contacted our skipper to say that they'd found some Common Dolphins and that the pod was heading in our direction.  A fair bit of milling about then went on - for what seemed like an age - before the small pod was sighted. We had lovely views which were not photographable. I tried but got empty sea or a small fin. 

One view of two animals surfing a wave together remains etched in my memory. I've seen Common Dolphins several times before, they are always a delight and much anticipated. Those grey brown, smooth, muscular  torpedoes, always look as though they're having fun.  We did actually have four more dolphin experiences during the day out, all of them a joy.

Here's to the next time.

As we hit an upswell where currents meet up beween the jumble of islands, Rhum, Muck, Eigg, Jura and Coll to name a few..... the numbers of Shearwaters increased tremendously, huge rafts of them sitting on the sea, our presence startling them into splashing flight. I had a great time trying to photograph them, the violent pitching of the boat not helping at all. 

After more cruising about amongst smaller isles and rocks, Common and Arctic Terns screaming overhead, the boat stopped for lunch off the Cairns of Coll and a white sand shell beach. Lovely. They used to put people ashore but no longer. Other tour boats started copying and the nesting birds were being disturbed, still are although Sealife has desisted. The constant, if gentle, pitch of the boat, was not comfortable, appreciating the scenery helped. The many blue shades of the sea, from dark to Caribbean turquise with patches of deep purple seaweed showing under the surface. The rocks with a three foot fringe of weed - dark waterline, it was low tide, yellow lichen on the smooth surfaces, topped with mainly white flowers with some blue patches. A form of thrift I think, Pam's going to look it up. Must be tough to survive here. 

  A few Arctic Terns were nesting, we saw a Common Sandpiper too, amazing.

Time to set off - and Pam called a Minke on the north side of the boat. I saw it too - badly - only one other did. Another slow search and wallow, the many Shearwaters and small rafts of Guillemots were of constant interest. Many of the Guillemots were juveniles or still changing from winter plunage.

In total, we had four Minke Whale sightngs on the return journey. Two of them really close, no more rthan 50 metres away. Awesome. One can only guess at their actual size, as only the back and dorsal fin shows. I know it's a 'small' whale but that is in comparison with others. I managed a fin.

The last experience on this very good trip was of a White-tailed Eagle, high above the boat in the nesting area.
Debbie, whose first trip as a guide it was, did the Professor Plankton bit on the way back - he was on the film crew boat - showing close-ups of the plankton she'd trapped trailing a mesh cone behind the boat. The plankton rich waters is what makes the area so attractive to cetaceans.
Thanks to the very young (!!) crew and guides who were pleasant, helpful and informative throughout.

 

,

On To Dervaig

Monday May 9

An alarming morning. The house fire alarm started going off before 7 a.m and continued to do so in ever shortening bursts as John struggle to cancel it. He thinks a guest must have been smoking in the bedroom. We think it was the lone man with a kayak on top of his car.

Then we were told that the trap battery emitted a high pitched whistle in the night which woke Jane, who's a very light sleeper. She woke John and insisted he deal with it as he is 'the man of the house'. He unplugged it at about 2 a.m. Embarrassing, but they were ever so good natured about it. To our faces anyway. To boot.... the trap only contained two Caddis flies.

 After packing and visiting the shop for postcards, we left at 9.15. Our last visit to Fidden for another year, we love it there. The north of the island is better all round but we would not forsake Fidden. I've never seen a fuller tide, it filled all the creeks and covered the rocks, to the detriment of birds. It did look stunning. The ever present Dunlin, Ringed Plover and two Whimbrel. 
The Ringed Plover look very bright, are they the northern sub-species?

The bonus was our first Snipe startled into flight by a walker. They breed in the iris beds and are hard to find.

Arriving at the T junction we met the P's driving into the car park, in a hurry as they wanted to catch the Iona ferry which was just drawing in to the jetty. I hope they got it - and saw Corncrakes well.

The lambs look much fitter this year after a better winter for the grass. The rams look awesome. I love the mountain sheep with their black faces and legs best. We are now seeing the less than lovely large white breed with an unattractive face, brought in to increase the meat yield.

We took the slow route to Dervaig, around Loch Scridain and Loch na Keil, scenically stunning on another hot and cloudless morning. Not perfect as the sunshine was hazy. At last, a Whimbrel allowed me to take a decent photograph with the light absolutely right.

Petrol and a shop visit at Salen, lunch overlooking the estuary past the rotting boat hulks. Red Breasted Mergansers and Eider, a nest building Willow Warbler, collecting feathers before flying quite a way to the house on the hill behind us.
We needed to visit Tobermory for provisions for to-morrow's boat trip. Stugeron and Sun Lotion particularly, plus something for lunch. It is an eight hour trip. I got a message from Richard to say that the boat would be leaving later to-morrow morning. Fine. Both my pager and my phone burst into life at Salen. May 1st  messages on the pager and a text from J, who has arrived on Uist to-day.
We had to wait for the chemist to open, lunch hour closing ! We got what we needed before driving to Glengorm Castle. Ravens at the town dump as always, the latter a blot on the beautiful landscape but soon left behind. I bought a book on the Uist Ferry last year, written by a woman who had left a Suffolk Farm for a castle in Mull, via Dervaig first. We know that her son has taken over the Sealife Survey vessel from his father and they sold the castle. Her inlaws who she had escaped from, followed them here and moved to the 'house at the gate' of the castle. I had fun picking them out. The castle is no longer run as a hotel but as a restaurant, we had an iced coffee and a cake sitting at an outside table. The menu looked good and the situation lovely, all meat resourced on the estate. Unfortunately they close at 5 p.m.
I barked up the wrong tree there. The place they bought is 'round the corner'. 

The track to Loch Frisa has really deteriorated. We lurched and pothole dipped our way to the pull-off where I did the word games and Pam looked out - successfully. A female Hen Harrier showed above the rocky ridge. 
Time to go on to Cathy's. The historic 'pencil' tower on the church is encircled by a network of scaffolding. Must ask her why.
The design of the 1904 tower was based on Irish watchtowers such Cashel, Enniskillen, Clonmacnoise and Kilmacduagh, though here the tower was not free-standing, instead forming the west end of the church.
We had a wonderfully warm welcome and a hug and catchup from Cathy. She feels like we do about Blake and Sheila. Bliss to be shown to the room we always have, unpack and relax. The WiFi here is brilliant in comparison.  Fingers crossed that it continues.
Cathy now has a 13 year old miniature donkey which she put in a field with an orphaned lamb to keep it company. The donkey, Lily, often makes a helluva racket because the lamb keeps hiding from her. It's entertaining here. 


 

 

Hotting Up

Sunday May 8

After very little sleep, a 7.30 breakfast came too soon. Sheila and Blake joined us again - Pam looked in the visitor book when they'd gone to find their names. When we asked John where he suggested we could place our moth trap to-night, his immediate response was 'my back garden'. Excellent. I've just put it all together, discovering the wonders of attaching an invertor between the trap mains lead/battery. First time ever and.... it works. Trap in situ, grand switch-on at 9.00 p.m.

The forecast had promised good weather by mid morning. This changed to. by 4.00 and was remarkably accurate, at that exact time, it was 22C. with sun. The rest of the day was cloudy, quite dull with the odd few spots of rain. Not good for photography but, we had a lovely day.

A pause there whilst we watched a wonderful programme where Kirsty Young made a beautiful job (David's personal words at the end) of interviewing David Attenborough on his 90th birthday, introducing people and programme clips from the past.

Starting at Fidden as usual, we drove as far as Knockvologen, where the road ends in a farmyard. The track out was black-topped a week ago and John said that all the locals came to try out the new motorway. It really is compared with all the others. We saw two Ravens and a Sedge Warbler on the drive out. Most of the way back I was trying to photograph Wheatear. They're everywhere, flying away as soon as the car stops or gets near. 

I also photographed the bay and sea, with the island of Erraid on the left, this is where Daniel Defoe is said to have got his inspiration for Robinson Crusoe.

The biggest excitement was viewing an immature male or female Hen Harrier, unfortunately being severely harried by gulls, it didn't stay long.  
The campsite was fairly empty this morning apart from the group of Dunlin, a couple of Ringed Plover, Eider Duck and a Shag.

Ardtun, a left turn the other side of Bunessan bay, had been mentioned in a Facebook Mull Birds posting. As we took the turning, one of the myriad Grey Herons, statue-like in the stream, was startled by a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers. The male looked a little wary of that dagger beak but they passed safely.

We drove as far as we could west and then decided to do the round trip via Knocken back to the 'main' road. I told Pam that the far rocks had loads of sheep on them. She looked and laughed - a lot - they were seals.

Blake told us that the road to Carsaig was good for Wood Warblers. We drove as far as the estate office, turned there and made our way back down. The road edges and walls had, Violets, Celandines and a Wood Anemone type flower - must look them up. 

Pam heard a warbler, I got out and heard the lovely descending trill of a Wood Warbler's song. Great.
Pennyghael shop was closed, bits and pieces lunch then. It is Sunday. We made our way slowly around the shores of Loch Scridain, searching for Otters on the thickly seaweeded rocky shore. No luck. A Buzzard waited for me to take a few shots before its usual disappearing act.

Another hour or two on the Tiroran road gazing up to the forested mountainside hoping for eagles. Entertainment was provided by three energetic, loopy little lambs playing on a ditch cum grassy ridge.  It looked like taking it in turns to push each other into the ditch and then racing up the field and back again, pronking madly at times. Pam then got distressed because another lamb was one side of the fence, beyond the pool in front of us, and its mother the other, both calling in distress. It must have got out under the gate onto the road. As we were discussing how to rescue it, a car-full of three women and a man stopped beside us. They noticed and the man set off through the irises around the pool, holding onto the fence. He returned in triumph, clutching a remarkable calm lamb to his chest. He brought it to Pam for a stroke before taking it through the gate. It raced off and immediately fed avidly. It was still doing so when we left at least 5 minutes later. We drove as far as a lay-by overlooking the beginning of Loch na Kiel, before returning past the RSPB eagle watch site.

Pam stopped in the road - not the no stopping lay-bys - whilst we scanned the forest, Yes. There was the nest, where I thought it was on Friday, this time obvious because there was a White-tailed Eagle perched on the edge and another brooding. Brilliant.

Here's an already cropped very distant view.

On the home straight after Bunessan, Pam called Golden Eagle, our first Mull bird of this species after the two on Ardnamuchan, 
 We added two Grey Wagtails and a Reed Bunting to the list before our evening call in at Fidden Campsite. Our first Whimbrels since Saturday morning and the usuals.

We checked for the P's car at the cottages outside Bunessan, they have either not arrived or, more likely, out birding.

Off to Cathy's in Dervaig to-morrow. Hope we have some moths to share with John.