Mull 2

 Monday Sep 26

We were determined to make a last visit to Fionnphort this week. This is where we stayed in John and Jane's B and B 'Seaview' during our first half a dozen visits to Mull. During the last two visits, we'd split our stay, spending a few days at Dervaig in the north of the island. When we switched to hiring a cottage, we preferred spending a week in the north, where there is a greater variety of birding places. 

Despite the forecast, we set off earlyish, after opening the moth trap, enjoyed the splendour of Glen More's scenery. 

 

The Glen is known as an eagle watchpoint, Pipits and Mistle Thrushes its only birdlife today. Despite the squally showers and strong wind, we managed to see Merlin, a year tick, Gannet and Stonechats on the way.

We drove straight down to Fionnphort harbour, looking across at the Isle of Iona and Iona Abbey. It is one of the oldest Christian religious centres in Western Europe. The abbey was a focal point for the spread of Christianity throughout Scotland and marks the foundation of a monastic community by St. Columba, when Iona was part of the Kingdom of Dál Riata. Saint Aidan served as a monk at Iona, before helping to reestablish Christianity in Northumberland, on the island of Lindisfarne. It's still an important pilgrimage for Christians today - as can be seen by the many tour buses present. It is especially important to Americans, there were always tourists from the USA at our guesthouse.

 

Two splendid Harleys drew up beside us, plus a large BMW touring bike, the throaty roar of the Harleys is unmistakeable. They parked and went for the ferry.

We drove to Fidden, a favourite place in the spring, only to find that the grassy campsite extension is now gated off. This is where we used to see Mountain Hares - debatably named. They are now thought to be a cross between the introduced Irish Hare and the Brown Hare.Very few birds, two Ravens and a couple of Rooks, the latter day trippers from Iona, the only place they are found on Mull.

It's too early to put the rams (tups) in with the ewes. we keep finding numbers of them penned together. These have splendid horns.

 Bunessan had a new ornament/wind vane.

We turned off here for the dead end road to Uisken, a lovely sheltered bay. The tide was well out. We sat and watched two couples set off for a walk. Ten minutes later, a heavy squall sent them running back to shelter.

Pennyghael has a small shop, a derelict hotel, a few cottages and a productive branch of Loch Scridain. I scoped for waders, finding one Greenshank, a Redshank and a few Red-Breasted Mergansers. 

As we approached our cottage, we were delighted to see two men up the telegraph pole outside, their two vans occupying our parking space. We left them to it and drove onwards to the shores of Loch Spelvie. After a suitable time lapse, we returned to find the last man packing up, tellling us that the fault was fixed. It wasn't - and never was for the rest of our week.

Tuesday Sep 26

The weather is playing a big part in our trip. Storm Ian, the tail of the tremendous storm which has hit Florida very destructively, has reached us. Gale force wind and showers too heavy for the fastest windscreen wipers. We didn't leave for Dervaig until late morning, shopping at Salen's Spar shop on the way. They sell the best hot chocolate anywhere.

After checking Dervaig's estuary finding one Curlew, we drove up the very steep hill to the lookout on the Tobermory road. The view from here is stupendous. The rain stopped for enough time to allow us a look around. Unsurprisingly, there was nothing flying, apart from the ever present - wet - Hooded Crows.

 

Maybe Caliach would be productive. The Point is a favourite sea watching place off the north west coast, looking across at the Treshnish Isles. There is a splendid fuchsia hedge, popular on this island, at the start of the track.

The gate across the track was tricky as always, it fouls the road. The Highland cattle were across on the far hillside, we're used to them filling our binoculars here. The sea looked splendid. A few Gannets, five Guillemots and the ubiquitous Shags.

The sun came out for our drive from Dervaig back to Salen. A narrow track through high moorland  fringed by mountains, with large areas of conifer plantation. Much of the latter has been felled since our last visit, leaving scenes of desolation and destruction.

 Ravens, Golden Eagles, Mistle Thrushes and a Buzzard gilded the day.

Wednesday Sep 28

Happy Birthday Sara xx

Waking to sun makes a huge difference, we were out soon after nine o'clock. The wind had dropped too, still rather breezy. Parked up at Loch na Keal, next to a tour group, I soon found, probably the same, dog Otter as before. Even further away, but I had good scope views this time. The tour leader called 'Eagles', two White-tailed Eagles were flying away along the forested ridge behind us. I managed bin. views through Pam's window. One of them at least was a full adult, it's white tail radiant in the sunshine. At last. Away from the breeding season they are more difficult to find, as they stray away from the nest sites. The young ones in particular go in for some exploration - like the Isle of Wight birds come to Norfolk. Lucky that the leader was looking the right way. 

We made a short stop to admire some sleeping Red-breasted Mergansers on a seaweed clad rock, everywhere is clad in the russet shades of Autumn. Seaweed on the shores and bracken on the hillsides.

 Heather still in bloom adds a little colour.

 

We made our way to Calgary Bay. Despite being greatly improved, the narrow, twisting, single track road, with few passing places, can still be hazardous. It hugs the mountainside, which follows the shoreline. Spectacular.The steepest bends are protected on the sea side by metal barriers, many of them dented, damaged and rusty. Not much traffic compared with the spring - especially the dreaded hired motorhomes in the hands of inexperienced drivers.

With Calgary Bay in sight below, an apparent remnant of a dry stone wall is obvious on the hillside on the other side of the loch. This is a solid stone outcrop known as a Mull Dyke, one of many on the island. An igneous rock dyke cutting through the Palaeocene lavas, a very prominent dyke of the Mull Swarm.

Pam wanted to return via the Dervaig/Salen road, we had another look at Dervaig's loch head on the way past. This time we saw a limping Greenshank, its left leg at a funny angle from the 'knee' down, and a Snipe, the latter well hidden among the seaweed.

We used to B and B with Cathy in Dervaig, we stopped to buy some of her chicken eggs, displayed in a roadside box. Pam left her a note.

 

To-day was a Buzzard and Grey Heron day, hungry after the storm.