Last Day Anticlimax

Thursday May 4

Always an odd day. At the back of ones mind is packing and leaving to-morrow. Yes, it's for a loved destination, it's the in between bit that sucks. At least we don't have to clean here, an agency sees to that. Bliss.
After moth-ing and packing the trap, breakfast and laundry sorting, it was a 10.30 departure for Lochindorb. Last newspaper collection from the local shop and its delightful staff, they've been great.
All the pre Lodge lay-bys at the loch had parked cars with scopers outside. Hopeful, not successful, even the grouse were quiet this morning.
We tried to photograph the opening flowers on Pam's favourite Ash tree, they should be red tipped. These are not obviously so.


One Red Grouse on the return journey, an immature male hardly worth photographing. A very mank specimen. Just as well, the photo's poor.


My alarm clock has gone haywire, we bought another in Aviemore, it cost £6.50. Waw. It seems to work. Aviemore is full of Outdoor and food shops, the clock was bought in a small electrical outlet.
One really needs to walk at Loch an Eilean but that's where we went next. It's a lovely setting where we used to love walking around the loch. A walk to the shop and loos was accomplished this afternoon, about 200 metres from the car park. I saw a male Pied Flycatcher whilst Pam was buying ice-creams, willing it to stay. It didn't. Takes the shine off. It doesn't compare with the Bullfinch she saw on our front feeders this morning.
Would the Ring Ouzel still be nest building? Neither in sight. Lovely views of the scenery though on another cracking day.
I'd forgotten how bad and long the track to Abernethy Forest Lodge is. I would not have suggested it if I had remembered. We were covered in dust too after so long without rain.
Bonus was hearing a Redstart soon after passing Loch Garten, and again on the return journey. Lovely birds. 
Home to break the back of the personal and car packing, send Mike, the recorder,  our moth records and to finish off chores.
So pleased That Mike H saw a Corncrake on Iona yesterday, hope Ian and Sue saw the Black Grouse to-night.
Time to check the Celta Viga/Man U score in the first leg of the Europa cup semi. I'm very apprehensive.......

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Early Concern, Later Euphoria

Image
Sunday May 14 Last year, my case moth trap was new, so I heeded the advice not to put it out in the rain. It has a rain guard, why should I be so limited? We only used it twice on this island last year. It wasn't raining when we went to bed, there had obviously been a heavy shower during the night. The actinic tube was still hooked up but not alight. No moths either. We emptied the trap, left the egg boxes to dry out and left for Balranald. A lovely sunny morning with a stiff breeze, Skylarks singing, Lapwings Peeweeing, Redshanks whistling and at least two Corncrakes craking. None in our garden so far. Straight out to Ard an Runair beach, the area around the Reserve centre ( a small stone shed) and the loos was full of people, a coachload had arrived. The metal road soon descends to a very rough stone and sand track through the machair. Very few vehicles at the beach, half a dozen at the most. Parking where we could see the bay, scanning brought a host of Sanderling wit...
Read more

Raining on Skye

Image
Saturday May 20 Brutally early alarm, after the last week of laissez-fair. Both my clock and my phone (belt and braces job) went off at 5.20 a.m. Beds had to be stripped, the house left 'as you would want to find it' and then, a 20 mile drive to Lochmaddy to queue for the ferry by 6.45 at the latest. We increasingly resent having to clean the rental cottage before leaving, the rent should cover someone to do that for us. The Boat of Garten rental does. The vacuum here is so heavy that neither of us could carry it upstairs. The cottage looked spotless, we only used three rooms. It was also raining heavily this morning, not good for final packing. It reminded me of taking children camping in North Wales and dreading having to pack wet tents and then dry them when we got home. Corny the Crake bade us a muted farewell, an invisible one of course. A couple we see every year were queued in front of us in the 'lift lane'. Their little Schnauzer is full of beans. W...
Read more

Did It Have To?

Image
Friday May 19 Did it have to pour down on our last day? I had every intention of being out early this morning, I even set the alarm clock. One look out of the bedroom window, which had streams running down it and it was back to bed for a read.  Pam dressed and got the moth trap in - after emptying two inches of water out of the suitcase lid. I took it apart and dried everything, finding no moths at all and, sodden egg boxes. We were due to collect my made up earrings to-day, as good a destination as any. Considering the number of birders who visit these islands, they are very dilatory in producing appropriate jewellery. The same two bird designs as last year, neither of them particularly desirable.The shop in South Uist is also their workshop, they made a couple of tie-pins into earrings for me. I'm sure that Puffins would go down very well with general public, not only birders. The first little parking area at Loch Mor was full, we parked at the westerly end again. on the ...
Read more