Next Base

Monday May 8

Sad to leave Seaview and John and Jane's welcoming hospitality. We are greeted as friends. Good for business !
The pilgrimage couple left this morning, we shared the table with two sisters and one of them's husband. 
I asked John about their 'pilgrimage'. Apparently it's a tour, starting with service in Iona Abbey yesterday which was too low church for them. They're used to a High Church service in a Cathedral, Iona needs to appeal to all. John gets church people from all over the world. many from Middle USA, whose life ambition is to visit Iona. In his subjective opinion, the church people are messier, he thinks they concentrate on other worldly stuff. Pam later amused the Jays by repeating my words that we were the 'tidy atheists'.
After a leisurely breakfast - we had to wait for room at the table - we birded our way to Craignure. The bridge at Knock is still closed to traffic so we couldn't take the scenic coastal route to Salen.
The highlights were:
Having to stop on the road to Fidden whilst a very pretty Highland cow licked clean her newly born calf - in the middle of the road.
Seeing a Cuckoo perched on a wire at Grasspoint and taking appalling photos of it flying.


 How do I have the nerve to add this photo? I shall delete it very quickly.....
We've heard so many and previously, had one short flying view. 
Best of all was when leaving Grasspoint via the humpy bridge and joining the main road. I looked up to see an adult White-tailed Eagle flying towards me at tree height. White head and tail, massive yellow beak, gleaming in the sun. Grabbing my camera,  got out as fast as I could but it had disappeared out of sight. I cursed my knees and lack of mobility before getting back in. And it appeared again !!! Once more, for a short view only. Unforgettable, even better than from Martin's boat. It's etched on my mindsight.
Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Swallows and Sand Martins are well settled. Where are the House Martins? We rarely see Swifts on the islands.
We branched inland at Salen, taking the road through mountain scenery which, last year, was largely clad in conifers. Now, a great deal of it has been felled. We met a couple of cyclists who excitedly told us that they just seen a Golden Eagle on top of a telegraph post. We didn't have the heart to disabuse them. Tourist Eagle - Buzzard most likely.
A quick look at Loch Cuin before trying to find our Glenview B and B. The SatNav, fed its Postcode, had stopped us short of the 'pencil tower' church. I'd looked it up on the internet, had a photo and had placed it at the end of the street where the shop is located in Dervaig. 
We found it immediately. a large and imposing white house, set in extensive and well kept grounds, the ever present Azaleas and Rhododendrons in full flower . Behind double gates which had to be opened and then closed behind us.
Betty answered the door, gve us a lengthy introductory chat - it took in Kathy's brother, Kath doing all the lambing and one of her donkeys having a young one. We saw the youngster in the field as we came up the hill. 
Our bedoom is nice enough BUT, there are two flights of stairs, the en suite is next door and there isn't a table for me to work at. Good points, the internet seems to be reliable, it hasn't frozen yet, and, there's a Spotted Flycatcher in the garden. 
We're both having trouble staying awake, we did not have a good night's sleep. For once, I think Pam had even less than I did. I've just had to wake her up , She'd  fallen asleep with her lit up Kindle in her hand.
Bird list for to-day time before an early night .

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