Saturday
9th July Fresh to Strong SE. - PM Heavy rain, cleared
in evening to cloudy but dry
Once
off the ferry this afternoon I cycle to the RSPB reserve at the south
west corner of the island. The rain is heavy but at least there is
only a light north easterly.
A
female hen harrier is quartering the moorland despite the rain. Four
rock doves, real ones not the tatty feral pigeons back in England, fly
past becoming Bird Number 263 on the Year list.
Into
the RSPB visitor's centre with it's sandy floor, to dry off and have
some late lunch. No chairs, I sit on a plastic box full of leaflets
and read a book my Dad has given me, My father and Other –
Working Class Football Heroes by Gary Imlach. I read about
Gary's footballing father, Stewart Imlach and his part in Nottingham
Forest's FA Cup Final victory in 1959. A very emotional read and
almost unputdownable. Swallows come in to get away from the rain and later I see the youngsters sitting on a wall.
Unfortunately
I am feeling very tired and I close the book, put my head in my hands
resting against the wall and fall asleep.
Awake
again, the rain has stopped but a strong south easterly has sprung
up. I walk around the machair, that special flower rich habitat so
well known on the Hebridean islands. Immediately I hear a corncrake
crexing . . . . crex crex . . . . crex crex........
Two
snipe are drumming in the dull skies and meadow pipits and reed buntings are on fence
posts.
The latter are soon dispersed when a superb grey with black
wing tipped male hen harrier flies past.
Down
to the beach I look at a good number of pyramidal orchids on the way.
It is a very low tide and rocky outcrops stretch out into a calm sea;
the area being sheltered on this the north west side of the island.
Back
at the visitor's centre I talk to the RSPB warden. The bird I had
hoped for, spotted crake is not present. There had been one a number
of weeks back but it hadn't been heard whipping since. Oh well, it
was worth the effort.
Last
year I came to the reserve on my tour of all of the 234 RSPB reserves
and was surprised when on arriving I immediately heard a spotted
crake. Shame history hasn't repeated itself but you can't win them
all.
I
start to head back to the ferry and whilst walking into the strong
wind a couple of twite land on a fence nearby; Bird number 264.
More
corncrakes are calling as I walk the flat road by the island's
airport.
By
now the strong wind is behind me which makes a pleasant change. The
ride back to the harbour is quickly done with a stop to watch a pair
of red-throated divers on a small loch.
Into
the harbour waiting room to read and wait for the ferry back to Oban.
14.64
Miles 457 feet elevation up 457 feet elevation down
The
Green Year list is now at 264, fully twenty seven ahead of this time
last year!
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