15th June 2010 photographs . . .
16th June 2010
I awoke incredibly early, 4.00 am and searched the area for birds in the early morning, pre-sunrise light but nothing too special was found. Red-billed Choughs were here of course, which are always special. Stonechat and Common Whitethroat too and the views over the sea towards Anglesey and Snowdonia to the south were the clearest yet. The Mountains of Mourne to the south west, which had been so clear the previous evening, were now very hazy and only just visible.
The stone circle atop the hill near to the Sound was unusual in having six
T-shaped cysts arranged in a circle instead of the usual.
http://www.manxarch.iofm.net/meayll.htm
Meayll
Circle, Meayll Hill, or Mull Hill -Chambered Cairn.
Also up here were two pill boxes, still accessible but smelling of the usual
urine one sadly finds in such accessible structures and an air raid shelter. All
the world is a urinal!
Cycled down to look out for whether any boats were going to the Calf but no one
was around the harbour and it stated that four people were required for a trip
to go ahead. Cycled instead, well pushed for most of the way, up to the summit
of Cronk ny Arrey Laa; from which I could see the 6 'Kingdoms' - England,
Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. The sixth, the
Kingdom of God.
Met Rachelle from Bury St Edmunds here and we talked for half an hour or
so.
Down the hill I went only to find that I had a flat back tyre.
Repaired and off again, soon reached the Isle of Man, Manx Wildlife Trust
nature reserve, Dalby Mountain. Extremely hot now with full sun and little or
no wind; I explored the area and photographed cotton grass, sundews and heath spotted
orchids.
Into Peel and after a short visit to a small church and after writing Rathlin Island
on my Biking Birder 2010 blog in the town library, I went into the large,
imposing castle. On a side wall, I was mobbed by a very irate Herring Gull. I was
not sure why the aggression until I found a Herring Gull chick, quietly hiding
in the corner of the ruined house I was standing by.
Next cycled to Close Sartfield and spent the evening and night here. Fabulous
place with thousands of mainly Heath-spotted Orchids, with Common-spotted,
Northern marsh Orchids and Twayblades. Down by the hide was a huge number of
Royal Ferns, a plant that made me determined to get a job at Merridale Primary
School in Wolverhampton. I had been there for a fact-finding visit when a
Secondary School biology teacher, also in Wolverhampton.
Two
fly-by Woodcock were roding for about half an hour, making their distinctive brbbing
and whiplash calls and a Cuckoo cuckooed charmingly as yet another stupendous
sunset set in. I slept on the bench found on the hide roof, curling up in my
sleeping bag after covering myself with insect repellent. What a superb spot
this was as this elevated viewing platform looked over the surrounding willow
Curragh and clearance areas.
Wallabies?
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