120702 Skottland-Scotland , day 9 Monday, Islay

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120702 Monday, day 9

Woke up 7.00 but stayed in bed until 7.25. It is another rainy day. Am tired after that long day yesterday. Breakfast at 8 and departure at 9. We will be birding the north part today with Malcolm as guide.
Breakfast took all morning as they absolutely have to serve at the table. And I guess only have one cook. We have started to order extra strong coffee and only dark toast as all of us like it.

We got lunch packs and left short after 9. We headed to the Nature Reserve, Loch Gruinart at the north west point of Islay to meet with Malcolm. We walked a while through a nice forest and arrived at a balcony at first with a view over the wetland. We stayed there for a while, then headed down to two different hides. It was a beautiful place but not much birds. A few ducks and herons and cows. :) Finches was hard to see as they spent their time in the bushes. Only a Linnet (hämpling) family was seen in the open. A Corncrake was heard.

View Loch Gruinart

After being there for a while we walked back and then paid a visit to the station and RSBP visitor centre. And they had some important facilities too. :)

Then we left for Ardnave Point and had our lunch picknick on the slope at the parking area. This is the place where we could find the Red-billed Chough (Alpkråka) and we did.  I think we counted 12 of them. It is also a place for a lot of sheep with colormarkingson them. I think the markings was for different owners, otherwise it seemed to have no purpose.

We were walking on the path to look for the Red-billed Choughs, sheep and some cows among other things. It was a nice area built up by sand dunes as far up north as you could come.  It was sunny and warm now. After a couple of  hours walk we needed some refreshment and had some

 afternoon coffee at the destillary Kilchoman and then we said goodby to malcolm at 17.00 ca. On our way there we passed Loch Gorm and made a stop to get some shots of a Common Stonechat(Svarthakad Buskskvätta)
 sitting nicely on a pole.

Red-billed Choughs

We headed south after the coffeebrake and drove to the Portnahaven and found us three Twites (vinterhämpling)sailing the sky. So fast I had really problems to catch them. vinterhämpling. Cool birds that was even quicker then barn swallows. I managed to get one flying shot of  2 of them. Under exposed, but still it is possible to see it is them.

Portnahaven

We were back at the hotel  a little late. Dinner was supposed to be at 19.00h. We arrived at the hotel at 18.50 so we were a bit late to the lounge. 19,12. This was a terrible restaurant. We ordered staters at 19.20. Then main dinner and dessert. This took 3h an 5min. It was more then 10 a´clock pm before we finished dinner. I was hungry again! I really had other things to do then spend an entire evening at a table. I think it is rude to let your guests wait so long for everything. :(

Well, then we had the meeting to go through the todays birds, and yesterdays too, as it was a late eveing yesterday as well. Then finally I could go back to my room. Shower? Sorry. too late for that. Fixing shots and wrote a little then off to bed.

Morning birding tomorrow at 6.45

Birding on Islay. Guide Malcolm Ogilvie.
Loch Gruinart, ducks and vaders
Ardnave Point
Loch Indaal
Loch Gorm
Machir Bay
Portnahaven if times permit it.

120701-04 Harbour Inn, Bowmore Islay http://www.harbour-inn.com/

 

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