120630 Skottland-Scotland , day 7 Saturday, Kintyre

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120630 Saturday, day 7

Aisla Craig

Woke up at 6.30 and ready for birding at 7. We started out and rounded the bay heading for Cambeltown Loch with Stinking Hole, Davarr Island. We saw mostly tits and swallows, cormorants and Gannets from the colony of Aisla Craig. The island had a cloudcap. Or is it birds?? No, kidding.  :) Weather was perfect for the moment.  At half past 8 we headed back to the hotel for breakfast.


We met again 10.00.  Those served breakfasts are very timeconsuming.  And the fried egg is very shiny. Think they are bathed in oil. Next time I´ll have a boiled egg instead.

This time we went across the penisula to the Machrihanish Seabird Obervatory. A lot of gannets were fishing in the wild water there, I had a lot of fun catching them with my camera. It started to rain and the wind increased. That was not fun. There were also some seals laying around. And some cool sheeps with "black striped socks".

big sign

When we left that place people started to look for terns from the car. For some reason I was not aware that they were looking for a Roseate Tern (rosentärna) at Machrihanish as I was busy with the Gannets. I thought they were only looking at Kentsk tern. When they stoped at a small beach I started to look around to see if there was something great in visible range. When I turned back to the car everybody was gone. They just disappeared. And the car was wide open, not locked, so I did not dare leave it to try to find them. And later I realised they were all hidden behind a big sign. :(   So, I missed that one bird. Nothing to do about that now.





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Gannet diving

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We had lunch at Kintyres southern point where the gannets passes by heading for their own lunch. Thousends of them in plough formation. No wonder why they sometimes  are called seagoose. Before turning uphill we made another stop to enjoy the birds and the shore. There were some Oystercatchers here as well.







Next place was Mull of Kintyre that normaly has a gorgeous view. But not today with rain and mist. We did not stay long as there was nothing to see that day. We turned back the way we came. A narrow one lane road crossing the hills. The weather cleared up a bit as we got closer to the shore again so we made a short photo stop and enjoyed the view over Southend, Sanda Island and Aisla Craig. Below us flew one flock after another with gannets and some Manx Shearwaters and a few shags.

Southend

The whole day was cold. And mostly rainy. Getting back to the hotel was a relief. Heating up the room to get warm. Checked the email and taking a shower. Dinner served at  19.15. I took Vermilon.(hjort).

Coffee and liqour and then to bed. Well  after checking todays shots of course.
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Kintyre
Stinking hole
Davarr Island
Aisla Craig m havssulor
Machrihanish Seabird Obervatory
Sothend and Sanda Island
Mull of Kintyre
Islay
120629-30 Craigard House Hotel, Campbeltown http://www.craigard-house.co.uk/

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Labels: Resor, travel, trip, journey, vacation, Öland, Sverige, Sweden, airplane, flygplan, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding, Skottland, Scotland Aisla Craig, Campbeltown, Craigard House Hotel, Davarr Island, gannet, Kintyre, Machrihanish Seabird Obervatory, Mull of Kintyre,Stinking Hole,

120629 Skottland-Scotland , day 6 Friday, Kintyre

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120629 Friday, day 6 

Woke up 4 because my wristwatch wa accidently set on alarm. It was raining on my "roof window" so there was no need for birding this morning. I went to sleep again. Then woke up at the proper time to pack my things for loading in the car at 8.10. Breakfast at 8.20 and leaving to the ferry at 9.10. This hotel had a very late breakfast so we had to arrange with them to make it a bit early and fast this morning. They had prepared so everything went smothly.

At Arran ferry berth

As it was still raining there were no need to try to look for birds on the ferry. So everyone stayed in the car. We arrived at Claonaig on Kintyre at 10.00 and drove south on a single lane road. Lots of them around here. Once and again we stoped at meeting spots to let cars pass us. Still raining. The forest looks a bit like rainforest so a bit strange. We drove along the coast down to Carradales harbor where we birded for a while. At this location we had a nice view over Arran we just left. And now the sun peeked through the clouds and mist so we had a rather nice time birding.

The birds has a kind of "highway" where most of them flew.  It was in between the two land masses. It made it possible to study the flight of  the Manx Shearwater (mindre lira). Quite interesting, they fly with stiff wings close to the watersurface.  Then they flap the wings fast and then glides for a few seconds again. There was also a lot of gannets flying the same route but higher up in the sky.

Fishingboat in Carradale

 Leaving the harbour we went to a Coffee shop for a light meal. Suited me perfectly. A cup of coffee and a cupcake and a Meringue, just what I wanted, no more no less. :) No need to throw anything away. I liked the building opposite the Coffee shop. It is beautiful and...it was a small museum in it. Showing the life of fishermen. And it seems like you can play chess on the ground. :)



Heading south again. We arrived at Craigard House Hotel in  Campbeltown at 13,05 and got our rooms. I was on the second floor on the back of the hotel.  Today I have 3 beds and both a shower cabin and a bathtub. Gosh, I´ll be very clean. :)  A backdraw here is the plugs, again! But I manage.

The hotel has a birdfeeder outside, quite fun to watch,  and a fat dog that anyone is allowed to take for a walk.

At 13.40h we were picked up by a taxi to go to the destilleries Springbank and Glengyle.  It was raining heavilly again so taxi was great. At first we was given a tour around both factories. It was midseason so there was no workers present. Therefore easy to see it all.

We could also taste the early version of the whisky. Long before it was finished  (mäsk). After seeing both destilleries we went to "The Tasting Room" at Cadenheads.  We could taste 6 diffrent whiskys of their own making. And a little snack to it. It was interesting to notice what a diffence the barrels and the storage time made to the final product.

When we were finished it had stoped raining so we walked back to the hotel. A few birds appeared on the way and it was a nice walk along the shore.

Campbeltown bay, our hotel on the left side.

Dinner was served at 19.15. I chosed a dish with Brie stuffed chicken. It was really good but I thought the tomato sauce was a bit too strongly flavored thus spoiling the taste of the cheese.

After dinner we ended the day by checking our birdlist for today. Not so many, bit nice, birds today.

Talked with my daughter on SKYPE tonight. Not long because the connection was lousy. Wrote on my diary and checked the mail. And todays shots.

A cool hotel, isn´t it?

Morning birding at 7 tomorrow.
120629-30 Craigard House Hotel, Campbeltown http://www.craigard-house.co.uk/

Mer om Skottland på NF Photo   och Fågelarter

More about Scotland on NF Photo  and  Bird species

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Swedish:
Här med utsikt över Arran som vi kom ifrån. Vi hade tur och hade uppehållsväder mest hela tiden vi var där. Det var dimma först men den lättade.

Här fick jag möjlighet att se hur Mindre Liran uppförde sig. Den sveper nära vattnet med stela vingar. Några snabba slag och sen glider den någon sekund. Intressant! Vi fick också lite närmare kontakt med havssulan. Bla annat kom det några ungfåglar.

På väg därifrån gick vi in på ett Cofee room  och åt lite lätt lunch. Jag tog kaffe, scones  och en maräng

Vi anlände till hotel Craigard House Hotel vid 13.05. Jag fick ett tre sängsrum med både duschkabin och badkar. Ingen vidare utsikt, men det går ju att gå ut. De har en fågelmatning, det var lite kul. Och en fet jycke som vill bli omklappad.

Kl 13-40 blev vi hämtade av en taxi för att komma till destillerierna Springbank and Glengyle och wisky provning. Det hällregnade igen så det var skönt att vara inne på visningen av fabriken. Det såg ut precis som modellen vi såg häromdagen. ....oops, swedish :(      

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Labels: Resor, travel, trip, journey, vacation, Öland, Sverige, Sweden, airplane, flygplan, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding, Skottland, Scotland  Arran, Cadenheads, Campbeltown, Carradale, Craigard House Hotel, destillary, Glengyle, harbour, Scotland, Skottland, Springbank, whisky, Kintyre