120701 Skottland-Scotland , day 8 Sunday, Ferry

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120701 Sunday, day 8

 Half way through.

 



Machrihanish

Woke up 5.30. Met the birders at 6.30 and we were heading back to Kintyre and the Bird Observatory. Lots of rain and wind at first but then it calmed down a bit. Still fun to shoot the Gannets. Now I start to learn their behaviour. They have a cool habit of swooping down to the watersurface. Make a turn and dip the tip of the wing in the water. Sometimes with a result of making them wobble a bit. Seemed like fun. I think the gang, Ola really, saw at least one seasvallow (?). Not sure if there was more. I looked for Twite (vinterhämpling) but did not see any. But I learned how to shoot the gannets at Machrihanish Seabird Obervatory . :)  Map

 

Check out the "stockings" :)

 

Back to breakfast Craigard House Hotel at 9.15 and departure to the ferry at 10.30.

Now we left Campbeltown to go to  Kennacraig and the Ferry Berth. It was a large and fairly new ferry with some treats in the design. Well, for me that is.  The  Ferry departured as sceduled and we had 1h45min to do some birding onboard and whatever we wanted to do. . I had prepared a lunchpack, coffee and cookies, on the hotell so I had a thermos with me. I thought it was enough for me. Quite nice to not have so much in the stomach for once. I went out on the front balcony to look around while people eat a lot of lunch. And I took a tour around the ferry.

Mindre Lira - Manx Shearwater

It was windy. Of course I almost said. And for a moment hard to stand upright. To start with not much action on the water. Spent the time watching the sea and taking some shots. Finally there were some gannets comming into sight. And then mindre lira. And lots of them. And they came close. So fun to see them in the front of the ferry. The sun came out too and made the lirorna glimmer when they moved and circled the wateres. Finally they sat down on the water on the left side. Only to be on the wings again a moment later. Running the water before being airborne. So fun to watch. Some people did se some dolphins too but not me. :(

Decoration on the Ferry to the left.

Then we headed in between the two islands and soon the tour to Islay was over. We landed at Port Askaig. We headed for the other side of the island and our new hotel, the Harbour Inn in Bowmore. We got our rooms and 16.15 we left again for some easy birding along the shore and the low tide area.



Isle of Jura

At 18 we met Malcolm and had dinner at a smaller restaurant. After that Malcolm had an intersting lecture about what they do at the Islay Wildlife Centre in Port Charlotte, and about the birds in the area.

 

On the way back to the hotel we made a stop at the wetland hopeing for  Great Grey Owl (lappuggla)to hunt the wetland. But there was only the regular birds.

We were back at the hotel at 22.45. A bit too late for my taste. It ment No Shower.  At midnight I realised that I could not get the TV to work. I found a late woman in the staff that was on her way home. She helped me with that. To bed at 00.30.

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

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120627 Skottland-Scotland , day 4 Wednesday crossing GB

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120627 Wednesday, day 4

Woke up at 6 first time and set the computer battery to charge. At 7 I went up. Wrote a bit on my diary, swedish version, and then started to pack. Now I am waiting for breakfast.

It is a rainy morning so spending most part of the day in the car is not bad. We are crossing the GB to the other coast today. It was not that easy to find the right way across country. There were several times when they missed turns and had to go back or take a different road. It was also raining most of the day so the three of us in the backseat was dozing off every now and then. And when you were alert... what you did see was sheep. The land was dotted with white sheep.

We made one stop for coffee, one photostop and then lunch in a restaurant. So much food my stomach protests.

We came to the site of the ferry in Ardrossan  at appointed time despite driving problems. Ola got all the tickets for comming ferry trips as well. So from now on we only had to be at the ferry in time for embarking them. At 17.55 the ferry was out on the water heading for Brodick on Arran. The trip took about an hour and we were birding most of the time.

The weather changed again when we were on our way out to the islands. Lots of mists and clouds hiding the island. We spotted several spieces of birds. Many of them the same as yesterday and a few new ones. Like Manx Shearwater, hm strange name,  (Mindre Lira) and Black Guillemot (Tobisgrissla).

Fishingboats with lots of birds surrounding it. Hardly seen because of the msit.

Not much is seen but that was the destination. Brodick on Arran. A gannet luckily passed by.

120627-28 Lochranza Hotel, Lochranza Arran 

We arrived at the hotel, located on the northern part of the island, at 19.30 so we were assigned our rooms and then headed for the dining room. I got a great room today. First floor and I have 4 beds. All by myself. :)

For dinner I had some sirloin steak. Really great food. But of course, too much for me so I had to leave some. Dinner included today. Didn´t help, still too much on the plates. But I did take an icecream dessert.

This hotel has a working shower so I freshened me up. Then uploaded todays shots of course. It sounds like rain outside so it does not seem good for tomorrow. We shall meet at 7 for a morningwalk. Breakfast is 8.30.


Crossing Scotland,GB  to Ardrossan ferry (220km)
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