Mull at Last

 Saturday, May 1

My bed was comfortable, everywhere was immaculate, the people couldn't have been more helpful and friendly. We will not stay here again. Just not good for us. Seats in the lounge only, coffee and tea making in the kitchen, nowhere to put our clothes. Not good for oldies. 

So convenient though. Straight out of the car park into the ferry queue of three cars. That's how it was all day. I've never seen so few vehicles, nor people, on Mull. After the obligatory small diversion to photograph the Black Guillemots on their less than photogenic perch in Ardmore, 

 

 

we drove to Strontian, where we knew that there would be a cafe open for breakfast. Pam appeared with hot drinks and a bacon roll. Decadence. We enjoyed the late breakfast feast sitting somewhere we found two years ago, in a secluded boat launching area overlooking the river mouth. The first birds we saw were four male and one female Red-breasted Mergansers. 

The single track road to the ferry had been mended recently, loose stones scattered like shrapnel as we progressed. The scenery is bleak in rain, wonderfully majestic in sun. Brown mountainsides, still skeletal trees, few in bud let alone leaf. Bonsai birches moulded into the mountainside by relentless winds. 

The Fishnish ferry was almost docking when we arrived - another three vehicles only. Waw, what a difference. Mull greeted us with a heavy shower, we'd noticed the heavy cloud hanging over the terminal as we were crossing. That soon stopped, we had sunshine for most of the day.

Craignure Stores did not have a copy of my favourite newspaper of the week, Saturday's Daily Telegraph. I do the prize cryptic crossword (never enter, even when I finish it), and the general knowledge in the 'Saturday' section. Fortunately, the Salen shop had one. The online version does not have the puzzles.

Grass Point is at least three miles of rough, single track road from the 'main' road.  To-day, we could stop for as long as we wanted, no other cars were seen until the one campervan in the small parking area at the end.

From the top of the humpbacked bridge, a male Merganser fished in the open water,

a Grey Heron  stood like a statue, knee high in water, head cocked vigilant for passing food. We heard, and saw, at least two Tree Pipits, neither photographable. Cuckoos called distantly, Common Sandpipers bobbed waterside. All year ticks. Stonechats and a Reed Bunting completed the birds seen for the month list - and Mull. 

It was very obvious that April had been cold here too. No Bluebells carpeting the woodland, the Primroses and Celandines, newly blooming. Plenty of Cuckoo Flowers' pale pink clusters enhancing the verges. The copious mounds of moss, some of it in flower, enhanced the ground beneath the lichen encrusted birch and oaks.

This Skylark kept a wary eye on us, as it foraged for insects amongst the coarse grass.

 

'Lunch',  a snack,  at 2 p.m., was eaten in a parking area at Garmony. It's a favourite of ours. We park in a secluded area overlooking a tiny, stony burn, where it enters the sea. Nothing much to see to-day, apart from Oystercatchers and a Greater Black-backed Gull. Until Pam went for a walk. The burn appears from under a little stone bridge which is part of the road. Pam came back to show me a photo of a Dipper she had just seen in the burn. Of course, it had flown. We parked within view of the area, and the bird returned, performing delightfully in the rushing water, appearing to slide down the waterfall of small flat rocks. It only showed in the open briefly before disappearing down stream. 

A Calmac ferry steamed up the Sound of Mull.

As we left, another movement caught Pam's eye. A Grey Wagtail was hunting the same small stream. Delightful.

Because of Covid 19 conventions, we were not allowed into our cottage until 6p.m. We had time to spare.

Part of it was spent looking over Loch Cuin in Dervaig, where we saw Redshank, Greenshank, and Common Sandpipers. Then, we climbed to the Dervaig outlook car park on the Tobermory road, from which we saw a Raven hastening towards a stand of nearby conifers.

At last, it was time to find Burn cottage, about a mile outside Dervaig on the Calgary road. It's lovely. Large, beautifully furnished, set in mature woodland beside a small burn, sheep and lambs grazing around. The website has all the photos, (Google Burn Cottage, Dervaig),we haven't taken any yet. 

WiFi turned on, bed made (another Covid thing), moth trap in situ, car unpacked, Canada Geese fly past - food for the eagles - all is well. Time to look at to-day's photos and maybe add any discernible birds to this Blog.