Rain - All Day

 Monday, May 3

I know that there has been a drought on Mull, and rain is desperately needed to grow the grass for the sheep and their lambs. But......

Late morning, we decided to go out anyway. Via the shop for newspapers, and then the garage at Salen, we went to Loch na Keil. Eagle Central. THE lay-by was empty. We sat there for over an hour, eventually joined by two other cars, whose passengers ate their lunch and departed. A Whimbrel dropped in to the nearby field. A sodden Hooded Crow flapped by. Greater and Lesser Black-backed, Herring and Common, Gulls, huddled on the shore. 

Time to move on. No sign of Lady Jane to-day, sight of the eagle-feeding tourist boat usually brings at least one hungry White-tailed Eagle dashing out to meet it. 

There isn't an RSPB Eagle Watchpoint set up this year. It was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid, and has not been re-started this year. All the signs on the Craignure golf course have gone, there is no webcam online, nor an RSPB web presence.

We decided to return via Tobermory, hoping that the rain would ease. This, again, is mainly a single track road with passing places. Seeing a red car in a lay-by, we dutifully pulled in behind it, thinking that it was waiting for an oncoming vehicle. Until Pam noticed that a rear wheel was missing, a large rock holding up the undercarriage, And, about a dozen handsome Golden Plover in the adjacent field. Risking wetting my camera, I stuck the hood out of the window and took a few shots.





As we pulled away - traffic approaching - the birds flew away. A lucky stop.

A  small detour to the water treatment plant and rubbish top north of Tobermory, added Ravens, and a Swallow to our sparse day list. The rest of the week looks better, Still some rain possible, but with sun and dry spells. Still cold though. The car's thermometer pinged this afternoon, warning us that it was down to 3C.

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