Moel Arthur

Moel Arthur to Pennycloddiau and back. This time in the dry so the return track was passable and not a quagmire like last time. Very cloudy to begin with but brightened up a lot on the way back.

The slope on the other side of Moel Arthur is still as steep as ever!

Moel Arthur elevation

Moel Arthur route

The hills were covered in heather and gorse.

Heather and gorse up the slope of Moel Arthur

Heather on the way to the summit, distant grassy hill in the background

The view from the summit was a lot clearer than usual, even with all the cloud.

View from Moel Arthur summit

View from Moel Arthur towards Penycloddiau

360degree panorama from the summit

Various heathers

Heather and Gorse

View from Coed Llangwyfan just before...

Helicopter that buzzed us from over the hill

A helicopter was spraying bracken, flying back and forth across the valley, sometimes flying right overhead.

Heather on Penycloddiau

Heather on Penycloddiau

Heather as far as the eye can see

Even more Heather

Panorama from lunch spot on the side of track back

Heather and Gorse

Heather and Gorse

Wind farm in the distance

Up to my knees in it

Not up to my knees in it (mud that is, see the entry in March)

Jura

The last day and we haven't been to Jura. It's now or never. A long car drive with a short ferry ride and we're there. Weather started quite overcast and a little drizzly. It cleared up to be hot and sunny by lunchtime.

Jura route

The first part of the A846 runs right next to the sea, where we saw various Divers, Shags etc. Just as the road turns inland there is a little cove where we saw an Otter swim in with an enormous crab. It scoffed that down then had a good roll around in the seaweed.

View from the ferry down the Sound of Islay

Oystercatcher

Rock Pipit

Welcome to Jura

We saw a female Hen Harrier gathering nesting material. Good clear views but it was very far away and then we got moved on by some vehicles (single track road).

Female Hen Harrier

Female Hen Harrier

Otter

Otter on seaweed

Shot of the holiday!

Otter spraint in action

Normal service now resumes with some picturesque landscapes.

View of north east Islay from Jura

Linnet on Gorse

Forests near Craighouse

3 young dogs awaiting orders from boss dog

Little chapel outside Craighouse

Paps of Jura

Paps of Jura

Paps of Jura

Caterpillar (huge, roughly 5-6cm, possibly Drinker Moth)

Two-banded Longhorn Beetle (also huge and reluctant to go away)

Two-banded Longhorn Beetle

Buzzard being harassed by Hooded Crows

Stonechat eating one of the beetles

Gill had been hoping to see a Whinchat all through the holiday (all Stonechat shots closely inspected) and we eventually found one near the end. Rough photo but it was very far away.

Whinchat

Calmac going down the Sound of Islay

Great Black-backed Gull

Common Gull paddling

Just before the ferry terminal we came across a Red Deer on the side of the road. So close I couldn't even fit it in the frame of the big camera.

Red Deer

Gruinart

We headed up to north Islay for a walk around the Loch Gruinart RSPB reserve. The roads along the way are just as interesting with Lapwing chicks running around, Snipe skulking in the grass, Hen Harriers drifting past and Corncrakes crew-crex-crexing (they are the opposite of Victorian children, being heard but not seen). One must have been just metres away but just couldn't find him in the grass and nettles.

We later took an almost literal spin all the way around Loch Gorm and down to Machir Bay to see if we could find the Corncrake there (we saw one at the exact same spot 4 years ago). Again, lots of calling but just couldn't see him. Maybe we need infrared cameras!

Day nearly cloudless and hazy with a strong wind (very hard to photograph Bluebells when they're blowing around like crazy).

Loch Gruinart and Loch Gorm route

Chaffinch on gorse

Meadow Pipit

Lapwing chick

Starling nesting in RSPB barn at the visitor centre

At least 3 Lapwing chicks were  pecking about in front of the first hide, with a parent trying but failing to herd them somewhere safe.

Slightly older Lapwing chick

Linnet in gorse

Calf

Bluebells

Female Stonechat

Male Stonechat

Lamb

Brown Hare

A Snipe obligingly stood on a post for a while, shame it was about 50m away!

Snipe

Bluebells

Dozens of Curlew (and gulls and other waders) were in the fields around Loch Gorm.

Curlew

View from Loch Gruinart visitor centre

On the way back down the high road we saw some smoke in the distance and had been passed by some fire engines. Eventually we saw that some of the peat fields were on fire with fire fighters and beaters trying to contain it. With all the dry sunny weather the fields were bone dry and the strong winds were pushing the flames quickly across the fields. This was heading directly towards the Machrie Hotel and the houses there. They must have contained it in the end as it was out the next day but still smouldered for many dry days afterwards and the fields were left pitch black (but with a lovely aroma of peaty smoke making the area smell like whisky!)

Speaking with one of the locals later this may not have been entirely accidental; some people use it as an excuse to get rid of heather on the fields.

Peat fire near the Machrie Hotel