Blogging at 21:30 on Thursday 16th May from intended overnighting spot N 56.45714°, W 06.89352° / http://maps.google.com/maps?q=loc:56.45714%2C-06.89352
Things to remember:
- A very early but excellent start on Coll. Spotted cuckoos pairing up, red-breasted mergansers and (definitely) twite on the way back down to Totronald; and then once back at the RSPB reserve saw not one but two corncrakes!
- The crossing to Tiree was again pan flat and surrounded by drop-dead gorgeous vistas. Western Scotland is truly impressive.
- Nice welcome by the ranger on Tiree accompanied by a pretty useful welcome pack.
- Did most of the island by camper and then bike. The biking was good, I even found some gravel and tracks across machair. Only one road-based incident: I got caught up behind a cattle drive on one of the public roads that went on for well over a kilometre! Birdlife on the ride was again awesome. Apart from everything, I saw and heard winnowing snipe.
- From my campsite there are open sea views back across to Mull and the mainland (pic). There are at least four calling corncrakes audible from the campsite and I've spotted one. Incredibly, whilst sea-watching and idlingly listening to cuckoos and corncrakes I also spotted another minke whale about a kilometre offshore. Wow.
- Tiree is gorgeous. Stunning bays, skerries, beaches and seascapes; plus miles of totally untrammeled machair. Even the cultural-interest features are impressive. It's big enough that some anonymity can be retained but small and sparcely inhabited enough to remain civilised. It's truly splendid.
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