Mull & Iona - wilds better and wetter!

Last May I posted that Mull & Iona were also 'wilds better'. Last week we spent 6 days exploring these islands; saw 100 birds, if you count the Swift near Loch Lomond, and proved again that indeed they are wilds better but this year they were also 'miles wetter'!

On Tuesday 7 May 2013, the only dry day of the six, we headed for Iona and the Ross of Mull.

Iona, as ever, was beautiful with its white glistening sands and roaring seas proving hypnotic.........................................................................

This Sanderling was as equally beautiful as it ran like a clockwork toy along the shoreline...

We heard lots of Corncrakes and were lucky enough to see two, this one posed the best................

On leaving Iona we headed for Fidden, south of Fionnphort, in search of waders and we were not disappointed with breeding Lapwing, Ringed Plover and Dunlin all seen. Two flocks of Whimbrel (18 and 7) were an added bonus as was this Curlew Sandpiper, a bird more common in Scotland whilst migrating south in autumn .....................

 

Unfortunately the rest of the week was spoiled by rain and unseasonally cold weather, so no photographs of the Great Northern Divers, Golden Eagles, White-tailed Eagles, Hen Harriers, Merlin, Short-eared Owl, Barn Owl, Golden Plovers, Woodcock, Great Skua, Arctic Terns, Rock Doves, Whinchats, Stonechats, Tree Pipits, Twite, Lesser Redpolls and Siskins that were amongst just some of the highlights.

 

Roll on May 2014!