Mull weekend Day 4

Monday the 25th, Last day and the ferry off wasn’t until nearly 11am so we had planned a steady drive to Craignure birding along the way but just as we finished breakfast Paz, who had booked the ferry, received a text from the ferry company saying owing to technical difficulties there would be a limited crossing, we decided to get straight there, upon arrival we were informed they were having problems with the hydraulic ramp but as an alternative we could take the ferry from Fishnish to Lochaline, a bit longer drive home but it would get us off the Island sooner and the route home would take us past Loch Sunart and Strontian of Black Duck fame, we took that option, it was a relatively short crossing but we managed four White Tailed Eagles distantly over the Rubha an Ridire headland and a flock of Arctic Terns near Lochaline. As we were passing Loch Sunart we had an Otter close to shore then we spent a bit of time around Strontian on the offchance we may come across the Black Duck, we got some local gen on where it had been seen recently but there weren’t many Ducks around at all let alone that one, Paz who had took a walk along the river got a couple of ticks though, literally. We undertook the long journey home passing through the very scenic Glen Coe, along the incredibly long Loch Lomond and back into England with a late afternoon diversion into Teesdale for the Black Grouse, a good few males were showing including half a dozen lekking but were all fairly distant although a female dropped in reasonably close, first female I’ve seen for a few years, still a good end to very enjoyable and successful weekend in very good company as usual.

leaving Fishnish

Loch Sunart looking over to Strontian

Glen Coe scenics

Loch Lomond

distant Grouse

still lekking

female