11th June 2020 #30DaysWild

On the way down the road I met some young stags in our neighbours field. 

I was on the beach at 5.20am having posted some letters in our nearest phone box.  Just me, a few noisy Oystercatchers, a solo Curlew and several hundred Herring gulls.  Amazing to see such a large number of them, lots of juveniles. The sun was slowly rising over the hill behind Calgary Castle.  It wasn’t warm but there was no wind and the sea was calm.  The tide was low.  The last few storms have deposited so much seaweed which lies in tide lines up the sand.   

At this time of year we have an early warning system if there are birds of prey around. This afternoon a pair of Golden eagles entered the Common gull colony and caused a huge ruckus.  We stood at the back door and watched. They wouldn’t give up and the gulls swooped and mobbed them but didn’t stop one of them from diving down to try and pick off a chick.  It didn’t look like they had any success as they eventually flew off and the hillside quietened down again.

We walked out onto the Point in the evening.  The cliff on the south side looking over to the Treshnish Isles was looking wonderful with huge clumps of Bloody cranesbill and Birds foot trefoil.  It was difficult it to know where to step without treading on something lovely.  

As the sun began to set and we walked back, everything was rosy and golden. Huge patches of Mountain everlasting with the sweet fragrance of Fragrant orchids  and an agitated Wheatear flying round and round worried that I would disturb their nest.  

In the Black Park, more deer.