Thursday 13 December 2012

Sornasairidh - possibly the marshiest ground on Islay!

Those of you who know me know I've crossed some pretty dodgy ground before in my traverses of Islay's lesser known terrain! Well, to reintroduce my daughter to the joys of Islay walking, we did a walk on Monday to surpass them all! Normally we count potential obstacles en route - rivers, fences, bogs - anything that poses a potential problem to the facility of the walk. We gave up counting on this occasion - but I might just be telling you that to deter you from finding one of Islay's lesser known jewels - viz a viz the delightful little ruin at Sornasairidh, which nestles unassumingly beneath another of Islay's lesser known jewels - Beinn nam Fitheach (appropriately named Mountain of the Ravens).

We climbed a deer fence, marched through marsh, managed (just!) to negotiate the widest ditch on Islay AND find my fallen-out-of-pocket GPS in the bracken. Was it worth it! Anyone else who was out on Monday will know it was!
Becky

BIRDS: Fieldfare, Raven, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Twite, Dunnock, Robin, Wren, Starling, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Grey Heron, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Curlew, Buzzard, Rock Dove, Song Thrush, Pied Wagtail

OTHER: Red Deer, Fox Moth caterpillar, Rhizocarpon geographicum, Fuscidea cyathoides (both lichens)

Loch a' Mhala and Beinn nam Fitheach

Sornasairidh and Beinn nam Fitheach

Buzzard

Fungi at Killinallan

Fuscidea cyathoides

Sheep and Robin at Killinallan

Starlings at Craigens

Flock of Twite at Killinallan



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