The Paps of Jura

The three Paps, from left to right, Beinn Chaolais, Beinn an Oir and Beinn Shiantaidh. From most of Islay, only two of them are properly visible, Beinn an Oir, the tallest of the three, being hidden behind Beinn Chaolais.
Malcolm

Red Deer on Jura

Two snapped last Friday - a glorious sunny day,.
Malcolm

December Moth in November, again!

Three years ago, almost to the day, I caught my first December Moth. This week, I caught my second. I have yet to catch a November Moth, but live in hopes. However, it is probably now too late in the year as the November Moth mainly flies in September and October, whereas the December Moth flies from about October to January. Perhaps they need renaming!
Malcolm

Wildlife Explorer of the Year 2013

A broken PC and wet weather has meant no postings from me for a while, but I was determined to get this on the blog as it is so well-deserved (and overdue!)  Congratulations to Ellen Bielinski of Dumfries-shire who is this year's Wildlife Explorer of the year. Here she is sporting her new T-shirt. To earn this place, Ellen completed many taxing quizzes at the Visitor Centre this summer. Her name was put into a draw with the others who took part and she was the fortunate winner. Well done to all who entered - and a special well done to Ellen!
Becky

Islay from the air

With apologies for the long silence here, posting will now resume, though quite how frequently will have to be seen.
I've always been fascinated by looking down on Islay from above, and here are a couple of photographs taken on a recent flight showing part of the Machrie Golf Course and the airport. The conservationist in me wonders what was destroyed when that area of dunes was turned into a golf course back in 1891. On the other hand, there are still plenty of unmanaged areas full of wild flowers and butterflies in the summer, while the Barnacle Geese like the mown areas in the winter!
The airport clearly shows its original layout of three intersecting runways as constructed in the early years of the Second World War, but only the main (1,545 metres) north-west to south-east runway (across the picture from left to right) and part (635 metres) of the approximately east-west runway are now in use.
Malcolm