Down on the shore in Port Charlotte

I have often been too pushed for time to properly get down on my hands and knees and delve in to the rocky exposed shore next to Port Charlotte beach. However, one sunny day last week, the opportunity arose. Apart from finding an abundance of  Dahlia Anemones, and releasing a deadly looking jellyfish into the open sea, we uncovered many exciting creatures, photographed below.

Mum's favourite, the Broad Clawed Porcelain Crab. Both these individuals were missing a claw each, testament to their fragile nature. Not often seen, this species is found at very low tides often under rocks under rocks! They are very good at clinging onto surfaces with their back legs, including your hand when it is time to return them!

Not two, but one Piecrust Crab which has recently moulted, leaving its old, paler armour behind. Be careful when handling crabs at this time of year, as moulting is in full swing and the shells take a while to harden, making them very vulnerable.

Sea Lemon. We found two on this occasion, both feasting on Breadcrumb Sponge, their favourite food.

Sea slug, possibly Grey Sea slug, which along with many other sea slug species, are busy laying eggs under rocks and seaweed at this time of year.

Lorna

The mackerel are in

Colossal shoals of herring fry, known locally as "shielachan" have come into Loch Indaal following the big blooms of plankton and in their turn are  are being chased by shoals of mackerel and saithe (locally called puchie).  The shielachan are being driven up onto the beaches and getting trapped in the rock pools.

Bob Paget has seen it all before - and knows exactly how to cook the shielachan.

One scoop of an INHT net caught enough of the little fish to feed a dozen people. on Sunday. And Monday too.  We dipped them in egg. rolled them in flour and deep fried them in rapeseed oil for about five minutes.  Delicious.

Lots of people gathered on the beach in Port Charlotte to share in the bounty from the sea.

The mackerel were very easy to see and to catch - they were shoaling right next to the shore and could easily be seen.

Primroses - Bruaich Jerich, Port Charlotte

Primroses appear to be particularly abundant this year.

Port Charlotte earlier today

Loch Indaal from Port Charlotte this morning

Snowdrops are coming

As the rain batters the windows here in Port Charlotte and the wind howls around our chimney pots it is heartening to see the bulbs starting to push their way into the New Year.  The snowdrops in our garden cannot be far from flowering...
Carl

New Year in Port Charlotte

Chinese lantern

Pictures from the Port Charlotte bonfire and fireworks yesterday evening (actually this morning...).  Fireworks provided by the Port Charlotte Hotel and lit by the boys from the Strathclyde Fire Brigade station in Port Charlotte.  Another splendid New Year celebration.

Bonfire Night - Port Charlotte

A few shots for those who could not be there....

Rain on the way

Port Charlotte this morning.  There is snow on the Paps of Jura.

Port Charlotte by Donald McKinnon

Pinks and Blue.  Port Charlotte last week by Donald.  Seems a long time ago as the rain hammers against the windows today.

Rainbow over Port Charlotte this evening-

Whin

Whin in Bruaich Jerich, Port Charlotte

Dotty's Well

Dotty's Well today.  The well is actually a concrete sleeve driven deep into the rock, actually a fault between the ancient gneiss and green sandstone, from which a spring emerges.  This provided the beautiful water supply to Port Charlotte until relatively recently.  When progress in the form of the current station intervened, the well was forgotten, by pretty much everyone except James Brown on whose land it resides.  He took me to it in 1997, while Bruichladdich was shut and long before the renaissance, but it had been covered by landslip.  I returned with a spade, and dug the hill back, finding the spring exactly where James said it would be.  The well itself was covered with a concrete slab, but digging the hill back and moving the slab had made the water muddy.  We returned again a few weeks later, with our families and some empty lemonade bottles.  The water was absolutely delicious.  When Bruichladdich opened again, they were looking for a source of great water...  Dotty passed every test the authorities asked of her, and now she has a nice little path down and a little shed to protect her.  It's still the same concrete sleeve though.  Still the same great water....

The Old Water Station - Port Charlotte

All that remains of the old 'Water Station' above Bruaich Jerich in Port Charlotte.  The new station is on the horizon. 
Water for this station used to be derived from 'Dotty's Well', which is now used to provide the water used by Bruichladdich
Distillery to 'let down' the whisky and gin before bottling.

Rookery

The Port Charlotte rookery is now in full swing with around 40 nests in the main body plus at least three in peripheral trees.

Rooks start building in Port Charlotte

I watched a rook carrying a twig for the first time this year this morning.  They have a lot of work to do.  Usually a significant number of nests survive the winter, but this year there are none left at all following the cheerful breezes that have made the past few months memorable.  They must start from scratch. - Carl

Dawn from Port Charlotte yesterday

Spectacular - however, about half an hour after this picture was taken the rain started - and I don't think it has stopped since....  Carl

Port Charlotte from Laggan - Peter Roberts

Thanks to Peter for this unusual shot of an undervisited part of the island.  The muddy field on the right of the picture held a flock of 51 Ringed plover and two Iceland gulls. 

Port Charlotte beach this morning.

Optimism

Daffodil bulbs pushing up through the moss that passes for our lawn at Lorgba in Port Charlotte.
Carl