We left Mull via the short ferry from Tobermory to Kilchoan so we could explore the Ardnamurchan Peninsula before heading right up to Assynt again to pick up the NC500 where we’d left off at the end of April.
At Ardnamurchan Point (the most westerly point on the UK mainland) c700 Manx Shearwaters were quite a sight along with some surprise Beautiful Demoiselles.
The long drive towards Inverness and then NW towards Ullapool was broken with an overnighter at the Corrieshalloch Gorge where nearby we had the gruesome sight of a Sexton Beetle on a dead Common Toad and the rather more pretty Chickweed Wintergreen.
Once on the west coast again orchids were in evidence with Northern Marsh Orchid, Heath Fragrant Orchid and Heath Spotted Orchid at the stunning Achmelvich Beach with Mountain Everlasting another good one to see. The other main highlight of the remainder of the NC500 was a ringtail Hen Harrier at Knockan Crag NNR
A walk to the Ben Eighe NR from our campsite on the edge of Kinlochewe rewarded us with Azure Hawker, c8 Large Heaths of the ssp ‘scotica’, Common (Highland) Darter, Beautiful Yellow Underwings, Crossbill and Tree Pipit.
Finishing the NC500 I wanted to visit a hillside at Coulags I last visited several years ago. Here I found my target of Pugsley’s Marsh Orchid plus Lesser Butterfly Orchids and a Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary. 2 Whooper Swans on Loch Coultrie quickly followed.
We then made our way south via Fort William, Loch Lomond and ever-busy Glasgow and out onto the Ayrshire coast. Here I managed to see the only real vagrant of the whole trip - the summering Western Sandpiper in the small tidal harbour at Maidens. This was followed by Osprey and a new plant - Rodgersia at Culzean CP. A quick overnight stop in the Galloway hills at Glen Trool was rather midge-infested but 2 Wood Warblers and Tree Pipit were some recompense. That was it from Scotland as we headed south into Cumbria.
By
We had booked a cottage at Troutbeck in the Lake District for a week with Hannah and Arlo joining us for a few days. Despite a bit of a trauma getting the motorhome into the very tight drive it was nice to be driven about for a few days (thanks Hannah!) and we had a lovely sunny week. Nature highlights were fairly few and far between but a trio of cranesbills - Dusky, Rock and Wood Cranesbill were nice at Thilrmere with German Scorpionfly, Tree Wasp, Figwort Sawfly, Willowherb Tenthredo and Trivial Plant Bug also livening things up. We left the Lake District via a day out exploring the strange but beautiful Humphrey Head, a limestone headland sticking out into Morecambe Bay. Here there a a few specialist plants and I managed to catch up with Hoary Rock-rose, Bloody Cranesbill, Limerstone Bedstraw, Blue Moor Grass, Portland Spurge and the endemic Lancastrian Whitebeam clinging to the rock face. Along the lane there were several Beautiful Demoiselles which I eventually managed to photograph. Most bizarre were a Grayling on the exceptionally early date of 16 June and Gooseberry growing in a hedge at nearly Cartmel.
Leaving the Lakes via Lancaster and then on to Merseyside the weather turned very hot. In Lancaster some Southern Marsh Orchids at the very north end of their range were unexpected while Crosby Beach had Compass Jellyfish, Sea Spurge, Sea Holly and Hounds tongue of note.
Around the corner and into Wales next preceded by a day exploring the city of Chester. First stop in Wales was a walk at Fairy Glen near Betws-y-coed where I finally managed to see Common Redstart plus Orange-spotted Plant Bug and the curious sight of a Snake Plant growing in a wood nowhere near habitation! A very scenic walk in Cwm Idwal revealed Moorland Ground Beetle, Parsley Fern and Round-leaved Crowfoot while Common Issid Bug at Penrhyn Castle was a new one for me.
One of the main things I wanted to do in North Wales was to spend some time on the Great Orme to catch up with the distinctive ‘caernensis’ ssp of Silver-studded Blue. Happily I found a couple but not until after many hours searching. They were literally at the last attempt when almost back in Llandudno! Also on the headland that day I saw the Wild Cotoneaster (the only place in the UK truly wild cotoneaster occurs) plus Common Hawker, Slender St John’s Wort, Bloody Cranesbill and 3 lovely Chough.
Out on the Lynn Peninsular a Mediterranean Gull at Ty Coch and then near Whistling Sands Ray’s Knotgrass, Rock Sea Spurrey, False Slip Wasp, White-tipped Darwin Wasp and Golden-ringed Dragonfly were followed up with Feral Goats at Dinorwic Quarry near Llanberis which wrapped things up nicely.
We then headed back home to bricks and mortar - and reality!
