CORNCRAKES

Went to the Isle of Iona today hoping to hear Corncrakes. Better than that, we saw them, and I even got some photos! My snaps may not be good quality but to us they are brilliant, and what we saw surpassed any wildlife television programme about these elusive, skulking birds that we have ever seen.

And as "it's not all about the birding", though it does seem it so far, my holiday also included a wander round the Abbey. Though not for long as the Corncrakes started performing again with a territorial dispute involving much leaping in the air.

I was hard pressed to choose my Blip for today as the sun shone from a vivid blue sky on white sands and reflected off wild flowers, and the Abbey was a Blipper's paradise. Later dark clouds gathered behind gleaming oak trees, and then there was a magnificent sunset. But the Corncrakes have it as it was most probably a once in a life time experience and a real journal entry.

Our day was followed by a delicious dinner in the hotel along from the cottage. Then there was a report of the first ever recorded Roller (bird again, sorry) being found on Mull ..... and we'd had a celebratory glass or two of wine and couldn't drive up the road to see it! The evils of alcohol!