After a week in the Cairngorm area, it was all change for the rest of the holiday. Between cottages, there was time for a pilgrimage to Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve in the hope of seeing a male Azure Hawker dragonfly (readers who have followed me from another place may remember expeditions in 2012 and 2015 where there was only a sighting of one female).
With fours hours available before resuming the journey, it was always a long shot, but hope springs eternal, as they say, even in overcast conditions. Walking past the first wooden bench shortly after leaving the visitor centre resulted in a double take, as there, bold as brass, was sat a male Azure Hawker. Woohoo!
Now I could enjoy the scenery...
 |
| Beinn Eighe |
 |
| Slioch and Loch Maree |
The cottage for the second week was located just off a single track road between Lochinver and Achmelvich. After all the driving, it was good to be leaving the car to its own devices for a few days.
 |
| Harbour Seal with pup, Achmelvich |
 |
| A beach at Achmelvich |
 |
| Another beach at Achmelvich |
 |
| Song Thrush in garden of cottage |
 |
| A dung beetle doing what dung beetles do best, Culag Wood |
 |
| Cuckoos were ever-present, but never close, Glen Canisp |
 |
| Unlike this fledgling Willow Warbler, Glen Canisp |
One of the longer days tackled was a walk from Inverkirkaig to Fionn Loch via the Falls of Kirkaig. This walk gave excellent views of Suilven without ever tempting me to climb it. |
| The female flowers of Mountain Everlasting, River Kirkaig |
 |
| The male flowers of Mountain Everlasting, River Kirkaig |
 |
| Male Mountain Everlasting, River Kirkaig |
 |
| Female Mountain Everlasting, River Kirkaig |
 |
| The Falls of Kirkaig |
 |
| Suilven |
 |
| My first ever Golden Eagle, being mobbed by a Raven, over Fionn Loch |
 |
| Suilven and Fionn Loch |
 |
| A female Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria selene, River Kirkaig |
On the warmest day of the holiday, I was fortunate to visit a small nature reserve at Little Assynt. Here were myriad Common Blue Damselflies, Large Red Damselflies, Four-spotted Chasers and Golden-ringed Dragonflies, plus a couple of Blue-tailed Damselflies and a single recently-emerged Common Darter. Rock and, furthermore, roll.
 |
| A male Common Blue Damselfly, Little Assynt |
 |
| A female Common Blue Damselfly, Little Assynt |
 |
| A female Golden-ringed Dragonfly, Little Assynt |
 |
| A male Golden-ringed Dragonfly, Little Assynt |
 |
| Common Darter, Little Assynt |
And I can't fit the whole week into one post, so stay tuned for more wildlife.
Wow you've been to the Bein Eighe Nature Reserve!!! I recall recomending it to you years ago when we were overwhelmed by it. As I mentioned we are in Gruinard at the moment, some highlights have been an Otter, a Crested Tit feeding it's young and a Scotch Argus. It was very nostalgic looking through your photos, our children grew up on those beaches. Suiven isn't hard to climb by the way - it looks impregnable but you soon scramble up tbe bealach and it's a sensational viewpoint.
ReplyDelete...would you believe it, on the Scoraig peninsular, after reading your blog this morning we saw a 'Pearl bordered Fritillary' and another 'Scotch Argus' , they wouldn't sit still so we couldn't photograph them. But got crackin 'Azure Hawkers' and ' Red Damsels' .
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the Highlands Mr Natural.
It sounds like you're having a great time! Yeah, many of the butterfly species seem late this year, due to the cold Spring.
ReplyDeleteI know you're internets down Graeme but just a word to the wise - Laide Wood is well worth a visit if you're still in the Highlands. You never know who you might see there!
ReplyDeleteWe're ensconced back in Orkney now, but will take note of the site recommendation!
DeleteWe have friends who made a pilgrimage to Achmelvich every year for their family holiday yet I’ve never been. Looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJust back from a wee holiday in Sutherland ourselves so inspired by your posts to get my pictures onto my blog.
The west coast seemed busier than the Cairngorms, but there were plenty of places to escape the bedlam.
Delete