Mystery Catch

Kilchoan Early Bird has sent the Diary this picture of a jelly-like organism growing on an old creel.  He asks whether anyone can identify it.  It looks like eggs, but if it is what laid them?

Parish Church Renovations - Update

From Fiona Ogg:

Work on the west wall has been completed.

Externally, the pointing has been renovated (linseed oil and horsehair were used where applicable) and the roof work at the verges is complete. The skew stones have been packed and pointed into position. Failed joints have been raked out and repointed. Slates were stripped off the south slope, a rafter on the wallhead replaced and the slates refitted after replacement of underfelt.

Internally, the remains of timber grounds were removed, all loose material was also removed and the wall brushed down to remove all loose materials, gaps were packed and repointed and the wall has had three coats of limewash.

The wall is as water- and wind-proof as it can be. After years of soaking in moisture, in spite of the best efforts of those who have previously repaired the wall, it will take quite a considerable time for the wall to dry out as much as it ever will. To aid that process, there is a dehumidifier buzzing away in the church drying out the atmosphere.

If anyone would like more details, please contact me and I’ll do my best to answer questions, or find out the answer!

fionaogg@gmail.com
www.aandaparishes.org.uk
www.facebook.com/AcharacleAndArdnamurchanChurches

Night & Day

The Raptor has confessed that he slept soundly through all the aurora excitement last Thursday, but he did go up to the lighthouse the following day in the hope that there would be a repeat.  There wasn't, and the skies have remained stubbornly dark ever since, but he did take this super picture of Ardnamurchan Point light against a background of stars.

He also went walking along the path to the east of Ockle on one of the occasional fine days we've had.  This walk always offers spectacular views, even on a wet day, but the Raptor had the bonus of a rainbow.  He was probably looking for bullfinches, but didn't report finding one.

Many thanks to the Raptor for the photos.

Secret Woodland - 2

Here's another trail cam clip from the same woodland, this time showing a fox.  It's a great piece of film because it shows why, despite years of trying to rid the area of foxes, which take farm animals up to the size of a year-old sheep, this wily animal survives.  A short way into the clip he becomes aware of the camera and makes off.  What was it he sensed?

Video courtesy Ben McKeown, to whom many thanks.
Ben's photographs are at thebigbluetree.com

First Wildflowers of Spring

Yesterday morning, with a deteriorating forecast for the afternoon, we took a quick walk to the top of Druim na Gearr Leacainn, the ridge behind our house.  This view looks southwest along it, towards the green of the abandoned fields of the settlement that preceded the crofting township of Ormsaigbeg.  Some rig and furrows can be seen, but the area is criss-crossed with workings, witnesses to a long-departed population.

From the ridge-line we looked north across thew twin lochans towards the craggy lump of Stacan Dubha and beyond to the inner isles.  The vegetation looks absolutely dead but....

....look closely and there are the first signs of spring amongst the sogginess.

Near the highest point of the ridge, above the dark cliff into which a Hurricane crashed during World War II, we followed an indistinct sheep track with led to this little shelf with its carpet of turf.  Obviously a sheep who, like us, enjoys a view had chosen this point as a bed.

Today we enjoyed a morning of sunshine interrupted by a couple of short hail showers.  But the sun was joyfully warm and, when we walked down to the shop to collect the paper, we found the first wildflowers of the spring, a lesser celandine and....

.....a daisy.  We won't be getting excited about seeing daisies again until next spring.