   
Note we are
still be offering self-catering accommodation
at Ardrioch Farm, click the link above.
Arthur & Pam
Brown, Ardrioch Farm, Dervaig, Isle of Mull,
Argyll PA75 6QR
Tel: 01688 400415 or 07780
600367
Check out our Self
Catering cottages
web site
Arthurs Blog
can now be found on our
self-catering web site
for continuity for our regular
readers please change to this
link.
Nov
1st
Arthur
and I are now taking a
well earned rest from
work and family
commitments. We are
pleased to say that our
daughter-in-law is now
well on the way to
recovery and planning to
go back to work. Their
daughter has now started
the local school and the
little boy is in the
nursary attached to the
school making life
easier for the whole
family and they now need
time to themselves to
get back to normal
life.
Arthur has been doing
some jobs around the
farm, working on his
dam, mending fences and
tidying the big shed,
all jobs that have been
put to one side when he
was working. He has also
been able to return the
kindness to our
neighbours by watering
polly tunnels and
feeding cats whilst they
have been on holiday. He
has taken a total break
for a couple of months
from bird watching but
I'm sure he will be back
to it soon when he will
then resume writing his
blog.
The last time I returned
from Cheshire I brought
back with me a large bag
of material and have
been making new curtains
for my self-catering
cottage which I am
having decorated this
winter and I have also
been swimming in the sea
whenever I can making up
for the lost time in the
summer.
As our regular readers
can see I am in the
prosess of making a new
page for Arthurs blog
and below you will find
just the hightlights for
2019. We are still
keeping the old email
address of [email protected]
if any of you wish to
drop us a line, we'ed
love to hear from you.
August
2019
Aug 14th
Out and about
early again this morning and
there is still not a lot about
although for those planning on
coming to Mull I did see an
otter today and I wasn't even
trying. My sighting of the day
was by the Killiechronan
campsite where a flock of at
least 70 Ringed Plover flew in
to feast as the tide went out,
they were joined by a few
Dunlin. The Autumn flowers are
out in abundance now with Grass
Of Parnasus seen as well as the
Bell Heather and Ling. On my way
home I was able to photograph
the Goosanders on Loch Cuin,
they would be some of the same
ones we saw when out walking
with Lucy on Moday.
Aug 13th
A day of
showers, heavy showers, like the
saying goes it never rains but
it pours. It was a bit like that
in the mail today the accountant
sent back our accounts, it
included his bill and then we
have tax to pay, like I said it
never rains it pours. On a
lighter note the Woodpeckers are
back in the garden check out the
photo.
Aug 12th
This morning I
went out early in lovely
weather, light breeze, sunshine,
4 degrees centigrade, I was
wearing thermols for goodness
sake, talk about climate
change. Being out and
about on Mull in such calm
conditions was wonderfull and
the views even more so, with
Coll and Tiree looking
resplendent from Calgary Bay, I
felt I could reach out and touch
them. On the birding front the
highlight of the morning had to
be the flock of approximately 20
Twite seen at Cailaich Point,
Kittiwakes, and Gannets here as
well. There are lots of Meadow
Pipits everywhere and Pam and I
saw at least 12 Goosander on
Loch Cuin and also 3 Greenshank.
Red Deer and of course Rabbits
were the Mammals seen but really
it was just being back on Mull
that was the real highlight of
my morning. This afternoon once
again the weather has
intervened, I was supposed to be
mowing lawns but it is pouring
down, the suns still shining
though.
July 20th
Last night we
had a retirement party at the Hebridean Lodge for our
friends and all the people who
have helped us with Discover
Mull Tours. Helen, our host at
the Hebridean Lodge did us
proud, the food was amazing and
more than enough for at least
another half dozen guests, many
thanks Helen from us both. The
harp was played by Becky Roth,
one of Pam's swimming buddies
and was absolutely beautiful,
many thanks Becky for adding a
touch of class to the evening.
Thanks go to everyone at the
party for all your help you all
know what you did, but you
cannot know how much we
appreciate all your love and
friendship, We hope that last
night showed how much we value
everything you have done for us.
On a birdy note one of our
neighbours died earlier in the
year and he used to feed the
Rock Doves which meant we shared
this chore, now I feel we are
feeding all the Rock Doves on
Mull in our garden as well as
all the Chaffinches.
July 18th
The second day
of our retirement and we went
out in Nick and Mikes new boat
which spent the winter in my
shed. It was lovely day
weatherwise and we saw lots of
great wildlife, mainly seabirds.
Puffins, Razorbills,
Guilliemots, Black Guilliemots,
Shags, Cormorants, Gannets, Manx
Shearwaters, Kittiwakes, Herring
Gulls, Great Black Backed Gulls,
Grey Herons, Oystercatchers and
a White-tailed Eagle sitting on
an Island. Both types of Seal
were seen and now there are lots
of baby Common Seals are out and
about with their mothers. The
main purpose of the trip however
was to do some sea fishing and
Pam caught a good sized Pollock
with her very first cast. Pam
obviouly has a penchant for
fishing as she caught by far the
most fish on the day although
Nick caught the biggest. A
wonderful day was had by all and
Pam and I would like to thank
Nick and Catherine for giving us
such a great day out and a
fishing lesson, we could be
eating fish for some time as Pam
is now preparing the catch for
the freezer.
July
16th
We have now retired
from doing Discover
Mull wildlife tours
and would like to
take this
opportunity to thank
all our guests for
their support over
the past 18 years
and the kindness of
guests who have sent
us cards and best
wishes on our
retirement. Pam has
been away for most
of the Spring as a
close family member
was diagnosed with
very bad cancer just
after Easter and so
we decided to only
do tours which were
already booked and
to that end we must
thank our friends
and neighbours who
have helped both
with the tours and
the self-catering
whilst Pam was away.
The news now is more
positive and Pam was
back for our last
tour and we will be
having a celebration
party for both our
retirement and 46th
wedding anniversary
later this week.
Many guests have
kindly told me how
much they have liked
my blog and how much
they had missed it
in the last few
months so I have
decided to continue
to do a blog about
what Pam and I are
up to and wildlife
happenings on Mull
although it probably
won't be done daily.
Photo's taken of our
final tour, we had a
great day out.
May
2019
May 3rd
A tour today in cool windy
conditions with both types of Eagles seen
well, a brief Otter sighting, both Fallow
and Red Deer and both types of Seal.
Whinchat and Dunlin were seen which were
two birds Sue one of my guests really
wanted to see. The Highland Cows and
calves were a highlight for some of my
guests as was the lovely Bluebell wood in
the picture below.
This will be the last blog for a while
as Pam is going down south as we have an
emergency in the family and she is
needed to help look after Grandchildren
and is taking the computer with her but
hopefully things will return to normal
as soon as possible. Arthur
will be at home and continue with the
tours we have already booked.
May 2nd
A lovely day for a tour although
it got a bit colder later in the day. We
saw several Golden Eagles and White-tailed
Sea Eagles in one location they were
flying together and interacting giving my
guests a great chance to see the
differences between the two species. 2
seperate Otters were also seen although
one was quite distant. My guests enjoyed
seeing the new migrant and passage birds
including Whimbrel, see photo below,
Wheatear and Common Sandpipers appearing
everywere and we now have more Whinchats
joining their resident cousins the
Stonechat. Finally Willow Warblers, we
don't see many but they certainly let you
know they are there with their constant
singing.
May 1st
A trip with Pam and Lucy to Iona
to try and see a Corncrake, they should
have started to arrive but nobody had
reported any so it was a bit of a shot in
dark. On our way across to Iona on the
ferry Pam spotted a couple of Common
Terns, my first of the year and the first
reported on Mull this year. On Iona no
sound of Corncrake near the Abbey or
around the fire station so we decided to
go to the beaches on the north of the
island. On our walk we saw lots of little
birds including Skylarks, Meadow Pipits,
Wheatear and Linnet as well as Rooks and
Jackdaws. At the gate at the end of the
road Pam thought she had heard a
Corncrake, I on the other hand hadn't and
as I have better hearing we went on. Then
we both heard the distinct sound of a
Corncrake and the rest as they say is
history, check out the photigraphs.
Another Mull first for Pam and I this
year, we were really pleased and then a
Merlin appeared chasing small birds
another Arthur first of the year, the day
was going spectacularly well.On our way
back to the ferry we saw a pair of Twite a
first for Pam this year and on our way
back to Ardrioch we found a Tree Pipit a
bird that had been eluding us this last
week and Pam at last got her Common
Whitethroat. Lastly Lucy loved her time on
Iona, not sure about the ferry journey
though.
     
     
 
|
This is the web
site of Pam & Arthur Brown,
Ardrioch Farm, Dervaig, Isle of
Mull. PA75 6QR
|
Pam
& Arthur Brown
Ardrioch
Farm, Dervaig
Isle
of Mull
Argyll,
PA75 6QR |
[email protected]
|
01688 400415
07780 600367
|
|
|
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