We left home on the 8th June (Fri) and got as far as "Dunbarton" when we discovered we had no throttle! Still, we belong to the RAC and one of their chaps was out within half an hour, meanwhile one lovely gent in the neighbourhood gave us a very welcome cuppa and a chocolate biscuit each; wonderful hospitality. The RAC chap did many tests, but after 2 hours had to give up and towed us to a camp site at "Balloch" about 6 miles away and just a stone's throw from the shores of "Loch Lomond"!! What a place to have to stay! He'd had a promise from the garage that they would see to us first thing on the Monday so we got ready to make the best of things..why not!
It was a beautiful evening so we went for a walk locally, down to the Loch as well as along the canal. Then we found an extremely nice Chinese restaurant which also served take-aways, delicious too! Willow Warblers were singing almost everywhere.
During the next 2 beautiful days we decided to look for as much Bird/Wildlife as possible and really make the most of our stay. We found a very quiet road on the way to the Loch, there was a lovely wood alongside, a stream too where as it was so quiet we could watch the Birds bathing and it was wonderful just to lean on the bridge and wait for the next ones to come along. We even had a Garden Warbler which was a 1st for us! Then a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker came for a drink, though Mother was close by and 'chipping' away at it to hurry up. Goldfinch, Siskins and a Blackcap were included in all that we saw! There was some Gorse and other foliage in front and in the way of the cameras you'd think perhaps, but without that cover we wouldn't have seen half so many Birds for so long. It was a wonderful way to spend time with the water trickling by below the small bridge.
In the woodland we found 2 pairs of Bullfinches with young, it was a little dark in there so we didn't get the best of photos, but the sights of them were wonderful. We had great views of Treecreepers foraging amongst tree bark for Insects as well as Great, Blue and Coal Tits along with Goldfinches and Chaffinches, each going about it's food searching, preening etc. All the while it was possible to hear the calls of Oystercatchers as they flew over and around the outskirts of the Loch. We found a Common Sandpiper, a pair of Mute Swans with 3 cygnets enjoying all that mum was dipping down in the water to bring up, then there were Mallards bathing, Herring Gulls, Lesser Black-backeds, Common Gulls along with Great Black-backed Gulls and of course the Black-headed Gulls too. On the Saturday evening we were eating our tea outside at the camp site when a family of Treecreepers came and foraged for food on the tree right by us, we were so stunned, but so very delighted....and I'll leave you to think which became more important, the tea or Treecreepers!
Whilst walking along the quiet road we could hear a cheeping which I thought was coming from some newly fledged youngsters lower down on the other side of the wall, but we then saw there was a small hole in the wall itself and it was so obvious that there was a nest in it! Then we noticed a Blue Tit with a mouthful of food waiting in the tree above us; we stood back well out of the way and after checking around her, in she went to feed them, then out came a faecal sac and away she went. A marvellous experience and so very unexpected, but we made sure we walked on the other side afterwards.
We had a lovely walk to Cameron Bay and the golf course where we found a pair of Reed Buntings searching out food. Also searching around the reeds was a Robin, Willow Warblers and Blue Tits, then a Wren which definitely appeared to be taking food to a nest that was down extremely close to the water! Amazing just where you see Birds nesting at times. One more sighting of a Garden Warbler in the willows.
The same RAC chap picked us up on the Monday morning to tow us to the garage at Dunbarton, but the part couldn't be got from England until the next day, but it was no sufferance to have to go back to Balloch and the camp site, stream and local Birds for another day! Then on Tuesday it was back to the garage, who were all very good and extremely helpful indeed, then in the afternoon we went on our way north to the real Highlands, it poured with rain on the way but was beautiful for the rest of the time, yet obviously so very bad everywhere else back in England, especially in Yorkshire where we were hear to learn the flooding was terrible!
The only problem by this stage was that with needing to spend money on a new accelerator pedal meant that we wouldn't now be able to afford to take the ferry across to "Orkney"; a real shame as we'd previously arranged to meet Dafi, another BF member living on Orkney who was going to show us the Bird life there. A real downside, but all being well we'll be there next year - and with other tales to tell.
I'll continue on with the holiday in day or two, but for now here are some of the friendly locals.
Sue. The first 5 are of the Blue Tits in the wall.
Photos: 1/ Loch Lomond (a tiny part of); 2/ Blackcap; 3/ Garden Warbler; 4/ Great Spotted Woodpecker; 5/ Oystercatchers.
Photos: 1/ Reed Bunting; 2/ Cygnet; 3/ Treecreeper; 4/ Greenfinch; 5/ Wren