Slowing things down Day 3 - Gruinard River and Bay

[KatTai]

Day three and it was a day for a re-plan...the weather wasn't quite as forecast with low clouds over the hills. The initial plan had been to do the Shenavall circuit but why climb all the way for no views? Instead we travelled a whole 23 miles away from the campsite to follow the low level track along the river Gruinard to Loch na Sealga, this is the first part of the route to Beinn Dearg Mòr and Beinn Dearg Bheag ( https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/beinn-deargs-fisherfield.shtml ).

There was only one other vehicle parked in the rough parking on the verge so no concerns about getting a space and we got on our way quickly because midges had soon surrounded the car waiting for the moment I dared venture out. The track alongside the river wasn't the best way to avoid them and we kept moving, stopping to chat to a couple of people going fishing in the river all prepared with their midge nets covering their faces. There were a couple of other people fishing further along, a popular spot!

The track started heading up away from the river slightly but with no wind stopping for any length of time meant the midges were quick to appear. Even though I had Smidge on it doesn't stop them being annoying! Despite the cloud and light rain, it wasn't cold and I ended up having to take off my jacket very quickly to avoid being surrounded by a swarm!

The good track reaches an attractive forest of birch and rowan. Here I could hear a variety of bird calls more commonly associated with a back garden than out on the hillside and we spotted a toad at the edge of the track. I do love these patches of woodland. The gates at either end have been removed now and the trees look to be spreading away from the main woodland.

Toady

Woodland

There were a few fords to cross on the route, they were easy enough though the rainfall did mean that some of the stepping stones were underwater. Probably just as well I skipped the originally planned route given that crosses boggy ground! Further along a concrete bridge gave safe crossing over a faster and deeper tributary of the Gruinard and from here it wasn't long until we could see the loch ahead. It had been a long walk in, but not an unpleasant one (midges aside) though I can imagine it wouldn't be quite as enjoyable when adding on the Munros!

For us though, out target was the beach at the head of the loch where there were a few boats and which a boggy path that led to the loch shore. The dogs were allowed off lead here to play in the water and roll around on the coarse gravelly sand while I wandered along to perch on a convenient rock for lunch.

Swim time

Rolling

It was while having lunch I spotted a large bird around the ridge of An Teallach. Initially I thought it was a golden eagle, but after watching for a while I ended up unable to decide if I was looking at a golden or white tailed eagle. I ended up leaning more towards the white tailed eagle but unfortunately I couldn't get the right kind of view to really decide! If someone had been on the ridge at that time they'd have had a cracking view, but I could see no people and the summit itself was hidden in cloud.

Golden or white tailed, you decide!

The eagle certainly provided some lunchtime entertainment but eventually moved away and it was time for us to start moving too, the dogs enjoying another swim in the loch before heading back along the boggy path to the track. The return walk was just as enjoyable if not more so as the cloud had finally started to lift giving a bit of brightness to the day and the hillside seemed to come alive. I heard a cuckoo just before reaching the woodland and went to reach for my binoculars to see if I could spot it (not an easy thing to do with cuckoos as their call does not usually match their location!) when the cuckoo decided to take flight and move to a spot on a dead tree!

Little boat

Cuckoo

I had a clear view of the cuckoo, hearing another calling which did not leave the first bird happy at all and he went off in a rage to chase the intruder across the hillside. It was entertaining to watch. The birds gone we headed into the woodland. On the other side there were a number of dragonflies darting around and I actually managed to get one in flight.

Here be dragon[flies]

The wildlife was definitely out for the return leg of the route! And our cuckoo spotting hadn't ended yet. On the final approach towards the road I spotted a bird being mobbed by smaller birds, initially I thought it was a kestrel but it was no kestrel, it was another cuckoo who was facing the consequences of mimicking a bird of prey in appearance! They have barred underbellies resembling a sparrowhawk, thought to help with chasing the host birds away from the nest long enough for the cuckoo to lay her egg in there, but this time the tables had turned and a host of finches were seeing off the threat. They weren't for giving up either! The mobbed her across to the other side of the river and I thought she had slipped away, but no back they came across the river still mobbing away.

posing

Cuckoo in trouble!

I would have killed for ice cream when I got back to the car, but the downside of this location is the shortage of places to get anything so ice cream was a no. Instead we decided to head along to Gruinard Beach. The dogs had been on the lead most of the time and it was good to let them have a good stretch of their legs running around on the sand and a splash around in the water. The beach was quiet with just a few other people around and with low tide there was loads of space for the dogs to enjoy!

Spot the dogs!

Eventually it was time to leave the beach and return to the campsite for our final evening. There was to be no exploring of the area on the return trip, the following morning saw strong winds and heavy rain (fortunately got the tent down and packed away before it REALLY kicked off!) so we travelled south and instead stopped off just before the Kessock Bridge for a walk up Ord Hill. Leaving out the travel there and back, we covered about 50 miles driving away from the campsite. A far cry from the needing to fill up the car on previous west coast adventures! Now looking for other destinations to explore in a similar manner, spending more time enjoying a small area rather than travelling all over the place trying to fit as much in as possible!

Stopping off to photograph the view on the way back, the campsite is over the otherside somewhere!

Last night in the tent

[Sgurr]

LUcky seeing an eagle of whatever kind. I remember that start along the Gruinard river as being one of the most midge infested of my life. It was OK when we walked the Deargs as it was a bright day, but doing the Chasgeins it was awful at the beginning, especially as we had to faff about (a) loading the bikes and (b) getting them through the tiny gap left for walkers. Each tiny spot is a midge, and it felt like more

[KatTai]

We saw two on the trip, one on each day, unfortunately both very high up! Our golden eagles over here on the east side of the country seem to be much more amenable flying at lower levels making it much easier to get a decent photo

The midges weren't too bad while we were there, to be honest I don't seem to be their favourite target! I have a couple of bites but that's it. Poor Zena though can end up with a huge swarm around her. While I've never noticed an issue with her getting bitten by them I do think she may benefit from a doggy fly sheet to keep them away!

[Sgurr]

One of my kinder friends refers to my eagle shots as "Another sighting of Pixie the Single Pixel Eagle". Yours is very good.