11th June 2018
The Mull Eagle Watch rangers attended the beautiful Treshnish (and Haunn cottages) Farm on Sunday 10th June for their Open Farm Sunday event. This national scheme run by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) gives farmers an opportunity to show people how they are farming in an environmentally-friendly way and for us, as consumers, to learn about where our food comes from – one of the most beautiful places on Mull apparently!
The farmers, Somerset and Carolyne, gave us an interesting insight into their annual itinerary regarding lambing and meadow management before guiding us around their land.
The meadows looking over to Calgary Bay
And their meadows host the most magnificent myriad of wildflowers you can imagine!
We had orchids (butterfly, heath spotted, common spotted, fragrant, northern marsh to name a few).
Northern Marsh Orchid
Heath Spotted Orchid
Butterfly Orchid
Me smelling the Fragrant Orchid
And the most colourful swathes of other flowers including the pink lousewort, white burnet rose, blue speedwells, yellow buttercups, purple vetch, red sorrel, heaps of wood bitter vetch and even a rare moonwort.
Burnet Rose
Moonwort
We finished the walk with a delicious Moveable Feast by Jeannette’s at Ballygown which we all tucked into on the array of multi-coloured picnic blankets that had been laid out down the lawn, giving us a superb view across to the Isle of Coll. We were joined in our picnic by a group of porpoise who were feeding in the sea below us!
A fantastic event; great farming, great wildlife, great people and great food!
If you fancy seeing this wonder for yourself, why not take a peek at their cottages for your next holiday!
Thanks,
Meryl
RSPB Ranger