On Saturday 12 September Graeme During a two hour guided walk starting at the Fallen Rocks car park at 
Arran Wildlife Festival Chairman Jim Cassels said “This Fungus Foray was an excellent taster for the 2010 Arran Wildlife Festival which will take place from the 12th to19th May 2010 and involve over 70 guided walks, talks and events.” 
The Prepare to be amazed when you join Graeme Walker from Scottish Natural Heritage for a free guided walk at
Graeme said “The Arran Wildlife Festival takes place in May each year which is great for most local wildlife but not the ideal time for spotting fungi so we thought we would do something Autumnal to launch the next festival with a Fungus Foray. On this walk we will prove just what a rotten place
Arran Wildlife Festival Chairman James Cassels is pleased to be launching the dates for next year’s festival. “We are already excited about plans for next year and are keen to get started. The 2010 festival will take place from the 12th-19th May and we will be celebrating our fifth year,” he says, “next Saturday’s Fungus Foray is a taste of what the festival offers so put these dates in your diary now and expect something really special in May.”
Last May the 2009 Wildlife Festival attracted hundreds of visitors to over 70 guided walks, talks and unusual events. Over the coming months the organisers are looking forward to presenting the highlights of the festival to meetings around the island. For more information please see the website www.arranwildlife.co.uk or email info@arranwildlife.co.uk. The festival co-ordinator Lucy Wallace can be contacted on 07825 644161.
Image credit: Amethyst deceiver (Laccaria amethystina) Graeme Walker
During the Arran Wildlife Festival there was a photography competition for images of wildlife taken during the festival (13th-20th May). The standard of many entries was high, and in the adult category the competition was intense. However, local photographer Steve Ewart who was judging the competition felt that Leslie Holburn's image of a black guillemot taken at Imachar on the 15th stood out from the crowd. The picture captures the charismatic nature of this species perfectly, and shows off the brilliant red of its feet and inside the beak.
Meanwhile, in the under 18s category, local photgrapher Bailey Robinson aged 10 ran away with the top prize with his photograph of mallard drakes in his grandmothers garden. The judge felt that it was a good effort for a young photographer. Mum Angela said, "I think winning has spurred him on to start taking more photographs and the book he won will help him do that".
View of Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Pladda from Kildonan.
Intrepid seafarers brave the choppy waters for a once in a lifetime trip to RSPB reserve Ailsa Craig, home to 40,00 pairs of gannets, as well as guillemots, puffins and razorbills.
Rob Logan of Forestry Commission Scotland has a license to check barn owl nests and during the festival people were able to watch him do this (from a safe distance). Barn owls are protected by law and it is illegal to disturb them unless like Rob you have a license issued for a specific conservation purpose.
On board the Holy Isle ferry with Howard Wood from the Community of Arran Seabed Trust, finding out about Scotland's first No Take Zone in Lamlash Bay.
On the summit of Holy Isle.
The Seawatchers set up camp at the Southend of Arran. Amongst the many seabirds seen, a rare pomerine skua was spotted.
Terry Southall rings a song song thrush at Kildonan.
Kirk and Gen get help making a bug box from their dad, joiner George Inglis at the Family Fun Day.
Jenny Meade of COAST at the fun day.
Fiona Laing is chair of the Arran Natural History Society and Kate Sampson head ranger at NTS Brodick Castle, Country Park and Goatfell Property.
Graeme Walker of SNH practicing for his Bats and Beer presentation later that evening.
Ross Kerr has a go with the black grouse radio tracking equipment.
Gay and Andy Christie from Hessilhead Wildlfie Rescue Centre.
Tom Vella Boyle of the Community of Arran Seabed Trust at the Fun Day.
The staff at Brodick Co Op volunteered to help with the tea room and ran a raffle.
Liz Maclean, manager of Brodick Co-op gets into the spirit of the Fun Day.
Gemma Totty has her face painted at the Family Fun Day.
Community of Arran Seabed Trust divers demonstrate the marine wildlife of Lamlash Bay on board Arran Power and Sail's RIB.
Had a quick scout around Drumadoon Point at Blackwaterfoot the other day to see check out the lie of the land for guided walks later in the year that I am doing through the RSPB. It was a wild and windy day so quite hard work for bird watching but there was plenty of wildlife action on the cliff faces and along the shore.
is believed to help them smell out patchy food resources at sea. They are beautiful birds but be warned- if you get too close they will spit an evil smelling oily liquid at you. This is a very effective deterrant for predators, such as bird of prey, as it will damage their flight feathers. The chicks also have this ability and this may explain why the fulmars tolerate a ravens nest at the other end of Drumadoon- which would probably be a threat to less well armed nestlings..JPG)
