Goodbye North Uist

Saturday May 21

We ate at the Westford Arms last night. Not late home as we had a very early start this morning. Despite doing most of the packing of the car yesterday afternoon, it took us 45 minutes to strip the beds and do the last emptying of the fridge etc. We hope to return to this cottage next year. Much too big for us really, yet so conveniently placed, the beds are comfortable, the whole place is better equipped than anywhere we've hired before. The clincher, Corncrake in the back garden, the visitors the previous week saw two walk across the front grass.

Our last Short-eared Owl as we passed Committee Road, empty roads until Lochmaddy and the ferry car park. 

The ferry left 10 minutes early for an incredibly smooth crossing after the previous day's wind when the crossing was 'wild' - to quote the ferry worker. As we approached Skye, Guillemots, Razorbills, Black Guillemots, Great Northern Divers, Gannets and the occasional Puffin showed.

Almost as soon as we left Uig terminal on Skye, it started to rain heavily. This continued until we left the Highlands mid afternoon. The mountainsides were riven by the spectacular gushing of vertical waterfalls crashing downwards off the rocks. 

No cricket to listen to to-day, all over yesterday, England won by an innings and 80 runs, Anderson taking 10 wickets in the match. Bairstow's 140 won the match. 

We had a late M and S bought lunch on the shores of Loch Lomond, hummus and carrots for me, a chicken and bean pot for Pam. Very healthy - the cream cakes weren't. 

A male Goosander was fishing offshore.

Additional entertainment was a small seaplane taking off, circling and landing again.

We were glad to arrive at Carlisle Todhills travelodge, in time to watch most of the Cup Final. Man U beat Crystal Palace 2-1 with a very late Lingard goal. Our usual uninspiring play with a good result on this occasion. Almost as soon as the match was over, it was reported that Van Gaal has been sacked and that Jose Mourinho will take his place. Hm, mixed feelings about that - but Van G had to go, his style of football was not that of Man U.

Sunday May 22 

An uneventful journey home in mostly dry conditions, in by tea-time in time to watch England play Turkey in a 'friendly'. Not wise to play a traditionally hard tackling - not always legal - team before a big tournament, extreme danger of injury. The result was 2-1, the winner by Vardy late in the game. 

Last Day

Friday May 20

Our last day on North Uist started with sun and then a hard squally shower thrown against the windows by a very strong wind. The rain didn’t last long, the wind continued all day, at 14C it  wasn’t freezing !

A possible Skua passage was predicted for to-day, first port of call was Balranald RSPB and Aird an Runair, the sea-watching headland.

On the way down, Pam noticed a Glaucous Gull standing with Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls at the side of the road.

J and D had been in situ at the headland since 6.15 a.m. and seen nothing of note i.e. no Long-tailed Skuas. We didn’t give it long before we departed for a last attempt at seeing Red-necked Phalaropes off the Griminish Road on Benbecula. A quick and negative look at the west side of the loch before driving to the eastern passing place where there is room for three cars at the most - if people park thoughtfully. Two cars ahead of us, one man already had one in his scope. Great. Pam pulled in beyond and I got out to set up the scope on the grassy mound.The second car moved on and Pam joined me to admire four very active Red-necked Phalaropes. Sculling about, flying off, returning for more of the same, landing out of sight in tall grass (they’re very small birds)., often disappearing into the reeds. It appeared to be two pairs, the females brighter than the males as the latter do the incubating. They actually bred here last year, fingers crossed for 2016.

Too small and distant, even for me, for photographs.

A last visit to Stinky Bay and then homeward bound via various side roads. We had lunch at Kallin, a very small harbour where there is a shellfish farm.

We listened to the cricket on the radio and heard Bairstow get his first century at his home ground, Leeds. Don’t know England’s final score but Sri Lanka were 84 for 8 in reply when we last heard. Oh for the internet.

We shall get in to the Travelodge too late to-morrow for me to use my saved four transfers to insert FA Cup Final players into my Fantasy team. Bother the internet here on the island, it’s not just us in this cottage.

The men from Glamorgan Bird Club told us that they’d seen and photographed a Black Panther coming out of the old plantation and going back in again. They were deadly serious.

Back to pack the car, clean the cottage and leave the minimum to do later and to-morrow morning’s 5.45 a.m. set off for Lochmaddy and the ferry.

We can’t resist Committee Road which is only 10 minutes from the cottage. Short-eared Owl, a pair of Golden Eagles playing together for at least 20 minutes, two Merlin, a pair of Hen Harriers playing chase me in the bank of young conifers at the Sollas end of the road. Brilliant.

This Owl posed on the ground.

Only enough time to return, change shirts and drive to the Westford Inn, a Georgian listed building, for supper with J and D. A very pleasant meal and home..........via Committee Road. The Owl again and a Greenshank and Grey Heron for the list. Only the second Greenshank in three weeks, we usually see several on Mull, just the one this year.

Berneray -- New Island

Thursday May 19

Correctly forecast,.it rained hard with a strong breeze all day until 4 ish. Yuck. Exploring the north of the island was a good idea. We drove to the island of Berneray via Sollas, exploring all side tracks and dead ends. Enjoyable despite the conditions.

Berneray cannot be recognised as a separate island, except on the map, the linking causeway merely joins rocky formations. 

Possibly the greatest change in modern times occurred in 1999 when the causeway opened between Berneray and Otternish on North Uist. This has eased travelling on and off the island, improving employment prospects and accelerating the carriage of produce (notably, crabs and lobster). The causeway contains culverts that allow the easy passage of otters and fish from one side of the structure to the other. The causeway was formally opened by Prince Charles in April 1999.^{[9](Wikipedia)}

A small ferry runs from Berneray to Lewis, we saw it rocking and rolling away in the rain mist and white horses.

Driving as far as we could, we found the inevitable graveyard - all Scotland dead end roads seem to end in them. This one was set above the road on the side of a mountain, ruined houses and golden gorse clumps below.

The end habitable house was rather grand, advertising hot drinks and snacks, another ruin beyond. We did see Lewis looming in the distance but it often disappeared in the murk.

We decided to lunch at the general stores cum Lobster Pot cafe instead. Home-made and rustic, yet delicious, leek and potato soup. Fortified we drove to Lochmaddy so that we knew how much time to allow for Saturday morning’s early trip to the ferry. About half an hour and 16 miles.

J had texted to tell us that the wind was due to change late afternoon and it would be worth going to Aird an Runair. We did so and again, the forecast was correct (D’s the weather man). Near 4 p.m. the wind became westerly and the rain stopped. We even had a weak sun appear. We spent a couple of hours sea-watching, enjoying the hundreds of small waders spending their time running the incoming tideline, flying about in clouds before starting the exercise again. Over a hundred strong flock of mixed gulls were dong the same thing. The tide must have ben bringing in lots of food. 1 Bonxie and 2 Pomarine Skuas flew through, we saw one of the Poms and the Bonxie. Great Northern Diver, Fulmar, Gannet, and Arctic Terns added to the species list.

Time to drive back for supper, last night’s leftovers needed heating and more garlic bread cooked. A calling Corncrake showed briefly.. I’m destined not to achieve decent photos again. 

‘Our’ Corncrake was calling as we drove in. I spent the next forty minutes or so playing hide and seek with him. I saw him on several occasions, running between clumps, sticking his head up in the irises, peering through the stems and generally being a Corncrake. He showed so well for Pam that first evening.

After a late dinner, Pam suggested driving Committee road as it was a pleasant evening, still some light at 9 p.m. Which is when I took these photos of a Short-eared Owl perched on a post about 10 metres away. None of them are 100% sharp all over but, fairly good for the lighting conditions.

The photos I took of the Hen Harrier pair displaying to each other are not printable, so wonderful to experience and watch for the first time. As was the pair of Merlins displaying above a small conifer wood. And the pair of Golden Eagles flying together and talon grappling in mid-air. We then saw a Ring-tail Hen Harrier and two herds of Red Deer in the twilight, at gone 9.30. Wonderful.

After the dreadful weather, a day list containing Pomarine and Great Skua. Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Buzzard, Great Northern Diver, Golden Eagle, Corncrake and Merlin shows why we come to North Uist. Lovely place.

We see Red-breasted Mergansers virtually every day. Such handsome birds.

Lovely Day

Wednesday May 18

A lovely, warm 15C day, with sun for much of the late morning and afternoon. We started off at Aird an Runair beach which was packed this morning. Having noticed an angry face, Pam asked if we’d be in the way if we parked at the front. The answer was yes, so she parked at the back, parallel to his scope set-up. He then thanked us and apologised for being grumpy. Two carloads had already impeded his view, left their cars and gone walking. Thoughtless. When J introduced us later, he turned out to be Tim, the local birder whose patch this is and the fount of local knowledge.Good move !

A White-billed Diver and 4 Long-tailed Skuas had been reported earlier, yet the wind was not good for a skua passage. We stayed until we’d seen one Arctic Skua, a Great Northern Diver and the usual beach scurriers, before driving south.

Balranald first for another Phalarope dip. Tim said that only one bird had returned so far, needle in a haystack time. The farmer was still ploughing, using his aged tractor, cloud of gulls and starlings in attendance. 

A quick look at Stinky Bay (named for the deep swathes of decaying seaweed on the shore),  where the tide was way out. Eiders and the usual small waders. We collected two stones for the rockery and drove to South Uist and Peter’s Port.

En route a Short-eared Owl showed well on my side, I raised my camera, took one photo as it faced away and it flew rapidly across the front of the car and away.

Awful....

One of the many lanes along narrow valleys, water on both sides, rocks and small cliff bound, that lead to the east coast. South Uist is pretty bleak even in comparison with the other islands. The beaches on all are superb, white sand, seaweed fringed and empty of humans, in May anyway.

We lunched on a small deserted jetty, obviously used by fishermen, heaps of lobster pots, rope, boat stuff and an old container testimony to their physical presence - and absence to-day. The sky was blue, the sea a shimmering enchantment, unfortunately, no birds.

Ainaort is an easterly place we’d visited and enjoyed last year. Taking the northerly fork is the best option. More lochs, rocks, eiders, and narrow bridges until reaching the wood at the end, where there is a small parking place which was ...full. Both Heatherlea Minibuses taking up a large amount of the available room. We parked on a verge until the buses left. Atlantic Grey Seals lounged on the rocks below, looking like shiny grey slugs.

We were then able to park in one of their spaces and walk through the wood, our first Willow Warblers, Robin, Chaffinch and Wren since Mull, singing away. A Cuckoo was calling from the other side of the estuary.

A good path through someone’s gardened area. Apple trees, a newly planted Beech hedge amongst the conifers and deciduous trees, all well mulched with seaweed. The path gradually climbed out of the wood to a welcome picnic table and benches overlooking the view. I sat here whist Pam went on to ‘look around the corner’. Whilst she was away, I saw a pair of Golden Eagles idling in the clouds. I called, no answer from Pam. Oh dear. Fortunately, she returned in time to see them cross the valley on to a ridge and disappear. A pair of Ravens did something very similar. Lovely. Time to drive home and put the finishing touches to to-night’s meal.

A small detour to view Baleshare loch where a Black Tern had been reported yesterday, not to-day.

(A Black-billed Cuckoo appeared here the day after we'd left !!!)

‘Our’ Corncrake was showing at the edge of the iris bed, soon disappearing before I could get a shot. Little b. 

J and D later saw it from the sitting room window, on the woodpile again. A lovely evening with friends, rain forecast again to-morrow. Ugh.

Not a Lot

Tuesday May 17

What the Scots call a dreich day. It didn’t stop raining until after 5 p.m. Not only was it raining, the clouds were so low it looked like fog. We spent the morning cooking to-morrow night’s meal, Pam preparing the veg. and generally doing odd jobs.
We had to do something, Phalarope loch here we come. We sat surveying the loch for over half an hour before going on to the jewellery shop and another hour on the return journey. A handsome Grey Plover showed near the shop, 

the usual birds on the loch, Arctic Terns, Dunlin, Tufted Duck, Gadwall and Shelduck.
No luck with the wanted bird, we’ll have to come again, not a hardship. I wanted a memory stone for the Alpine rockery, we’d seen some beauties at yesterday’s beach. High tide put paid to that, another return visit.
We saw a male Hen Harrier on the way home before driving to Balranald Visitor Centre just in case - as the rain had eased. Newspapers don’t arrive until 5.00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays as there isn’t an early boat. The boat was late to-day, there was quite a queue at the shop. Still no internet, I can at least do the DT crossword. J hasn’t had a connection since yesterday morning either - BT.

There are Lapwings everywhere, such a beautiful bird, easily overlooked. Their young are quite delightful.

Phalarope Hunt 1

Monday May 16

Another leisurely start, it’s getting to be a pleasant habit. Hard not to start by driving to Balranald...... we didn’t though.
Our journey south started at Loch Sanderay, where we were scanning the loch when my phone hooted to inform me that a message had arrived. A text from J telling us that there were three Otters on the loch where we’d seen a displaying black Ruff yesterday. Balranald after all. The convenient Passing Place was empty, we were able to set up our scopes to find nothing on the main loch. Pam then saw a head break the surface of the strip of water at the back. This became two well grown kitts gambolling along the grassy bank, diving into the water and then repeating the action. The mother also appeared, behaving rather more staidly. Thank you J.
Interruption there.. Pam went out to the car and heard a Corncrake very close over the wall on my side of the car. We both went out and stood looking over. The Corncrake flew onto a heap of wood no more that 4 metres away, calling loudly before flying into the back garden. Wow. Pam had her camera, mine was in the car.
Continuing our journey south via Grimsay and onto Benbecula. We stopped at Loch Baa to try and see Phalaropes, with no luck. Via various supermarket calls to try and buy Zovirax for my cold sore, we arrived at the Range. A now disused firing/bomb site, although the warning signs are still in place.The track runs just inland from the sea along an area of ploughed machair forming a rough, sandy and undulating extensive steep slope. Many birds scattered about, once I got my eye in but, not  the Dotterel we were hoping for. An oncoming birder hadn’t seen one either, he did tell us where he’d seen Phalaropes yesterday morning and evening !!
After some enjoyable photography of the small seashore foragers, dashers and darters -

Pam drove out on a concrete slipway - we repaired to the Hebridean Jewellery cafe for a hot drink and a piece of Salted Caramel sponge cake, which was much too sweet for me. I walked resolutely past the earring display.
Phalarope time again. A birder was scoping on the mound of the passing place we used this morning. He came straight over to tell us he had one in his scope if we’d like to see. Yes please. He was very crestfallen to find that the bird was gone, not to be seen again.
We photographed an unusually quiet, perched Green-veined White. Either newly emerged or paralysed by the cold. 10 -11C all day with a northerly wind.

On to the passing place at the far end where we sat for an hour and a half enjoying displaying Snipe and Dunlin, summer handsome Redshank, a lone Teal and.......a fly over White-tailed Eagle. It put the earlier Buzzard and Ravens in the shade. J and D had joined us for a short chat before returning to the other end. Between us we had the loch covered. No luck for them either.
Pam made the excellent suggestion that we return home via the Committee Road - the very pretty way. Waw, a male Hen Harrier, one of my favourite birds, put on a flying display for us in the gathering gloom. Coast road back, adding Stonechat and Wheatear to the islands' list. A good day.

Essential Domestics, Moths and some Birds

Sunday May 15

After a morning of sorting the washing and the machine instructions, we put the clothes in the tumble dryer. They came out warm and dirty, it was the tumble dryer. Then, the actual washing machine, set on Eco, took hours.

The moth trap had two moths after another cold night. One was a superb Puss Moth. I have a photo but the internet’s lack of speed will not allow me to download them yet. 

Pam heard a very close Corncrake whilst dealing with the moth release, probably in the iris bed the other side of the back garden wall.

Yes, I managed to get the router to work too. I unplugged it, fiddled with it and my laptop (not very scientific) and it worked reasonably for a short time before dropping out again. J and D texted from Aird an Runair where there was nothing happening and then, called in for a coffee, as we are very near the Balranald turn-off. When they departed after a very pleasant hour, we drove to Aird an Runair ourselves, stopping to scope a handsome male black Ruff doing a full display. Head thrown back and then bowing forward, breast and back feathers expanded like a tutu around his shoulders, neck feathers raised in a ruff around his head.  Brilliant, I’ve never witnessed a full display before.

Little Grebe, Shelduck, Wigeon, Shoveller, Tufted Duck and Moorhen on the same loch - not to forget the two Whooper Swans upending on the other edge.

After buying a late lunch drink and filled roll from the campsite mobile shack, we took the very rough, sandy track to the shore.

Our first Corn Bunting perched on a marram tussock near the beach, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Turnstone reigned on the beach itself, a Great Northern Diver out to sea and a Little Tern hovered near the northern rocks. It’s a great place.

Dunlin and Sanderling in summer plumage

Back home to take the last of the washing out, put it in the tumble dryer and yet another frustrating attempt to upload photos before leaving for Solas. J had generously asked us to a meal at their cottage. The Committee Road route is slightly longer but offers more birding opportunities. Good choice. We saw two Short-eared Owls, one of which I unsuccessfully photographed in terrible light. 

A Buzzard was new for the Uist list.
Much more peat digging than last year, commercial machines are being used, which really scars the landscape.
We had a lovely meal and a very enjoyable evening with J and D before returning home via Committee Road. Thank you both. 
No birds seen but, a dozen Red Deer .