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.
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| 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.
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