Highlands and Islands 2022

 Sunday May 22 Home in Ridlington. at five to six, having driven from Dumbarton, north of Glasgow, where we spent the night.  Yesterday became rather eventful. I finished my packing to find that I had missed a phone call from Sue. I rang back. She had received a message from Dave Hawkins to the effect that he had turned up at Lochmaddy and been given a place on the 12 sailing. We could turn up and wait in the standby queue..Pam's decision was that she could do without the hassle. Fair enough. Fiona helped Pam carry out our luggage, we left at 10.20. As we were approaching the Lochmaddy, turn off, I asked Pam if she was sure that she didn't want to try for the earlier ferry. We drove to Lochmaddy where a jovial official  told us to join the two cars already on standby and that we had a good chance. Indeed we did. Watching anxiously as the last vehicles drove on, a worker held up three fingers and we were on, hazard lights flashing, so that they knew we were assisted passag...

 Friday May 20 The penultimate day of a trip is always a mixed pleasure. Enjoying where you are, whilst knowing that it's come to an end, and also looking forward to the comforts of home again. To-day's dichotomies were compounded by the uncertainty of travel arrangements. Finally, late morning, I had an email from CalMac stating that we were on the 5 o'clock ferry, not the 8 a.m. on which we were originally booked. Ian and Sue are also on the late ferry. Very unsuitable for our needs, we have no choice. That brought up the problem of where to stay the night. No way was it feasible for Pam to drive as far as Carlisle Todhills after getting onto Skye at 7 p.m. I found us a room at Dumbarton Travelodge, north of Glasgow, which has a 24 hour desk. I then phoned them to inform of our late arrival, probably between 11 and midnight I hope. That will give Pam a night's rest before travelling home - we need to be there on Sunday. That done, we went to Bayhead for fuel - 4p per ...

Thursday May 19  We both enjoy Berneray. The drive there is both scenic and productive. The road puddles were testimony to the heavy overnight  showers, the sedge bent over to hug the ground, proof of the wind's ferocity. We have been unlucky with the weather this year.  Committee Road is the shortest route across the north west corner towards Sollas and Berneray. A Short-eared Owl hunting in the shelter of the roadside fence - we couldn't stop -  was an early bonus. Almost as soon as we'd turned off the Lochmaddy road towards the Berneray causeway, we noticed a dark bird being mobbed by gulls. It flew low away from us, jinking to avoid the unwanted escort. A male Golden Eagle. It was pointless taking the Borve road, it's windswept at the best of times, we drove straight to East Beach overlooking Harris. Via the Seal watchpoint.   Ungainly slugs out of the water, streamlined elegance when in their natural element.  We lunched, I did the word games in the pa...

  Wednesday May 18 Hearing heavy rain lashing the bedroom window, I was in no hurry to get up this morning. When I did get to the end of a chapter I'd promised myself would be the last, and opened the curtains, the sky was an almost cloudless blue. A Raven flew by. The Sallow hedging was bent double. Out of the front window, it was overcast, the mountains invisible in their grey shroud. That about sums up the weather.  For us, the biggest problem is that it keeps the birds hiding in shelter. One excellent fact is that it was the bad weather which gave us the good Skua passage last weekend. The wind direction and speed both have to be right for that. It was, for the first time since 2015 - which was even better. As we drove towards Committee Road, a female Hen Harrier quartered the field inland from the sea. We stopped in a gateway so that I could attempt some photos. This is the best of a pretty poor lot.    A distant Short-eared Owl was the only bird we saw before r...

Tuesday May 17 Yesterday, two Curlew Sandpipers had been reported at Baleshire, just down the road. We started there, seeing our first Short-eared Owl of the day as we turned for the bay. We also had our first sighting of a Cuckoo, having previously heard several.  Whipped-up sea behind us, I scoped the grassy field behind the parking area, seeing only about fifty Ringed Plovers. I re-read the WhatsApp message - they'd been scared off by an Arctic Skua and not seen again. Back over the causeway to the main road south to Benbecula, via Grimsay. The gardeners who decided that planting a Palm Tree on the Outer Hebrides, was a good idea, were on the supreme end of the optimism spectrum. The ones that survive look like loo brushes.   The northern shore of Loch Eynort/Aineort ( depends which signpost you read), seemed to take ages to reach today. The detour to Baleshare, two stops at supermarkets for papers, and busy traffic made the thirty miles seem slow. We always give precedence...

 Monday May 16 Sue and Ian calling round to return the borrowed portable moth trap enlivened the morning. They'd caught one moth last night, none the night before. This one a Shark - which we've never caught in our garden although others have. Our MV had another lovely female Emperor Moth. The caterpillars from the first caught, continue to eat voraciously, growing by the day. Despite the rain, we still went out, south to Benbecula. Stinky Bay had a host of Eiders, no gulls, nor waders. Arctic Terns, Mute Swans, and a pair of Wigeon on the phalarope loch. On to the bigger Co-op a few miles away at Creagarry. Where next? Maybe The Range area.  We turned off the A 865 where it's signposted Hebridean Jewellery (I haven't been tempted yet), where there is a loch. Previously there were four, now there are three, summering Whooper Swans. As is usual, their necks are stained deep yellow from the peaty water.   What we call the very Stinky Bay, wasn't to-day. We parked on a...

Sunday May 15  Waking to a beautiful sunny morning, our choice of Berneray as to-day's destination seemed a good one. The views there are stunning, not easily photographed, especially from the car, but one can never do them justice. A wide angle lens and panorama vision would help.  Our moth trap held four moths of four different species this morning.  A Pebble Prominent    Flame and Twinspot Carpets, and a Red Chestnut.   CommRo was devoid of birds, apart from a distant, and rapidly disappearing, Short-eared Owl. The whole drive of thirty plus miles was devoid of birds, plenty of time to look at the scenery. and to avoid the many cyclists. The ferry to Lewis was being prepared at the North Uist end of the causeway, the car queue at the other end.  The distant mountains are on the Isle of Harris. About 50 Arctic Ringed Plovers on the machair at Borve were flushed by a tractor, A few Twite, Wheatear and the usual Lapwings and gulls did not stay long eit...

  Saturday May 14 Ssh, it stayed dry all day.  Undecided as to what to do, we drove north towards Sollas. Before reaching the Lochmaddy turnoff, a Short-eared Owl appeared, landing on the ground before I could try for another decent flying shot. Those eyes.     Pam decided to take the pretty way to Sollas. That is via the coast road, eschewing Committee Road, exploring all side tracks. The Loch where we had several good birds last year, including Red-throated Divers, had only Greylag and a pair of Mallard. The highlight was two Arctic Skuas flying inland in front of us. A few miles later another flew out to sea, such elegant flyers. A roadside lochan had a Common Sandpiper, only the second we have seen here. We then spent some time parked at the Sollas Memorial garden, where a small wood often proves worthwhile. Eventually, we grew tired of the incessant Chaffinch and Willow Warbler song, driving on to the Co-op for milk and an ice-cream. I favour a Solero, a mango ...

Friday May 13  Pam remembered to check the Emperor Moth eggs. They've hatched. A quick food plant check. Sallow. The Willow species widely used as hedging. Pam immediately provided some and, from the speed in which they converged on the leaves and started eating, they were very hungry. Despite a kind message from Sue saying that the skua passage at Aird an Runair was happening, we continued our journey south to Benbecula. Yes, in search of that elusive Garganey again - we should have gone to Cley when they were first in. Nearing the pull-off at the east end of Loch Fada, we saw two cars already present, their occupants taking up the remaining space with scopes on tripods. Immediately, the birders moved, and so did one of the cars. Lovely, just how things should be. We had plenty of room to view the loch - and a female Red-necked Phalarope . The female is the highly coloured bird, as the male incubates the eggs. As usual here, rather distant for such a small bird. She bathed and pre...

  Thursday May 12 Yes, it's the weather again. More very strong wind with heavy blustery showers. The latter are very local. Several times today, we drove through one where the wipers were not coping to find a dry road 200 metres away. Landlady Heather, mentioned how bad it was and, that it was usually nice in May - our previous experience too. Maybe some sea-watching at Aird an Runair would be worthwhile. On the slow lurch out along rutted, potholed, sandy machair, a Twite sat quietly. We've seen them in several places this year without a chance of photography. Despite the conditions, I gave it a go.   The same thing goes for this lovely Wheatear.   The parking area at Aird only has space for about six cars facing the sea, they were full, two of them Motorhomes. We took up position part of the way up the slope so that we could see over the top. Before I could set up my scope, a large SUV parked in front of us, obscuring our view. I pointed this out, the driver continued ...

Wednesday May 11 Undecided as to what to do today, it was early afternoon before we drove south to Benbecula township. MacLennons for a newspaper, no birds on Stinky Bay, Coot, Tufted Duck, Shoveller, and Mallard on Coot Loch. Next stop, Loch Druidibeag.  Loch Druidibeag is a freshwater loch situated on the island of South Uist , The loch is near the northern end of the island, to the north-east of Howmore . The loch is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Ramsar site, and forms part of the South Uist Machair Special Area of Conservation and the South Uist Machair and Lochs Special Protection Area . Loch Druidibeg was designated as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), but was de-declared in 2012. The loch was also formerly a biosphere reserve , being so-designated in 1976, but this status was withdrawn in 2013. I can't find out why this happened. It's run by the RSPB in conjunction with the local farmers and crofters.  We spent a pleasant hour or more scanning the mou...

Tuesday May 10   I'm beginning to think that I should start each day's entry with, ' Here is the weather report'. It does affect our days greatly. More rain and strong wind to-day, the rain in the form of squally showers, some containing hail. A little sun, lots of overcast, sometimes mountains in sight, sometimes not. We decided to drive to South Uist's 'Range'. Just before the Range, there is a seaweed strewn bay, which is a huge favourite with small waders. We used to think that this was the bay known as 'Stinky' - it should be. It was so strong today that not only did it clear my sinuses, it took my brain with it. I tried some photos, the results are not great. More interesting was watching some Turnstones wash in a puddle. It was so vigorous that they became a blur.   The summer Redshank here are very dark.    The Range did not have a red flag flying, nor a radar wing turning, nor any sign of activity. There have been rumours of closure for ...

  Monday, May 9 I opened the curtains to see rain lashing the window, strong wind whipping the branches of the stunted Willows much used as hedging on the islands. No sign of the baby rabbits usually seen nibbling the grass. I went back to the warmth of the bed, hoping that keeping my legs up would reduce the swelling. Pam pottered, writing cards, playing Wordament etc. Late afternoon, the rain stopped. We drove to Baleshare first, seeing Ringed Plover, Snipe, Dunlin, Lapwing, Sanderling, and Redshank on the fields. The bay is so extensive that a photo is not possible. To-day, the waves were creaming in, forming rows of ruffles along the shoreline.  Committee Road next, in the hope that the change in the weather had encouraged raptors to come out and hunt.Two female Hen Harriers agreed. What was different, was about twenty Ravens in their family groups, foraging high on the hillside.   I foolishly said that I had never photographed Lapwing in flight. I was challenged to d...

 Sunday May 8 Pam had a bout of IBS overnight, it was best to stay near home. The morning was enlivened by a visit for coffee by Ian and Sue. They'd already had a spell of seawatching at Aird an Runair, a stones-throw away from their campsite. A probable flight of distant Shearwaters the highlight. News of Garganey at Loch an Feathean came through again. Should we? We drove to Griminish, scoped the loch. No Garganey. Surrounding water held, Red-breasted Merganser, a confused male Shoveller displaying to a male Wigeon, Little Grebe, Arctic Terns, and a Cormorant.  Brainwave. Check Birguides app on phone. Yes, the Garganey had been reported on there as well as on the local WhatsApp group. The link to GoogleMaps said that we were 45 minutes away. What? Were there two identically named lochs? Entirely possible. Off we went, knowing that the cemetery mentioned sounded familiar. When we were instructed to turn left down Balranald road, the penny dropped. This loch is behind the ceme...