Afternoon Shift

Wednesday May 4 

Loch Ainort, on the east coast of South Uist, is one of our favourite birding spots. The winding lane through moorland, and over lochs, and bridges culminates in a small hamlet at a dead end.  The very small, mixed woodland can hold several species of passerines seldom seen elsewhere on the islands.

The drive there was highlighted by our first Short-eared Owl, they seem to be in short supply here this year.

Soon after turning for Ainort, a male Hen Harrier was silhoutted against the hillside, they always seem to be in a tremendous hurry. There was actually room for us to park in the five car parking space. From here we can view the rocks on which many Seals pull out to rest. There were about twenty today. I took some photos but they were not on my camera. I had a glitch today where it told me - twice - that I hadn't got a memory card in place. This was despite having worked perfectly in between. My best Wheatear photos were missing too. Red-breasted Mergansers flew up river, occasional gulls and Cormorants flew by, a Willow Warbler and Wren sang in the wood. A quiet day. We left.

Back on the 'main' road, as we were passing Stoneybridge Water Treatment works, when Pam noticed a distant raptor. At a convenient pull-off, we viewed a Golden Eagle soaring over the mountainside, appearing and disappearing. A challenge to find. Then, only a silhouette.

 


Loch Sgioport is four miles from the main road. Again, a very scenic drive through rugged moorland, whilst keeping an eye on the sky for raptors. 

 


Pam noticed two women birders with their binocs trained on the sky. We pulled in, and soon located a pair of White-tailed Eagles being hassled by a Buzzard.  They soon gave it the slip, soaring away together, the female a size larger than the male, magnificent, broad, plank-winged, finger-primaried rulers of the sky. My favourite British raptor.

The area is also famous for its Hebridean ponies, shaggy little ponies, a size larger than Shetlands. Most of them are dark brown.

 

There's room for three cars to park at the end. We drove past this down a very steep, stony lane.

 


Unsure as to what to do next, we decided to turn there, after waiting for a dog walker to walk up the hill. A very pleasant lady told us that we could drive down to the bottom and turn there. Her husband can only do short walks using two sticks, which is why they had done precisely that. He drove up as we spoke. This is what we found when we reached the bottom.

 


       On the return journey, I had another go at a Wheatear.

 


Kallin is very near our apartment, a small shellfish harbour with a restaurant and a thriving export business. The factory has an ever growing mountain of shellfish shells outside, mainly scallops.

 

The return road took us past lochs where luxuriant beds of Bogbean grow, not yet in flower. A Stonechat perched on a 'Passing Place' sign.




A very successful and pleasant afternoon - with some sun.

Home to photograph the active Puss Moth before its release.

 


 



 

 

 

 


 

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