Even Windier

 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 reaching the Raptor Watchpoint - where we found Sue and Ian parked. They'd had a terrific time up here yesterday, seeing both eagles well - and interacting with each other. Having caught up on the news, we left for the Cabin and some afternoon food. It was not to be. They'd run out of bacon, and had closed at 3 p.m. Anne still made Pam a Coronation Chicken Roll and an overly sweet hot chocolate for me. Pam had my unwanted cream and marsh mallows in a separate cup, as is her habit. Anne even gave her a spoon to use.

Plenty of room to park sideways on at Aird an Runair, so that I could scope the birds on what looked like an empty beach. Numerous Sanderling, Dunlin and Ringed Plovers scurried about, feeding on the invertebrates found on the mounds of seaweed left on the beach. The smell could rival Stinky Bay today.

Fiona, Heather and Ian's daughter, has invested in a Pod, which has been erected on nearby land. Gifted by her Parents we assume. These mini homes are springing up in many places on these islands, where places to let are at a premium. They remind me, of a certain age group, of the air raid shelters used by many as garages etc after World War 11. These look much more attractive though. I waited until it was finished to take a photograph.To-day, I realised that it was not going to happen this week. 

 


The Photo taken by Pam from outside our door.

Work is being done for mate's rates by Ian's brother, so he fits it in with his other jobs. The patio has been laid, and the electrics connected since we arrived. Fiona hopes to have it available by June 1. The pod, fully fitted out with microwave etc, cost her £16,000 from a local firm.

We ended the day with a Chinese Takeaway, the first since Australia several years ago. We phoned in the order and Pam picked it up from Benbecula 20 minutes later. I enjoyed my Beef Chow Mein and Pam her Chicken, Prawn, Pork and Beef fried rice and Chicken Chow Mein.The portions were enormous, there's enough left for another night.



 

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