Home Journey

Saturday May 19

Always sad when a holiday ends, whilst pleased to be going home. We really could do with at least another week on Uist, if not more. This place has a charm of its own, maybe not to everyone's taste. A Marmite place?

This trip has been enhanced by the affable presence of the Griffins. I'm definitely not sociable by nature, yet have looked forward to meeting them daily, especially on Uist when our cottages were so near, as were the birding sites.

Beds stripped, car packed, we were at the ferry well in time for the 6.45 a.m. deadline. Pam didn't want to go on deck, we sat in a lounge and read. The long journey through Skye was not incident free. We had a half hour Traffic queue wait, Air Ambulance overhead, no cars coming the other way. We think it may have been a motorbike accident, there were certainly plenty of bikers on an appallingly surfaced road. The latter continued all the way to Fort William and beyond. Unbelievably frequent and deep potholes, a worse menace for bikers, life threatening for them. It probably contributed to our 'tyre pressure warning' appearing. We stopped and checked, all was well, 36 all round. Then Pam remembered a previous occasion when the garage had not re-attached the sensor (they didn't know about it) after changing a wheel. That makes the warning come up.

After a good night's sleep at Carlisle Todhills Travelodge, we made good progress in warm sunshine, home by 3.30.

The less said about the FA Cup Final the better. We caught most of the second half last night. It was embarrassing. How can talented players play with so little enthusiasm, skill and thrust. 

Here's to next year.

Pam's Golden Afternoon

Friday May 18

S and I collected the Heath trap this morning - a blank yesterday - so that they could carry it back to Norfolk. 

We'd intended having a quiet day in preparation for the next two days travel, not leaving the cottage until 12.10. It started off very quietly with a drive to Aird an Runair where the machair is in even better bloom than yesterday, mainly delightful, yellow, miniature wild pansies. A Corn Bunting rattled away, resolutely turning his back to me.

More wind than yesterday on an overcast, low grey day, the sea white-topped, having already cleared some of the heaped seaweed off the beach. One Great Northern Diver and a steady stream of high calling Arctic Terns passing by, a small group of Sanderling/Ringed Plover/Dunlin on the beach. The latter only visible when the seaweed seemed to move. Back to the campsite and the end of holiday reward of a hot drink from the kiosk. Pam also had a Coronation Chicken roll and a Rocky Road. She must have been really good.........

We parked in front of the Centre to eat and drink, a good choice. Despite the slight drizzle, two Corncrakes started calling. One of them then ran across the road to the cemetery and into a small patch of Iris the other side of the fence. It showed intermittently as it walked west, calling but, much to my annoyance, the Oriole birding group decided to stand between me (sat in the car) and the bird. Quite oblivious apparently, until Pam asked them to move. They did so at the time but, kept encroaching. We were there first. The worst was the constantly moving leader. Silly to get cross but I missed my photo opportunity.

A phone call from Sue to kindly inform us that they'd located the elusive Ring-necked Duck, sent us scurrying south to Benbecula. I'd got lost somewhere in the directions given, we ended up looking at the wrong loch - again. Not a good place to stop either. There were four Whooper Swans on the wrong loch.

We moved, mainly because of the dodgy parking, intending to view again from a different location when we spotted Ian driving towards us from the Hebridean Jewellers' road. How kind and thoughtful. They'd dragged themselves away from the Red-necked Phalarope and had been watching out for us. The 'correct' loch located.... the bird, seen well five minutes previously in the company of a pair of Tufted Duck had disappeared. Typical of this bird. On advice, we decided to try another nearby loch, drove round the corner and there was the male Ring-necked Duck, on its own. I picked up my camera to find only that the bird had gone and he did not re-appear ! Houdini.

We said our goodbyes and Pam and I drove on to Stinky Bay, which was, very stinky. A queue of Eiders and a host of mainly Herring Gulls.

On to Loch Mhor where Ian had seen a Ruff. I had a very enjoyable ten minutes scoping a male Red-necked Phalarope picking insects from the shoreline, swimming along the edge, restlessly going about living. In the meantime Pam found the Ruff, not a mean feat as only the top of his head was visible at first. A handsome black and chestnut male who obligingly raised his ruff for us, several times. Whilst I was enjoying the Phalarope, Pam saw a Glaucous Gull fly in and land at the far end.

What next ? She called a male Hen Harrier passing through, always a joy to see, every day here.

The birders on here are very friendly and helpful. A soft-spoken man stopped to tell us that he'd seen a Garganey and a Spotted Redshank, 'just over the hump whilst stuck in a marsh'. We drove back to the raised lay-by. I scoped the loch whilst Pam viewed Loch Fada on the other side. I found many pairs of nesting Arctic Terns.  Pam found the jet black Spotted Redshank preening in the grass and then, the Garganey. I managed to see the latter as it flew away. She's red hot to-day.

Maybe we should end the day with Committee Road for the last time and then, the Dotterel at PaiblesGarry. No Raptors on Committee but another sighting of the Arctic Skua pair. Guess who saw them first. 

I tried to photo some newly emerged Bog-bean. with a spectacular lack of success in the dreadful light. That's what I blame anyway.

Another Hen Harrier, a female this time, flying parallel to us before passing very close to Ian and Sue's cottage. They see it regularly.

Waw, a Short-eared Owl with nowhere for us to stop. Guess who spotted it ? We were able to pull in a good hundred yards down the road from where it had landed in front of a house. This is a cropped 'Spot the bird' photo, followed by a hugely cropped one. The only ones I've taken of this bird this year, so I'm putting them in my Blog😆😆

Another chance meeting. The Griffins returning from the Balranald Corncrakes, shortly before the turn off for the Dotterel. We met up in the.parking area in front of a church, thanking them sincerely for their help to-day and exchanging news. Ian peered under our car and advised that we may not have enough clearance to drive the rough track to the Dotterel, Oriole Birding's van had bottomed twice. That did it, no Dotterel for us. We'll meet again at the ferry terminal in the morning. 7.30 a.m. departure, we have to be there by 6.45 at the latest. Goodnight.

Southern Wander

Thursday May 17

Undecided as to what to do to-day, we thought we'd explore more of the south western coast of South Uist and Benbecula.Via Committee Road of course, where we saw a female Hen Harrier and little else. Not good but the best I could manage.

The reported Ring-necked Duck is very elusive, we searched all its favourite lochs on the way south, and on the way back, without success. Those lochs, near the Hebridean Jewellery sign and turn-off, have the most closely inspected Tufted Ducks in the UK. We also diverted to Loch Mhor without seeing Phalaropes, Stinky Bay had no White-winged Gulls either. Hm.

We enjoyed a diversion to the fishing village of Kallin last year, we thought  we'd go again.

On a map, Grimsay is difficult to distinguish in the confused mass of shifting tidal sands, sea, lochs, islands and islets that occupies the area between North Uist and Benbecula.

This area is generally known as North Ford. Until 1960 it was one of the most difficult obstructions to passage along the length of the Western Isles. A ferry linked Carinish on North Uist and Gramisdale on Benbecula, but could only operate at high tide. And there was also a ford, the North Ford, usually only crossed with the help of expert guides.

The route of the ford was marked with cairns, but it shifted unpredictably with the sands, it could only be passed for an hour either side of low tide, and it was four miles long. For significant parts of each day the North Ford was too wet to ford but not wet enough to cross by ferry.

This all changed on 7 September 1960 when the late Queen Mother opened the North Ford Causeway. This five mile arc of single track road links North Uist and Benbecula via the western tip of Grimsay. It made the newspapers later that week when motorists from Lochmaddy reached Lochboisdale within a day using the new causeway: something unheard of until then.

Grimsay is about four miles long by two wide, and is aligned from north west to south east. It is encircled by a single track road that links most of the island's small crofting and fishing settlements together.

At Grimsay's south east tip is the village of Kallin, the focus for the island's important and growing fishing fleet. The harbour here was built in 1985. The boats from Kallin fish for shellfish using creels, and flatfish using long lines. The area is also an important centre for fish farming. A sign of the importance of Kallin's fisheries are the vehicles you see here from southern Europe picking up produce for markets and restaurants in Spain or Italy. 

Interesting to look at. The boiling water turmoil in the bay, testament to the sea water that must be pumped into the shellfish holding tanks and then away again. No birds to-day.....

We turned towards the west coast at Drimdale, passing many, sadly, ruined houses and crofts. Many of them surrounded by abandoned machinery, fencing and general twt.

The coast is so lovely, we saw it at its best in to-day's warm hazy sun, with wispy cloud and very little wind. 

Baleshare

 The last diversion was to Baleshare, a new destination for us. Seduced by the car park and picnic table signs, we followed directions through farmed machair until reaching the sea. An enormous empty bay with an incoming tide. 

The machair was moving with mainly Ringed Plovers in super breeding plumage, the male's brighter colours obvious. None of them looked like the tundrae sub species. The few Dunlin had jet black tummies. the beach's busy Sanderling a warm summer brown.

We met Barry B on the way to the main road. He'd seen the Ring-necked Duck this morning, had texted me re a Lesser Yallowlegs on Berneray (awful phone reception here) and gave us info about nesting Artic Skuas. Thank you.

Another compulsive check of Loch Mhor saw two Red-necked Phalarope fly in , circle and fly out. Like giant bumblebees in flight.

Committee Road beckoned, we pass it on the way home. A male Hen Harrier this time. and.......Sue and Ian parked in a layby. They'd seen the Lesser Yellowlegs on Loch Bhusda. Berneray, before it flew off. Negative reports to-night.

They departed to eat out at the Inn, we drove to Aird an Runair. Still a lovely warm evening, the newly opened flowers on the machair a true testament to warmer temperatures. Wild Pansies and Common Storksbill amongst the small Daisies.

The Machair

One of the Corn Buntings was serenading the day as best he could.

Back-lit again

A full bay at Runair for the first time for us this week. One Great Northern Diver, a steady stream of passing Arctic Terns, a few small waders on the beach.

Three Twite, our first for Uist, flew away from track-side machair as we approached. Camera shy.

Our cottage Corncrake craked as we drove in, then was completely silent. 'Our' Buzzard is sitting on its favoured post, viewable from the kitchen. 
An impulsive post supper drive to Committee Road paid immediate dividends. Two Short-eared Owls rose high into the evening bands of dark cloud interspersed with paler grey wisps. One of them then performed an exuberant display, wing-clapping at the apex, dipping a few feet before rising to applaud again. Sheer joie de vivre.
Flashed headlights from a parked car alerted us to ........ Yes, Sue and Ian, post their much enjoyed Monkfish and chips meal at the Westford Inn. A happy Ian had, at last succeeded in his ambition to take a decent photograph of a Short-eared Owl. His pair of birds were at the Sollas end of the road.
Home to finish this and an earlier night.

Island Travel

Wednesday May 18

What a lovely day. For a sun burnished, scenic, trip to Berneray.

Berneray (Scottish Gaelic: Beàrnaraigh na Hearadh) is an island and community in the Sound of Harris, Scotland. It is one of fifteen inhabited islands in the Outer Hebrides. It is famed for its rich and colourful history which has attracted much tourism.

With an area of 10.1 square kilometres (2496 acres), Berneray rises to a height of 305 feet (93 m) at Beinn Shlèibhe (Moor Hill) and 278 feet (85 m) at Borve Hill. There is strong evidence that points to Berneray being inhabited since the Bronze Age, and possibly before. The island is scattered with ancient sacred sites, stone circles, signs of Viking inhabitation and historical buildings, some several centuries old.

There are a few of the ancient Black Houses left, mostly refurbished, this one we passed in Sollas at the end of Committee Road, looks more authentic than the others we have seen.

The buildings were generally built with double wall dry-stone walls packed with earth, and were roofed with wooden rafters covered with a thatch of turf with cereal straw or reed. The floor was generally flagstones or packed earth and there was a central hearth for the fire. There was no chimney for the smoke to escape through. Instead the smoke made its way through the roof. This led to the soot blackening of the interior which may also have contributed to the adoption of name blackhouse.
The blackhouse was used to accommodate livestock as well as people. People lived at one end and the animals lived at the other with a partition between them.

So many deserted beaches, rocky shores and a well surfaced road, I didn't know where to look next. We made straight for the Youth Hostel at the end of a dead end road. It's placed on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sound of Lewis, also advertising a coffee shop. Whilst scanning the sound for divers, I noticed this line of vertebrae on the beach. Whale?

Only finding Gannets, we drove back more slowly, Pam visiting the Visitors Centre before we parked in a layby to eat lunch whilst watching numerous Harbour Seals sprawled on tide exposed rocks.

Soon after crossing the causeway to North Uist, passing the Lewes ferry, our first Uist Golden Eagle soared overhead. Thanks Pam, I was reading..... Pam is also good at recognising cars. Driving towards us were Sue and Ian on their way to Berneray. The usual jovial chat and information swapping before going our seperate ways. us to Loch Mhor where they'd seen a female Red-necked Phalarope earlier. They're back.

One car already in the first layby at Loch Mhor, room for us too. There below us were TWO Phalaropes, a male and the much more brightly coloured female. Phalaropes reverse the usual sex roles in birds: Females are larger and more colorful than males; females take the lead in courtship, and males are left to incubate the eggs and care for the young.
Sounds like a good plan to me.
They winter in the Pacific and nest in the Arctic, there's a small population in the northern Scottish Islands. 
They are dimunutive and very active birds, I still tried some photography with mixed results - mostly bad.

A few pairs of Arctic Terns also nest on this loch.

A quick check of Stinky Bay, finding no White-winged Gulls but plenty of stink. The seaweed is rotting. The flock of Eiders don't seem to mind.
Committee Road was calling. We added Buzzard and Hen Harrier to the pair of Stonechats we saw here this morning on the way to Berneray. And met Ian and Sue again. They'd loved Berneray too but we both wished we'd known before we went about the Lesser Yellowlegs present there . The news only came through this evening.
More Corncrake noise at last, including 'ours' over the garden wall. None of them showing this evening unfortunately, try again to-morrow.

A Day of Two Halves

Tuesday May 15

Waking to rain pouring down the window does not set the heart racing. Neither is it unxpected - it's Scotland. It did mean a latish start for Aird an Runair via Balranald. We'd been informed that the wind would go north westerly for a couple of hours around mid-day, with the possiblity of a Skua passage. As we drove the sandy dune track to the point, a figure trudged towards us, battling the wind. It was Sue, on her way to the loo. Ian was parked one car away from us, someone had newly vacated a space, leaving room for one car on the front row. Later, the car next to Ian also left and we ended up parked close enough to have a conversation - short ones as it was cold with the windows down.

We'd missed a perched Glaucous and a fly-by Iceland Gull but added Little Tern, Great Skua, 2 close Pomarine Skas and three Arctic Skuas in the next couple of hours.

Ian and Sue left to walk to the Point. Pam and I drove north along the coast, before returning to drive Committee Road in intermittent sun.

We ended with a pair of Hen Harriers - how wonderful is it to see them daily - a Buzzard, Raven and a Kestrel. The Griffins also made the road their nightly visit before retiring.

Except that we did not retire. It was a beautiful evening, golden light, blue sky with banks of contrasting white cloud. And wind.North through HoughHarry past Balranald and along the coast as far as our Corncrake, Iris gully. That bay was almost full of water, it shelves steeply so does not have an enormous, white shell sand expanse, at any time. Small waders dashed about in small clouds as their rocks were covered, the sea thrown against the rocks and rugged coastline giving white-splash interest to the scene.

A Common Gull cruised by, effortlessly using the wind to progress in their endless search.

No sign of the Corncrake to-night, Immaculate but very wary Rock Doves refused to be photographed. This female Wheatear dotted and dashed the machair, never getting quite close enough.

Wow. Pam called ''Skua''. One dark phase and, one striking pale phase, Arctic Skua, arrowed across the other side of the lochan, departing swiftly over the hillside. I managed to get a photograph..........spot the skua.

The large number of stays in the photo are necessary to anchor aerials in the wind. 
Another very enjoyable day with plenty of birds to keep us happy on these lovely islands.

Good company makes it fun too.

Guiding Friends

Monday May 14

Remembering well how de-skilled and lost we felt when first visiting the Uists, we offered to show Sue and Ian some of the birding hotspots. They were ready and waiting in their car, outside their cottage, when we drew up at 10.05 on an overcast, spitty rain and windy morning. Lovely.

Many people, me included, would love a home overlooking water, especially the sea. On the Uists it would be difficult to find one without a water view. Gone were the  blue sparkles of yesterday, grey and flat to-day. Not many birds about as we hastened towards Lochs Mor and Fada on Benbecula,  where the Red-necked Phalaropes breed. Rather early for them to make an appearance and they didn't. A good site to tick off though. 

Nearby Stinky Bay lived up to its name, the hillocks of seaweed already redolent. The sooner some of it is harvested for spreading on the machair the better. Farming the machair is encouraged as it keeps the land in good heart, spread seaweed fertilises naturally and historically, shallow tilling ensures that wild flower seeds are not dug too deep and will blossom again during the fallow years.

Ardnavachar and The Range (disused military firing range) next. Very few birds on the machair to-day. 

Ian had a message to say that a Ring-necked Duck had been seen on a loch we'd already passed by. First things first... coffee for all, cake for Pam and a shared scone for Ian and Sue, before a drooling inspection of the beautiful jewellery on display in the Hebridean Jewellery and cafe store.

We didn't find the reported duck, only a pair of Tufted Duck and a Coot. Probably a short drop-in visit.

Loch Aionart in South Uist is a favourite spot of ours. A lovely rocky sea inlet ending in a small parking area beside a small wood, the latter is rare on here. Probably because of the weather so far, we found room to park for once. After a late picnic lunch I and S went for a walk through the wood seeing very little. Golden Eagles are not going to be flying in this. At least a hundred Harbour Seals lay on the rocky islands below, their abandoned loafing has a charm of its own. Oh for some sun, it definitely lends enchantment to the view.

Six Red-breasted Mergansers, four drakes and two females entertained me with their courting display and ritual chasing of the females/ aggression towards other males.

Shortly before leaving, the sun appeared. Sporadic at first, becoming more general. Having shown the enormous Lady of the Isles sculpture half way up the hillside, we had another abortive go at the Ring-necked Duck site.

After a welcome cuppa at Ian and Sue's cottage, Pam and I drove Committee Road - getting withdrawal symptoms. Pam halted in a passing place having seen what turned out to be two Arctic Skuas harrying a Merlin up and around a lochan. What a display. Almost too fast to keep track of their jinking, merciless, pursuit of the smaller bird. Waw.

A short glimpse of a Hen Harrier completed the evening birding.

I had a mammal tick to-day too, a dead Hedgehog on the road. I don't count dead beasties but it's notable for being the first.

Contra Jour - All Day

Sunday May 13

Arriving at Aird an Runair, Balranald, mid morning we found that we were parked next to Sue and Ian. They had been watching the Semi-palmated Sandpiper, stating that it was only a short walk. I'd had a bad and short night on a hard mattress and a short walk is a nightmare in those conditions. I now wish I'd made the effort - because I feel better I expect. If it had been a lifer, I wouldn't have hesitated. Nice bird though.

The Corn Bunting was in good voice, elegant, graceful, Arctic Terns always a joy.

The machair had a number of Great Ringed Plovers scurrying about restlessly. Never quite close enough and backlit, as all the birds seemed to be to-day. 

 After sorting through the small waders on the huge swathes of seaweed, we drove north on a minor track which follows the coast. As is usual on Uist, more sandy bays, rocks and waders plus a few Eiders.

Deciding to return to the 'main' road, we turned and immediately heard a Corncrake craking. The iris are very short this year in a late spring (Summer?), surely it should be easy to spot him. Ha Ha. He sounded as though he was underneath the car. Eventually Pam saw him on the far bank of a small gully of Iris. I know that he puts his head up when he calls but first find your bird. As soon as you do, the head goes down and he moves stealthily away, needing to be re-located. Here we go again. I managed a few shots, none of which please me.

Much of the mid to late afternoon was spent driving up to the Geodesic Dome, from which we saw a White-tailed Eagle and then, Committee road. Three Hen Harriers, including a two tone grey and black wing-tipped male and two Short-eared Owls. The latter was a nest change-over. One bird dropping out of view as the other, paler bird, rose from the heather.

A Raven paid a short visit and then a Buzzard idly spiralled into the blue sky before dropping fast into the valley, rising with a rat in its talons. The rat's long, furless tail, clearly seen dangling below.