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.
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.
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