It Got Better

 Thursday May 18

I woke to...... rain and wind, the willow tree hedging I can see from my bedroom window, lashing furiously to and fro. 

Pam appeared, having had a bad night worrying about the car. During the last week, it had developed a sporadic noise from what we thought was a rubbing brake pad. This has gradually become more frequent. As is her habit, before we left for Scotland, Pam took the car to the Mundesley garage for a booked pre-journey check-up. It had recently gained an MOT certificate. All was said to be well but, we might need new brake pads when we came home. Ha Ha, the time is now. Pam took the car in to the garage in Balivanich (Benbecula) where they said that we might not get 500 miles out of the current brake pads. And, they could get new pads by tomorrow, but they were short staffed and couldn't guarantee that the work would be done.

A despondent Pam came back to the flat, where we discussed what we could do. We'd miss the ferry and our overnight Travelodge etc etc. We drove back to the garage where Pam offered to pay overtime if they'd fit the pads tomorrow. The money offer was not discussed but they agreed to do the work. They will phone me as soon as the pads are in - after 1,30 - and we are to take the car in immediately. Thank goodness for that.

Relieved, we drove on to Stinky Bay where the tide was well in, the sky grey and the back-lit sea silver blue/grey.This is all we could see from the slipway entrance, the seaweed is full of summer plumaged waders, only distinguishable by their movement , mainly Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Turnstones. The Eider had flown around the point as the sea encroached on their loafing area.

 


Maybe Loch Mhor was worth a look. Parking in the usual pull off, we could see .... nothing at all living. We spent an hour here, engulfed by the passengers from a tour minibus which parked in front of us.A Reeve flew in, a Mallard slept in the grass and an occasional Arctic Tern flew through. Pam found a distant Short-eared Owl, which she called out to the group but they were unable to find it.

We ended the day by driving the island of Baleshire which is very near our apartment. A causeway makes us unaware that it was an island, As we'd hoped, we found some nesting waders. Lapwing chicks are delightful fluffy reprobates which seem to do exacrly as they want, whilst the parents call and flutter in agitation nearby.

 


Redshank chicks are similar, they also hatch and run whilst their parents squawk, usually from the  top of a post.

 


Even the very wary Snipe stood sentinel for long enough, oh for better light.

 



Maybe we can fit in a last visit to Committee Road tomorrow.

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