Nearly a Full House

Thursday May 11 

The Hebides WhatsApp group rarely posts any messages, due to the draconian rules. An early message today reported a male Garganey on Loch nam Faithean. That's where we decided to start our day, on the way to Berneray.

Bother, there was a car there already. Not a real parking spot, nor a passing place, merely a wider verge than usual. We squeezed in. Pam got me my scope, it was only a few minutes before I located a drake Garganey swimming along the far shore. I soon realised that it was being followed by a female, a pair. Pam followed with her yellow gaffer-taped bins (!!), pointing them out to the other two birders. They were able to offer us a female Pintail in exchange. Ridiculous, but I tried some photography. The first photo is that taken by a 500mm lens, unedited. The following ones  have been heavily cropped.

 


 


The birds then mated, the male  holding the female below the water by the neck whilst mounting. 




There were also Tufted Duck and Little Grebe for the day list.

Such a beautiful day, warm and sunny, so  good to see the landscape at its best. The Berneray-Lewis ferry had just discharged its vehicles and passengers, obvious by the half a dozen motorhomes which trundled towards us. 

 
 
We didn't stop long at Borve. The tractors were still busy ploughing and seeding, the crofters are so good natured and pleasant to the tourists invading their lands, often swerving onto the machair to allow passage. 
 

As we re-joined the coast road an oncoming car stopped beside us. It was Ian and Sue. They were several hours ahead of us and were on the way back to Uist.

We drove on towards the end of the main road, a beautiful bay which is unnamed on maps. The nearest label is Baile. The many layered beach exposed by the ebbing tide, reaches to the last building, a youth hostel. 

 


This is the view from the clifftop across the strait to Harris and Lewis.

 

We stayed here for an hour and a half, Pam watching, me doing so in between reading today's paper. Her eyes are so much better than mine these days. The occasional Gannet flew through, well out to sea. Little Terns fished close in and an immature White-tailed Eagle ( no white tail) passed on a mission. As did an Arctic Skua. Eventually, we dragged ourselves away, adding a Golden Eagle to the day's delights.

Grenitote, not far from Sollas, has a memorial garden surrounded by a grove of deciduous trees. It's a usual port of call for Willow Warbler and some woodland birds. Pam heard a male Cuckoo calling, followed by the female's burble, coming from behind the wood.She drove along the rough track beside it and there was a Cuckoo perched on overhead wires. The female then flew close by before both then spent the next ten minutes flying about, the male often perching. Never quite close enough - nor the right way of the light.

 

Armed with an icecream, we drove up Committee Road to find the watchpoint already held four cars, the male birders all stood outside. A group of jovial older men. We ate our icecreams, one complained that he hadn't had his tea yet, another waved his hand at the hill and said that there was an eagle up there. We were already watching a Golden Eagle soar away into the distance. Another eagle appeared, this time an adult White-tailed. The next bird was a brief glimpse of a male Hen Harrier.

Time to head home. The last of the day's delights was a Short-eared Owl which Pam spotted shortly before the Lochmaddy turnoff. It dropped to the ground, we were not in a passing place ,and a lot of traffic came along. My opportunity for a flying shot will have to wait another day.

d

 



 

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