Day 26

 Monday May 20

I wasn't happy with yesterday's views of the American Golden Plover - nor the umpteen rotten photos I took. We drove directly to the southern part of the MOD Range at Geirinish, passing Loch Bee with its dozens of Mute Swans. Why aren't they paired up and breeding? The dropped pin was at some cattle troughs which we eventually found, In order to get any view at all, we had to drive onto the lumpy, bumpy, machair and then stop  a fair  distance away when some deep ridges appeared, There were several Golden Plover in varied plumage. Using my scope, I was able to pick out the American Golden Plover, which doesn't have any white between the black belly and its upperparts.

 

Again, my photos are dreadful. This one is from the internet.

Next stop, Einort. Such a beautiful day, so warm that I was without a sweater all day. The scenery is stunning, Rocks, moorland and blue sky, water everywhere. No still photos could do it justice. With such lovely weather, the birding is slow. We saw Red-breasted Mergansers, and the woods area held the usual countryside birds such as Chaffinch, Dunnock, Robin, Cuckoo, Willow Warbler and Wren.

There were some seals today, lying out on the rocky island like big, grey, glossy, slugs., occasionally waving a flipper or tail to prove that they were alive.

 


One of Loch Druidibeag's White-tailed Eagles sat in a tree near to the nest. Unseen by us - and the other two birders present - it left its perch and was last seen soaring away into the distance. A few of the local ponies were around the road, mostly males, but one had a small foal in attendance. How can two virtually black parents have such a pale baby? Fences are necessary to stop people from feeding them and the animals wandering the roads.


 

After a quick check of Loch Mhor, no Phalaropes there, there was the inevitable stop at Stinky Bay where the tide was in.

 


No waders at all, have they all gone north? Committee Road was beckoning. A male Hen Harrier showed well as we drove north to the Raptor watchpoint which was full, two motorhomes and two cars.

Pam tried out the Emperor Moth lure to see if it stiil works - it's rather old now. Two males came fluttering in, searching frantically for the invisible female. Even in Pam's jeans. A White-tailed Eagle appeared over the northern ridge, flying rapidly across the valley before appearing to land in the large forestry plantation. A pleasing end to a very relaxed and enjoyable day.

One new moth this morning, a Brown Rustic.




 

 

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