Storm Floris was an ill-timed affair for my visit to N Uist ...
While en route to Mallaig I heard that my ferry was cancelled, so overnight in Fort William awaiting an update. I got a booking from Oban to Barra so another night on the mainland at Oban.
Oban was jam packed with tourists and the only bird of interest was a Hooded Crow patrolling the car park which was my home for the night ...
The next day brightened and with a lively sea (not much appreciated by some green-faced travellers) Manx Shearwaters capitalised on the wind ...
... and a few Gannets gave some nice views ...
... Fulmars, on the other hand were boat-shy ...
... then finally the next day I was on S Uist and headed north to Benbecula where three adult Whoopers Swans swam on Loch Mor ... surely over-summering birds in August ...
...Floris as not done yet however and at Balranald the grey skies were back along with high 40mph winds ... some Rock Doves in a cut field gave me the chance to observe some of my newly-learned features compared with Feral Pigeons - a small cere and neat bill certainly fitted but the detail on the eye-ring was too much of a stretch at that range ...
... braving the winds at Aird an Runair along with me were around 100 Common Gulls in a sheltered(ish) bay ...
... a nice juvenile top left and one adult bottom right with completed wing-moult ... the other adults were exhibiting a range of work in progress wing tips ...
... the adult top right with p10 and p9 grown but p8 well behind ...
... the real prize for that walk was a calling Corncrake in a barley field ...
... then back on the edge of the campsite a Corn Bunting sang ... lovely !
... the next day was mixed with sharp showers but still that wind !
... a nice flock of Twite on the Machair Leathann ...
... and a flock of small waders on Traigh Ear ... some Sanderling and Dunlin that seemed to be all adults
...
... along the shore some Bar-tailed Godwits in various stages of moult and more Sanderling ...
... a flock of around 200 Starlings busily flew over the cereal fields and landed on the roicky shore ... a mix of adults and some velvety brown juveniles ...
... the next day was grey, drizzly, murky and with a punishing wind ... at Clachan Sands an adult White-tailed Eagle battled the wind, carrying something that looked like a partially dismembered bird of some description ...
... and was followed shortly by a sub-adult ...
... three Ravens made slightly lighter weather of it by keeping low to the ground ...
... the day of my crossing to Mallaig dawned with a strange silence ... the wind had gone ! My 20 minute drive to the port produced a Short-eared Owl and juveline male Hen Harrier ...
... on the crossing a pristine juvenile Kittiwake passed by ...
... and some Common Dolphins gave a virtuoso performance off the port side ... ceteceans never fail to thrill !
