As the ferry left Uig harbour a juvenile Black Guillemot was swimming in the still waters of the bay ...
... as we headed out west across the Little Minch a few Kittiwakes were off the starboard side ... a typical juvenile looking rather pristine ...
... and then a 2ndW bird as indicated by the black line along the outer primaries ...
... a dark phase Arctic Skua flashed by and a rather unexpected light-bellied Brent Goose winged its was west, followed by a Manx Shearwater as we neared North Uist ... over the mountain ridge two Golden Eagles soared distantly along with this 2nd/3rd year White-tailed Eagle, showing a pale back and banded tail ...
... on arriving at Lochmaddy I headed south to South Uist in search of an American Golden Plover that had been reported over recent days at The Range, West Gerinish ... on finally locating Launch Area 2 there was a scattering of Golden Plovers feeding among the vegetation ... after a short time the very striking adult appeared ...
Back on N Uist at Aird an Runair ... the stormy weather brought some gulls close in to inlets to feed among the foam ... an adult argentatus Herring Gull showed its white tip to p10, small mirror on p9 and absence of black mark on p5 along with pale tongues eating into the black wingtip ...
... these features are indicative of birds from the southern Scandinavian breeding population ...
... a Common Gull floating on the wind was in transition from juvenile to 1stW plumage, showing retained juvenile mantle feathers with pale fringes and some grey 1stW feathers mixed in ... the bill pattern was that of a juvenile ...
... seawatching produced mainly Gannets but in a 60mph morning a Sooty Shearwater was the reward for braving the rocky tip of Aird an Runair ...
... Starlings were present in good numbers as they fed among the piled up seaweed ... this group were in transition from juvenile to adult plumage ...
... some female Eiders flew ut of the bay ...
... the finch flock at Balranald consisted mainly of Linnets with a few Twite in the mix ...
... a sizable flock of Black-tailed Godwits, presumablt irds moving south from Iceland, was a surprise ...
... while waves of Pink-footed Geese headed in the same direction ...
... a few Bar-tailed Godwits probed the sands .
... Ravens cavorted overhead ...
... the most common wader was Sanderling ... this probable adult was transitioning to winter plumage ...
... while most were juveniles ...
... an early adult Whooper Swan appeared ...
... a flock of Wigeon included some adult males, females and a few 1stW birds lacking the crisp wing covert pattern ...
... Turnstones were widespread, this juvenile is indicated by the pale fringed scapulars and wing coverts ...
... a Herring Gull showed a mixed suite of age related features ...
... the lack of white primary tips suggests 2ndW as does the bill pattern, the wing coverts, scapulars and tertials would point more towards a 3rdW ...
... the ever present Sanderlings were manly juveniles ...
... another 1stW Common Gull was more advanced with fewer juvenile mantle feathers ...
Rock Doves fed in flocks in stubble fields ...
... a walk through a field path at Clachan Sands, and a late Corncrake burst out of the long grass, called raspily and drpped back in ...
Seawatching produced large numbers of Gannets ... this juvenile showed a strange pale face as it moved into the next plumage phase ...
... and a 3CY bird ...
... and adults ...
Greylag flocks were frequent in the fields ...
...
... with a few juvenies showing fainter more curved mantle feather fringes ...
... and the adults flew off showing barred flanks ...
... and another smart Common Gull moving into 1stW plumage ...
... Knot were present in small numbers and included a few juveniles ...
Dunlin were quite scarce and most were adults ...
... and the Ringed Plovers appeared to be mainly 'Tundra types' with dark mantles ...
... while the Grey Plovers were still in breeding plumage ...
... near the Udal Penninsula a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull tried unsuccessfully to feed on a newly dead Common Gull ...
... showing the chequered mantle, heavy bill and tail band that turned into dark spots towards the rump ...
... nice fly by views ...
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