Scottish Adventure 2018

Part Two: Harris and Lewis and then back to the Highlands

[Photo taken on MV Loch Seaforth on crossing Stornoway to Ullapool]

Tuesday September 25th: we headed north to the Butt of Lewis - the island's northern tip. En route eagles were spotted. a golden sparring with a white-tailed. At the Butt of Lewis we sheltered near Stevenson's lighthouse [grandfather of the writer Robert Louis]. The weather was quite wild.

Ringed plovers and turnstones were seen on the grass nearby. Lots of shags were clinging to the rocks. Many flew past the headland.

In nearby Eoropie at the local community centre I was grateful for a carton of soup - very good price if you're up that way!! A buzzard was quartering the nearby meadow... ...black rabbits in the warren... ...and at the local nature reserve of Loch Stiaphat gulls were also sheltering.

In driving rain we called at the Carloway Broch where a few swallows were cruising the car park for insects - if there were any. It was pretty miserable!

Final call was at the Callanish Stones - an arrangement of standing stones set in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle. They were erected in the late neolithic era.

We returned to Stornoway by the Peat Road, pausing near the town dump where many gulls and ravens eke out a living.

Wednesday 26th September: early morning walk down to the harbour in Stornoway.

Then, after breakfast, back along the Peat Road. Peat is still cut here for fuel as these stacks demonstrate.

A white-tailed eagle up on rocks along the Peat Road.

Our time on Lewis was drawing to an end. We headed for the Eye Peninsula near Stornoway and stopped by a lochan shortly before reaching Tiumpan Head. A group of recently arrived whooper swans were resting up.

Tiumpan Head: breeding ground for gannets and site of another Stevenson lighthouse - this one built by Robert's son David. Now automated the buildings house a kennels and cattery!

Bonxies seen from Tiumpan Head.

Great trip back to Ullapool - 12 storm petrels seen by me [more seen in toto], plus great, arctic and long-tailed skuas.

Thursday 27th September: another blustery day as we headed for the Moray coast. But first of all I was up early and took this image at 7.18 a.m.

Loch Spynie RSPB held a range of duck, red squirrel plus a surprise slavonian grebe. Little grebe gave me a photo I really like.

Spey Bay was quiet photographically but lots of goosanders with mergansers in the mix. Lossiemouth proved interesting. Goosanders on the river. Incoming oyks! Cormorant by the harbour mouth. Red-throated diver and diving gannets out in the bay.

RTD as the pager often abbreviates... ...and sandwich terns...

Plunge-diving gannets... 

...and turnstones on Burghead harbour wall.

Findhorn Bay - driving out to the seafront some golden plover were seen among the shingle dunes - incredibly well camouflaged. Friday 28th September: crested tit on the hotel feeders and then into the forest again. No capercaillie or ptarmigan this year alas but we had some great crossbill encounters at Badaguish near Loch Morlich.

Badaguish spider in the spruces.

A robin watched us having our lunch.

Back at our hotel roe deer ran across the field in the increasing twilight.

Then it was homeward bound on the Saturday 29th September. I called at Musselburgh hoping for the american white-winged scoter but no sign and there were plenty of birders looking. Lots of velvet scoter however...

...and a few guillemots.

I have excluded one rather special encounter from this posting. I hadn't even dreamt I'd see this bird on my trip and it forms half of my next blog, ''A Tale of Two Birds'' which I intend to post in a few days' time.

248 UK 2018