Scotland (2)

North Uist 24 - 29 July

Lochmaddy, North Uist , 26 July 2018

24 July
We drove from the Black Isle across to Skye. In Uig Harbour there were five Common Eiders, a Shag and a Black Guillemot.
25 July
We took the car ferry from Uig to Lochmaddy in North Uist. It was a cloudy morning with strong swells but with plenty of seabirds on the crossing. From the deck, I saw plenty of Northern Gannets, Fulmars, Arctic Terns, Kittiwakes, Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots and  Black Guillemots, plus a flock of 25 Common Scoters, three Manx Shearwaters and four European Storm Petrels.

Northern Gannet, Uig - Lochmaddy ferry, 25 July 2018

Northern Fulmar, Uig - Lochmaddy ferry, 25 July 2018

After arriving on North Uist, we headed to Grenitote where a Snowy Owl had been seen on the previous two days. Unfortunately, the owl was not recorded again during our stay, but en route we had a Short-eared Owl quartering the machair adjacent to the road, and in the grassland adjoining the sandy bay at Grenitote there were a number of common waders, gulls and passerines including Meadow Pipits, Corn Buntings and Twite.

Short-eared Owl near Lochmaddy, 25 July 2018

Eurasian Oystercatcher, Gerintote, 25 July 2018

Common Gulls, Gerintote, 25 July 2018

Common Gull, Gerintote, 25 July 2018

Meadow Pipit, Gerintote, 25 July 2018

Twite, Gerintote, 25 July 2018

Corn Bunting, Gerintote, 25 July 2018

26 July
We spent the morning walking the nature trail at RSPB reserve at Balranald. The leaflet from the visitor centre states that the reserve “comprises 658 ha of rocky headlands, islands, sandy bays, grasslands, inland lochs, machair and fen. These habitats support internationally important populations of several birds, notably the Corncrake… Many wading and farmland birds nest on the flower-rich machair and croft-land.”
 
Unfortunately, a strong wind was blowing from the south during our visit, making birdwatching and photography difficult in this exposed area. (The  temperature here was 18⁰C; in London, on the same day, the temperature reached 35⁰C!) North Uist is one of the best places for breeding waders in Britain, holding summer populations of Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Common Snipe and Common Redshank, with smaller numbers of Eurasian Curlew, Golden Plover and Common Greenshank, and a few Red-necked Phalaropes. We didn’t see snipe or golden plover today, but we saw the rest, including a single phalarope beside one of the tiny freshwater lochs next to the sea on the reserve. There were  migrant Dunlin and Sanderling on the beaches. Offshore there was a steady southerly movement of  Northern Gannets and I also picked out a few Manx Shearwaters. A Great Skua flew south on the landwards side of the dunes. Driving back to Lochmaddy along the A867, an Arctic Skua flew across the road in front of the car.
 
27 July
The wind combined with light rain in the morning made for unpleasant walking in exposed areas – and the landscape is very exposed on these islands. The wooded area around Langass Lodge held Blackbird, Robin and Goldcrest. On the moorland hills above the lodge we visited a Neolithic stone circle, sheltering from the driven rain behind the largest rock in the complex. Above us, a female Hen Harrier hunted low over the heather. Our walk talk us higher and then downhill to Langass Wood – a conifer plantation of non-native Sitka Spruce and Lodgepole Pine. There, we saw a family of three Common Buzzards, three Chaffinches, a Wren and more Goldcrests. Walking back along the main to the lodge, we spotted a female red-breasted Merganser on one of the bare, open lochs.
 
Later, we drove south through Benbecula to South Uist, stopping briefly at various sites. Smaller lochs held the odd Mallard and Tufted Duck. Loch Bee had 50+ Mute Swans, and 50+ Greylag Geese. A Red-throated Diver flew over the road from the sea towards Loch Druidibeg. On the moors along the side of the loch we turned up three Common Kestrels, three Ravens and two Hooded Crows. 

Beach near Balranald Visitor Centre, 28 July 2018

28 July
The morning was fine. The wind dropped. We headed out to Balranald and walked the nature trail again. In  the calm conditions, a Corncrake called from crops close to the camp site and a  Common Snipe flew overhead.  Out on the beach at the southern end of the headland called Aird an Runair there were 250 Dunlins, 20+ Sanderlings and 22 Turnstones. The waders took flight when an Arctic Skua flew overhead. Nine Eiders and a juvenile Shelduck were on the sea close to the shore. Several Wheatears were scattered around the grassy headland. As we headed back to the car, the wind increased in strength and storm clouds gathered to the south. Soon rain began to fall, ending our birding for the day. 

Dunlins, Balranald, 26 July 2018

Dunlin, Balranald, 28 July 2018

Sanderling, Balranald, 28 July 2018

Ringed Plover, Balranald, 28 July 2018

Great Black-backed Gull, Balranald, 26 July 2018

Common Starling, Balranald, 28 July 2018

Northern Wheatear, Balranald, 28 July 2018

Rock Pipit, Balranald, 28 July 2018

 29 July
We caught the ferry back to Skye. A force 8 gale was blowing, making the sea rougher than on the outward journey. I saw the same sea birds as before and counted at least 18 Manx Shearwaters and six European Storm Petrels. Additional birds consisted of six Sooty Shearwaters, a Great Skua and an Arctic Skua.