Annoying Granny! Friday 15th August 2014

Hi, I found this day brilliant with great views of Ruff!

When I woke up I said "fancy waking up and seeing Turnstones from your bed!" Yes, sure enough Turnstone were directly through the window. Also a Great-Northern Diver...

Find it!

Lots of Eiders were still out in the bay with tens of Arctic Terns! There was also a Pale Phase Arctic Skua

Pale Phase Arctic Skua

We were going to Balranald, a nature reserve on North Uist that you may have heard of because of the popular staying Harlequin Duck! Even before arriving on north Uist we had already seen 18 different species of birds. We had got up early so there was a chance of a Sea Otter, we din't find one but one of the visitors mentioned seeing one at 6:30, I'm not waking up at the time!

The first few birds on North Uist was a Kestrel and a few Meadow Pipits, quite decollate! However, after getting round a field just past the Lochmaddy turning we spotted some Lapwings and Golden Plovers. This had to hold something else I thought, and sure enough there was a Ruff standing directly in the middle of the field! Although I must confess that just before stopping I did see a bird similar to that land in the field...

 Juvenile I think!?

Then a few more fields after I luckily spotted yet another female Ringtail Hen Harrier! All this fuss about them in England, they're thriving up here, so much food!

We thought that going to Baile Mor, a farmland famed for its declining Corn Buntings. We were going down one of the grass tracks at Baile Mor beside some of the lush fields when one, then 2, then 3 turned up!

Singing

Posing

They seemed tamer than the ones we seem in Wiltshire, maybe because of the "Racing Skoda!" One day these guys will become extinct on the Western Isles, they need help as well! Unfortunately I couldn't take a photo of the yellow bottoms or rumps but them sitting up was good enough! Sand Dunes were at the bottom of the track, so we had a quick look on the map and found a nicely sized bay in front of it, we had to check it out...

They found me...

Mixed flock of Dunlin, Turnstone and Ringed Plover

So there was a nice mixed flock on the bay, and just shows how abundant and plentiful the islands are. You won't see this on many bays this often! While coming back we found a couple of Wheatears escorting us up the roads...

After a few more encounters with some Corn Buntings we were well on our way to Balranald. Only one wrong turning this time! We were hoping the visitors centre would have a warden but no, just a "wasted " building we said! I went on ahead leaving Granny behind with haste, excited to see what was over the machair filled ridge! Another Great-Northern Diver, still far away, ughhh! Come closer!!!

Yep, bad photo...

Just behind the GND there were some Arctic Terns that are supposedly the ones that breed on the headland. My Grandma had arrived by now and had seen the Diver. The next thing we know a huge flock of waders arrived with a dart like figure. Golden Plovers, around 100 of them along with a couple of Curlew and Greenshank. We had a look through the flock with no success of vagrants. However, Golden Plovers are on of my favourite birds so it is nice to see them in these sorts of numbers breeding up on the moors. Finally my Grandma picked out something of interest a short-billed Curlew. Called a Whimbrel, solitary this one...

My terrible attempt, I have got into art...

The real picture!

Another flock of waders flew in after, Redshank. After a look through it I picked out three Greenshanks. Now we had enough of that bay we decided to park by the other bay, we were dissapointed... An RSPB reserve  the last few letters meaning protection of birds with dogs running without leads on scaring Sanderling and Ringed Plover, not acceptable I think, what do you? Comment! Yeah so a few Sanderling and Ringed Plover, struggling to sit still wiht the dogs and people walking almost directly into the flock!!! So that was saddening to think that a reserve is worser for the birds that without it. I decided following this to escape so grabbed my scope, binoculars and camera and was off to the point. On the way more Wheatears pleased me while more Ringed Plover and Dunlin scurried along the seaweed.

I had a small sewatch that only produced Manx Shearwaters, still a fairly new bird for me though :) Another three Corn Buntings were along the path...

I wouldn't say this reserve is worth protecting as it would have done as well, maybe even better with less touristic activities... One more female Ringtail Hen Harrier pleased us on our drive...

Malacleit was just around the corner so we decided to have a look there, a few Greenshanks were close by. But a moments of unrest then suddenly a Sparrowhawk arrived hunting one of the Greenshank, wowowowowow!!! Although the sheep did cause us hassle with a local traffic jam!!!

So great day out but what was waiting by our "home" was even better in my opinion! So minutes after getting back to the hostel I believed that going on a walk would be a nice way to occupy myself, so binoculars and camera was enough. Only a few paces before leaving my house I encountered this...

No the boy isn't killing the Guillemot, he is feeding it! Although after giving the Guillemot an inspection it did seem to have a broken wing so was rather pointless feeding it. The boy found it on a beach so thought that it would be sensible to feed and care for it. Thoughtful! At the bottom of the bay there were 100s of Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Sanderling all across this corner. A few Oystercatchers, turnstones and 1 Curlew was also there. So jam packed with beauty. I didn't have my scope on me at the time so walked back to pick it up then noticed at least 50 turnstones in the seaweed right in front of our room! So I took camp there for a couple of hours just watching them leave and come for ages. 10 Sanderling was also in the flock with a Knot! How fantastic 5M's away from a Knot, tell me if you have done that! I didn't bother getting the camera out again after leaving it so didn't get these close up shots but did get some of the Sanderling and Knot, oh I also forgot the Ringed Plover! Oh and the 100s of Golden plover that flew over my head twice, oh also the 5 Snipe flying around, can't forget the Arctic Terns feeding right in front of me ;)

Turnstone, Ringed Plover and Sanderling in this shot!

GREAT DAY!!!