This is the life – part two…

Another day for relaxing and enjoying the lovely weather up here in our eagle’s nest.  Carol and Graham are on their way to Balranald on North Uist so we say goodbye to them and decide that we really ought to investigate one of the lochs where, Tony tells, an Otter mum is about to have a pup.

I don’t think I was built for scrambling over rocks, whilst at the same time by-passing the inevitable bogs, so needed a long rest on a suitable rock when we reached the first loch.  Peter, however, decided to do a bit of mountaineering and made it to the top of the highest rock to look down on the second one.

If you look closely, even in this apparently barren landscape, tiny wild flowers grow in the crevices of the rocks.  These, I believe, are wild thyme and tormentil.

I also took a picture of this strange furry brown stuff (at first I thought it might be a dead animal) but haven’t investigated it yet.

No otter for us today – unsurprisingly as she is a very shy animal, especially when in pup – and, suitably refreshed, we scramble back to Bessie.  Enough exercise for one day I think!

More painting for me and more bird-watching for Peter.  There aren’t too many birds around here generally although we can often hear bird-song.

Pete managed to get this one of a Meadow Pipit.

There was a bit of excitement in the afternoon when Tony, who was showing some new people the ropes, suddenly shouted ‘Golden Eagle’!  There were two Buzzards chasing the Eagle but so high in the sky and the Eagle vanished before we could get a photo.  We did, however, get a good photo of one of the Buzzards.  We’re beginning to doubt whether we’ll ever get one of a Golden Eagle.

We finished the day with another barbecue – this time with some Pollack that Tony’s son had caught the evening before.  Tony kindly does it up in foil parcels for us (with herbs and butter) so it’s easy just to pop it on the barbie.  Another delicious meal.

A game of Canasta to wind up the evening and I managed to win a game at last!  Meanwhile the sun was setting (it doesn’t get truly dark until about 11pm) and a mixture of purples and orange lit up the sky as the sun sank behind the hills…