The pace of island life…

Tags

Cladach Kirkibost, hen harrier, lapwings, Mute Swant, oystercatchers, short-eared owl, wildflowers

We thought we should do the RSPB walk this morning and the weather looked good when we started.

We walked over the flower-strewn machair just in front of the campsite – the tide was in and the water was a wonderful shade of aqua.

This gorgeous small orange flower stood out – it looks similar to a poppy but just slightly different.  We can’t find it in our books at all.

The village of Hougharry across the bay was bathed in sunshine.

The beach was deserted and we carried on walking along the path…

… past this abandoned tractor, left to rust in the normal way here in the islands.

Looking back towards the campsite, we could see Bessie just to the right of the building…

It started to rain – almost felt like sleet – so we decided to turn around and go back to the campsite.  Typically out here in the Hebrides, however, no sooner had we got back, it stopped!

We thought we would drive to Loch Portain today – we couldn’t remember if we had done this trip last year but there aren’t that many roads so thought we probably had.  But first we were determined to sample lunch again at Cladach Kirkibost!

On the way we passed an Oystercatcher who had unwisely brought her two chicks out onto the road!

The mother flew off and the chicks disappeared into the grass!

Just opposite, in a sandy gully, a Lapwing was making quite a racket and we soon saw the reason why – two really odd-looking chicks for her too!

One day they will grow up to look like mummy?  What fantastic iridescent colours!

 

Cladach Kirkibost was pretty full but we managed to get a table.  We ordered the ‘wee soup’ (I had spicy parsnip and Peter, ham and lentil)…

… finishing off with the peat smoked salmon on Scottish oatcakes.  Scrummy!

The Loch Portain area is actually lots of interlocking (!) lochs and the ground is very peaty.

There is a wonderful play of light in the hills beyond.

It seems to be our day for spotting chicks – here is a larger version of the Oystercatcher babies from earlier in the day, and a Mute Swan out with her cygnets.

It was when we reached a large viewing area that we remembered that we had, indeed, been here before.

This old blue fishing boat was still hauled up in a tiny bay.

On the Committee Road we once again saw the Hen Harrier and the Short-Eared Owl.  We’ve had another lucky day!