A walk on the wild side…

The high winds continue here in Barra and we’ve had another gale-force night being buffeted around.  Interestingly, though, we are sleeping well!

A visit to the old jetty and Peter spotted something in the sea but it was quite some distance away.  He bravely got out of Bessie to try to get some decent photographs and did manage to get some reasonable ones considering the distance.  We had heard that there had been many sightings of a White-billed Diver near the jetty and for a while he thought that he had found it but… editing of the photo proves that it was probably a Great Northern Diver after all.

No apologies for yet another photo at the jetty but I just adore the translucence of the water here.

The ponies have actually moved around today – I think they are probably Eriskay ponies and their manes and tails are particularly beautiful.

Further along the coast and I can’t resist another photo of one of my favourite houses:

This handsome ram just begged for a photo – shame about the wire fence but he’s got a wonderful face.

Following the road down the east coast towards Castlebay you reach a large pond with beautiful pale blonde reeds.  There are a pair of Mute swans there.  This is the Cob and the female is sitting on a rather large nest on the edge of the water.

Changes in the light with the rapidly changing weather bring wonderful colours to the sea too – dark green in this case…

… but it was the journey up the west, or Atlantic, coast where we can see the effect of the high winds.  Dramatic – as can be seen in our header photo and here.

Reaching the campsite again, Peter decided to take a walk along the beach while I just snoozed!  Here are some of his photos:

Oystercatchers

Whimbrel

Common Gull

Ringed Plover

Whimbrel

Whimbrel flying

Later, I had another try at an acrylic painting and am better pleased with this one.  When you normally paint in oils this is quite a different technique to master.