At last – the first of the Black-tailed Godwits arrive…

The migration season has truly begun in Barra.  As we drove down to the old jetty we suddenly spotted a flock of Black-tailed Godwits in a field in their rich reddish-brown breeding plumage .  They were being hassled by an angry Lapwing – possibly the same one we photographed with a couple of chicks the other day.

Female Lapwings are fierce!  I love this photo of one of the Godwits legging it as an angry mother sweeps past.

We had had a rough night and Peter had woken feeling sea-sick!  He was unusually grey and felt very unwell.  Luckily it passed and the weather, although still extremely windy, has improved a bit.

At the airport we were surprised to see that a flight had arrived – we had heard that Caledonian-Macbrayne had cancelled the sailing to Oban.  We watched as a handful of passengers got on the plane. It skimmed across the white sand and gracefully took to the air.

Further round the strand there was a flock of Dunlins – migration has truly started!

Over on Vatersay, an attractive trio relaxed…

… While there was activity involving the Lifeboat where a fishing boat had broken from its moorings and the Lifeboat (including, apparently, our host, Angus, who, when not out with his own fishing boat, helps to crew it) was lending a hand.  There has recently been a tragic incident off Vatersay – a crew of two fishermen perished when their inflatable lifeboat failed to inflate when there was a problem with their fishing boat.  One man had survived by swimming to the shore.

In the sea passage between the islands, now partially divided by the causeway, there was decidedly more activity than of late.

A tasty meal?

How about a madness of gulls as a collective term?

White Fronted Goose

Oooooohhhh!

Back on Barra on our journey back to Eoligarry via the Atlantic west coast, the sea is still in fury…

… And the airfield is flooded as the tide is fully in.

At the campsite this little Linnet is scampering around the grass next to us.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?