More animal & bird families…

Today we’re off on a mini tour of the island.  First, one of our favourite wader spotting places which is just around the corner from the campsite.

Here we found an Eider family with their darling little brown fluffy bundles of fun.  There is so much difference in the male and female colouring and I wonder whether all these babies are female or do they change as they grow older?

This Redshank looks terrific in the sunshine.

Going further on we passed the folly that is Scolpaig tower, built in the 19^th century in the middle of the lake.  Apparently you can paddle over to it when the water is low but I don’t think we’ll bother…

Talking of walking out to islands, we have decided not to try to reach the house on Vallay island.  I have read too many hairy tales of people drowning in the effort!  This was in the past though.  Instead we used the Sigma lens to take a look at the house photographically.

As mentioned yesterday, it is the wide variety of colours here that are so stunning, depending on the tide pattern.  It can look totally different throughout the day.  From the pink carpets of Thrift, particularly on the salt marsh areas (header photo)  to the millions of white daisies that strew the grassy areas, it really is unique.

 

 

We stopped at Cladach Kirkibost for some drinks and cake and found it was actually too hot to sit outside!  If you can just get out of the wind, the sun really has impact.  The usual problem is getting out of the wind!

Down at one of my favourite lochs, Loch Euphort, another Mute Swan and cygnets – looking a little older than the last ones we saw.

This area is covered in royal blue lochans and, somehow, even this disused factory looks romantic!

Around another corner and we were surprised to see a couple of Red Deer relaxing in the sun.

They seemed unfazed by our appearance and we watched them for some time before moving on.

On way back Peter spotted another Short-eared Owl but, once again, we both failed to get a good photo before he swooped off.  Hopefully better luck tomorrow with that!

Another bird to add to our growing North Uist list of birds is now the Whooper Swan, in fact a pair of them.  We had no idea that they sometimes have a sprinkling of a rusty orange colour in their head and neck feathers but, consulting the books, yes they do!

Don’t you just love the adoring look the female is giving the male?

The campsite looks pretty full again tonight.  Looking forward to another successful and sunny day tomorrow…