Now, where was it we saw those oysters?

Peter’s morning walk with Alfie brought forth a Dunlin at last!

It took him back to our first visit to this lovely island when we had been amazed by a troupe of Dunlins appearing around the rocks and I had painted them from a photograph.  Unfortunately there was only one this time but never mind.  They are the sweetest little bird, much like a Sanderling but with black tummies which turn back to white after the breeding season.

How about this for camouflage?  How quickly can you spot the Pippit in this mass of seaweed?

The humble Starling is often maligned but when you get a chance to photograph them in close-up you are reminded what amazing colours and patterns are in its feathers.

No-one can accuse the Hooded Crow of being pretty but this wind-swept photo shows off his character to a ‘t’!

The morning has begun bright and breezy – very breezy in fact, and the journey down to the Airport shows the beautiful colours of the island off to perfection.

After posting yesterday’s blog at the café we back-tracked to the old jetty and managed to park Madge in a good spot.  It was still very windy so we dressed up suitably and went down to the beach – a long stretch of white sand bordered by the dunes on one side and the turquoise water on the other.

Alfie was in his element and must have covered nearly every part of the beach!

The last time we were in Barra, two years ago, there was a lot of activity at the old jetty where a lot of special bags were being made up.  Peter had a fair idea that they were oyster bags and this time we could see what it was all about.

A number of metal racks stretched out at low tide, covered by bags containing oysters, the idea being that as the tide rose they would get the nutrients from the water and so grow larger over a couple of years.

Alfie definitely liked the smell!

We walked a long way along the beach – Peter taking a photo of our campsite in the distance.

Apart from the two Oystercatcher we only saw a distant Gannet and this Gull circling above us in the deep blue sky.

but Alfie was doing his best to fly himself!  I have never seen him so happy.

I think the walk must have tired me out as no sooner had we got back to the site in Madge I crashed out on my bed, joined by Alfie and we slept for an hour or so while Peter got on with his jigsaw of the AA men!

The weather forecast for the Hebrides is not too hopeful for tomorrow but we can’t really complain!