Did It Have To?

Friday May 19

Did it have to pour down on our last day? I had every intention of being out early this morning, I even set the alarm clock. One look out of the bedroom window, which had streams running down it and it was back to bed for a read. 
Pam dressed and got the moth trap in - after emptying two inches of water out of the suitcase lid. I took it apart and dried everything, finding no moths at all and, sodden egg boxes.
We were due to collect my made up earrings to-day, as good a destination as any. Considering the number of birders who visit these islands, they are very dilatory in producing appropriate jewellery. The same two bird designs as last year, neither of them particularly desirable.The shop in South Uist is also their workshop, they made a couple of tie-pins into earrings for me. I'm sure that Puffins would go down very well with general public, not only birders. The first little parking area at Loch Mor was full, we parked at the westerly end again. on the raised grassy hump in front of a field gate. Mor had the usuals, Common and Arctic Terns, Red Breasted Merganser, Common Gulls and a pair of Wigeon. Pam was taxed with watching the small pools of Loch Fada to the south.. These are invisible from everywhere else, only from our mound can the loch be seen.
What luck, two Red-necked Phalaropes flew in before landing on the water, soon disappearing into the reedy islands. This pattern continued, fly about a bit, disappear then re-appear. Meanwhile, a third Phalarope flew along the main loch, crossed in front of the car and joined the fun. We think that they were two females and one less colourful male. Not that we had crippling views, much too wet to put my scope out of the window. I'd have been drenched merely opening the window.
A slow trawl of the nearby shore before driving to Stinky Bay and the Range. Dozens of Ringed Plover and handsome, but very wary, Rock Doves enjoy feeding on the machair of the Range.


 We'd noticed that as the tide was still well in, hundreds of Sanderling, Dunlin and a few Turnstones were closer to the road than usual. We both spent an enjoyable time trying to photograph the constantly shifting kaleidoscope that is the waders we call the Littlies. Trying to sort the variation in plumage too.



Crossing a narrow neck of one of the lochs, a Little Tern was seen fishing. Undeterred by rain and brain, I tried to photograph it. This is one of the less disastrous results, rain drops an' all.


Earrings collected and a mid afternoon(and lunch) snack consumed, we set off north and home. Two of the tarted up Crofts known as Black Houses are found along this road, used as lets for tourists.

A last drive up Committee Road and back for the last time this year. No birds but the Bog Bean group is  in flower.

Farewell time for Balranald and Ard an Runair too. By now, the rain had stopped and the sun made an occasional appearance. The bay looked as beautiful as always.
Why hadn't we noticed before? Probably too involved steering the least arduous course along the appalling track. We were wishing that we could be here to see the machair in full flowere whrn Pam said 'look at that yellow flower'. There were minute yellow pansies everywhere on one side. Only 1 centimetre across.


 We'd dismissed them as celandines, which are also plentiful. We now think they'd flowered since yesterday morning.........
No signal, Blog frozen, yet again, am finishing and adding missing photos Saturday evening at Fort William.







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