Early Concern, Later Euphoria

Sunday May 14

Last year, my case moth trap was new, so I heeded the advice not to put it out in the rain. It has a rain guard, why should I be so limited? We only used it twice on this island last year. It wasn't raining when we went to bed, there had obviously been a heavy shower during the night. The actinic tube was still hooked up but not alight. No moths either. We emptied the trap, left the egg boxes to dry out and left for Balranald.

A lovely sunny morning with a stiff breeze, Skylarks singing, Lapwings Peeweeing, Redshanks whistling and at least two Corncrakes craking. None in our garden so far.

Straight out to Ard an Runair beach, the area around the Reserve centre ( a small stone shed) and the loos was full of people, a coachload had arrived.

The metal road soon descends to a very rough stone and sand track through the machair. Very few vehicles at the beach, half a dozen at the most. Parking where we could see the bay, scanning brought a host of Sanderling with a few Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, moving endlessly about the beach. It looked as though the sand was moving.

Ard an Runair Bay, taken into the sun.

 Thirty Common Terns rested on a rocky outcrop, a few Gannets passed by and, a Uist tick, an adult Mediterranean Gull cruised by and back again.

I wanted to see if I could photograph the terns so Pam drove higher up the machair - which is when she noticed that one of the parked cars above us belonged to the Bees. J soon came down for a chat, full of her archaeological day out on the island. Also with some useful news about where to see the birds at the moment. She was disappointed that they'd only seen one Skua but optimistic that the weather from to-morrow will be more propitious (rough).

They left for lunch at the campsite mobile kitchen, we went back to the cottage to hang out the washing before driving to Paibles and Baile Mor where there were four Dotterel. We found the area, saw several birders in the far distance, too far for us to walk, not even in scope view.

Back to the Balranald area, where our first wait in a reported Corncrake area was unsuccessful. One was showing in a field near the centre this morning, let's try there. On the way down, we saw a Glaucous Gull in the cattle field. Parking outside the Centre, we kept watch, through a wire fence, on a docks, rape remnants, rough pasture with weeds, field, backed by a dung heap. Yes, a bird called. Pam spotted it first, classic head and neck showing as it called, pose. 

We watched it for nearly an hour, skulking in the vegetation, head showing occasionally before pulling it back down to creep through tall weeds before appearing somewhere unexpected. It did show briefly but well, legging it towards the dung heap before disappearing again. Try photographing that ! Beyond my capabilities but I tried.

Where next? Committee Road, which climbs through the high hills with their peat diggings and down to Sollas. Part of the way up, Pam called White-tailed Eagle. Two birds, one missing feathers, soaring together against a cobalt blue sky. One came near enough to encourage me to tumble clumsily - and painfully - out of the car to take a few photographs.

Waw. They never fail to fill me with awe and admiration. 

Pam drove to the end of the road and then back again to park in the raptor watchpoint, seeing nothing apart from a Raven. I was reading yesterday's Telegraph..... Pam got bored withe nothingness and we drove to the military dome, high on a hill, labelled as the St Kilda viewpoint. A Short-eared Owl was the welcome reward, hunting below us.

(Pam has just come in to say that she'd heard a Corncrake in our next door field).

When we got home, in an increasingly strong wind :
Most of the clean washing was still on the line..........and the actinic tube in the moth trap still works.

So, Spurs beat Man U 2-1 on their final match at White Hart Lane. Rooney was the lone scorer for us - Jose said he would play a weakened side, saving the best for the Europa League Final !!
The WiFi continues to be iffy, dropping in and then out again as I work, annoying.