Machair splendour! Part I

With a 'reasonable' forecast we headed out to Traigh Iar and Traigh Ear, the peninsular just north of Solas. A nice round walk with spectacular machair flowers ...and we almost stayed dry! 

The walk begins by at the back of Traigh Ear where there is a small carpark.

It then heads to the dunes...with the usual abandoned vehicles and implements.

The Primroses were spectacular - up above; a White-tailed Sea Eagle.

A Moss Carder Bee disappearing down its hole.

Painted Lady.

Some colourful Bird's-foot Trefoil.

Fields of flowers...

Primroses on the uncultivated grassland adjacent to the field of Mountain Pansies, Stork's-bill sp and Daisies ...in amongst stubble.

Also in the field...Rue-leaved Saxifrage. 

Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar.

To be continued.....

Balranald Eiders in the sun

 After a wet day, the sun came out ....a pleasant walk along Traigh nam Faoghailean and some Hebridean colours.

Machair colours.  Daisies and a Stork's-bill sp.

Daisies and Mountain Pansies.

Painted Lady.

The Torlum block

Unbeknown to us, it was the Benbecula half marathon today, so a busy road and no parking but we found a spot up  the track to the beach. As soon as we got to the beach at Shell Bay it began to rain, so heads down and the traditional Cowrie hunt - of which there were many. On through the dunes, then back through Griminis and back to the car. 

Boggy, with orchids that I couldn't get too close to as it was a tad damp under foot. 

Northern Marsh Orchid.

Early Marsh Orchid.

Dreich

Our first full day and a damp one. Our first walk was from our campsite at Balranald. Not many photos as it was damp and windy...interestingly we are too early, this year, for the orchids - it looks like quite a late year with Marsh Marigolds and Cuckoo Flower being in full flower.

Plenty of birds on the washed up seaweed.

Turnstones and Ringed Plover.

The Thrift is just coming onto flower.

Sheltering and sleeping - Great Northern Diver.

Some nice folding.

An incredibly cosy looking Raven's nest.

Fields of Mountain Pansies and Daisies.

Closer in ...

Despite the weather the sea still has a tinge of turquoise.

After lunch back at the pod, we headed south to Baleshare, where there were some decent waves pounding the beach, before the decent rain arrived! 

A quick look in the Iron Age midden...where we found a few pieces of pottery...

Before a hasty retreat as the rain approached. 

A long way to the Uists

So, off to the Uists, taking a ferry from Mallaig ...or so we thought! With bow thruster problems for the MV Lord of the Isles, it looked as if we were going to depart from Oban. However a last minute change of plan, from Calmac, meant a longer drive to leave from Uig, on the Isle of Skye. If we'd known earlier we could have made plans - but we didn't so a 1am start from home it was. 

Glencoe sunrise...beautiful.

Thankfully it was good weather and the drive a cross Skye was astounding - seeing several of the classic views that one day later, will have disappeared under cloud and rain. 

Looking across to the Quiraing. 

The Black Cuillins from Sligachan corner - it's a while since I was up Sgurr Nan Gillean - on the right.

Am Basteir and its tooth.

The Old Man of Storr shows clearly.

Looking back to Skye.

As we passed various bits of islands, a 'Superior Mirage'. Note the strange form of the islands in the background. This is where light rays are bent as there is a change between the density of the warm air to the cold air above the sea. We saw better examples -I didn't realise it was a 'thing'.

And a couple of stops on the way to our pod at Balranald.....Redshank on a post.

Daisy field.

Sandy fields ...

..and blue, blue sea.