Hebrides

After a day-long drive we slipped out of Ullapool into the growing darkness, and headed into the deep velvet blue. On waking, the silent loch, flat calm, greeted us in sunlight. Robins and Stonechats pecked and checked from every bush and fencepost, and wrens called from every dark corner.

The rugged coast hid white sandy bays with smoothed rocks piled up as giant shingle. Small waders and pipits searched on the tideline or rested on the flooded slacks. Throughout the week, geese and a few swans began to arrive too, though from a different direction to the one we had taken to get there. Offshore, Gannets, Cormorants and Shag passed by from time to time, lingering on the autumn sea.

One mistful morning, the clearing wind brought with it Redwings in ones and twos, and some Brambling. They didn't linger and soon we were left with the resident Redpolls and Starlings. 

At the Ness, the loch held birds from much further afield. Four Ring Necked Duck bobbed on the open water, drifting past the flock of chestnut coated Wigeon. A Lesser Yellowlegs and three Pectoral Sandpipers spooked from the plover flock and landed on some grassy puddles on the edge of the reserve.

The Golden Plover, Lapwing  and Curlew spread out on the machair while gulls loafed in a white huddle. A Merlin dashed at the Teal, cold white and grey Hen Harriers sped across the view and a male Peregrine exploded among the waders - picking out a Snipe, chasing it down and defying momentum with time stopping turns and breaks.

and then....