Christine's walking & birds blog

I couldn't sit in the car all the time so I got out and walked along the wet, seaweedy shore towards the spit. Four ringed plovers took off and flew a little way along the waterline. A great black-backed gull and a herring gull lifted and flapped off lazily, and two curlews flew off calling but soon landed again. A heron took flight. A turnstone was preening on a rock out in Loch Kanaird and two rock pipits chased about on the edge of the camp-site.

Near the chalets, a robin, goldfinches, and chaffinches were in the bushes; and on the other side of the road blackbirds and redwings were feeding in the sheep field. The rain was falling even harder and the light was getting worse, so I decided to give up for the day.

On the way back to Ullapool I saw a kestrel hovering over Morefield, and the drive through the village brought the inevitable collared doves and house sparrows. I drove along West Terrace to look down on the river spit, but couldn't find a glaucous among the gulls there. Half a dozen wigeon were dabbling near the beach. Further out was a small flock of eider ducks; and up from the sea through the still-falling rain came the gossipy outraged cooing that is the courting song of the male.