Christine's walking & birds blog

The juvenile cuckoo flew low over the road and the pig pen and alighted on the remains of a drystone wall as we pulled up above the beach at Scourie.


I leaned on the fence trying to snap it over a corrugated tin roof and Greger laughed as the two piglets peered up at me - in hopes, no doubt, of being fed. After a while their hopeful squeals subsided and they went back to rooting about in the grass.

It was bright and sunny but out on the headland the wind was strong and cold. We found a sheltered spot for lunch where we could keep watch for skuas flying across from Handa Island.


But two Arctic skuas caught us out, approaching from behind and then turning over our headland. One was a dark phase bird and it came too close, too fast, for a photo. The pale bird was further off but flying like the wind with the sun behind it.


A herring gull flew past with a starfish in its bill. Another herring gull raided an oystercatcher's nest amid clamorous protest and made off with a large crab, an oystercatcher in hot pursuit. Greger pointed out eight ducks in swift flight near the small island - tufties or scaup, although more likely the former at this time of year. Two kittiwakes flew by, and a fulmar came unseen from behind and planed down towards the sea - I heard the rush of its wings as it passed. A twite perched on a nearby rock and sang its twangy song; and two or three juvenile wheatears were among the sheep.