Christine's walking & birds blog

It began to rain as I set off across the cliffs at Achnahaird - and I almost turned back. The high part of the beach was covered in scurrying dots - a fall of waders had probably been brought down by the weather.


I couldn't see anything other than dunlin, sanderling, and ringed plovers, but that was fine: the sheer spectacle of so many small foraging birds on the sand and the machair was mesmerising.

The rain continued to fall and a huge flock of oystercatchers flew in. I just shot into the flock; there must have been a couple of hundred altogether.


More small waders arrived in off the sea, many landing at the edge of the waves as though too tired to go further.


Most were dunlin and ringed plovers, and with one flock came a single turnstone.

A black-tailed godwit was the next thrilling sight, flying high above the river towards the back of the beach.


I had never seen anything like this before; and with great reluctance I retreated to the car to dry out the optics!