Tuesday, January 19, 2016
It was a very strange day weather-wise. We drove north to Achnahaird Bay, and although we had blue sky and sunshine, a dark layer of cloud lay on the horizon all round as far as we could see - and would remain there for most of the day.
A peregrine powering over the moorland to the south-east might have explained the seeming lack of life on the beach. Greger took a low-angle pic of the ripples with his mobile.
Ice gave the sand an unusually white appearance.
Among the dunes, the small pools were frozen; but at least we saw some birds here. A song thrush and a couple of mistle thrushes were foraging among the clumps of marram grass. Looking up the sheep pasture, I saw a flock of dark birds flying and landing, so we made our way towards the road. I thought they looked like golden plover, but it seemed the wrong time of year (although I believe some winter on the east coast of Scotland). However, that's what they were.
There were between 40 and 50 birds, all intent on foraging, although I don't know what they could get from the frozen ground; and several flew towards us, seeming oblivious to our presence.
They obviously needed to feed, and we backed away and took a wide berth around them. Presumably this was a cold weather movement - but from where?
Stopping for a last look over the machair from the high lay-by, we chatted with an English couple who also live here. The woman mentioned how nice it is in summer at Achnahaird with all the pipits and skylarks. As we drove away a bit later, a bird with white edges to its tail flew up from the road-side and I thought "Was that a skylark?!"; I took several snaps, but it was hunched over feeding and always moving away from me. A passing car flushed it, and as it landed a few yards further off I saw its crest raised; so it was, coincidentally, almost certainly a skylark. An interesting sort of day.
// posted by Christine @ 10:02 AM 
