Saturday, September 10, 2016
The curlew was foraging on the beach at Poolewe.
There were at least 50 common terns, local breeders or maybe migrating birds driven by the fierce winds of last night and today into relative shelter at the head of Loch Ewe. Several times they flew together high above the water, then swooped down again to separate and continue their fishing.
Adults flew around calling with fish in their bills, young called back, and the whole bay was alive with their colours and their grace and their screeching clamour! Now and then some would fly down to rocks by the stream outlet, and preen and wash or just rest.
These, possibly my last common terns of the year, were a nice surprise; and they sent my thoughts winging back to April when I saw my first of the year - a group of five huddled on a buoy, as we travelled in the car ferry across the Sound of Harris.
// posted by Christine @ 3:01 PM 
