Christine's walking & birds blog

Beyond the beach, and the quayside, and a line of moored boats, a white-winger was cruising and dipping in its endless quest for food.


It seemed to me to be a neatish gull with a buoyant flight that didn't say "viking". And when it landed on the quayside, although it was still quite a distance away, the small bill and the long wings extending beyond the tail suggested this was an Iceland gull.



It would have been nice to have got closer but I'm not venturing into the harbour area during lockdown.

At least a dozen twite and a wheatear were at the point; but along the bull park, there wasn't a peep today from an unseen singer we'd heard yesterday, which I think was a whitethroat. It started to rain before we reached the spit - where we found at least sixteen turnstone and at least two common sandpipers mixing with a handful of ringed plovers.


Further out on the grassy, muddy shore, a dunlin was foraging along the waterline.



A cuckoo was heard calling in the distance, and the delicate cuckoo flowers that are named for the bird were growing at the tangled edges of the dog-walking field.


But there was no thrilling reeling from the brambly corner near the river to betray the presence of a grasshopper warbler; and I turned for home with a heavy heart, knowing I couldn't go out again for a second try, or a second look at those delicious waders. However, I'm not complaining; it was a super walk and I've got three ticks for the lockdown walk list. Ullapool birds all!