Friday, April 16, 2021
Freedom! We can go where we like in Scotland from today, so we celebrated with a trip to Achnahaird (we really know how to push the boat out) and walked across the salt-marsh with the fluty calls of golden plover carrying to us on the wind. They were wary, and after a couple of fly-bys, landed some distance away.
A few of the plovers, presumably still moulting, had a ragged look - as though they were clothed in fur pelts or woolly fleeces rather than feathers; but the strong wind probably also had something to do with it, lending them a rakish air that just adds to their attractiveness.
A soft but goose-like "cack" call made us look up - to see a red-throated diver doing circuits above the bay; while small birds were represented by skylarks, meadow pipits, a handful of wheatears, and a stonechat. Greger pointed out a buzzard in the dunes, loitering by rabbit holes in the hope of catching a meal. A snipe species was flushed from the ditch right at the start of our walk; it seemed to make no sound as it rose, flying low in a direct line for a very short distance before dropping into longer grass. I was just beginning to wonder if it was therefore a Jack snipe when the familiar "chipper" call was heard. A common snipe after all, then. On the other side of the headland were a great skua, a redshank, and a gannet.
// posted by Christine @ 3:10 PM 
