Monday, October 14, 2024
The Met Office continues to frustrate with forecasts that promise fair, calm weather for the following day and then, on the morning of that day, change it to probable rain and strong winds. I know they often get the weather right, but just lately, for this area anyway, they're getting it wrong fairly often.
The forecast for tomorrow was also good, so should we just wait a day? But what if that, too, changed by tomorrow morning? In the end, we decided to go on the ferry as planned; and under a dark sky threatening rain I walked down to the harbour while Greger diverted to Tesco to buy a newspaper.
While still among the Summer Isles and before we reached Priest Island, I was following a gull flying up the loch when I spotted just below it a tiny bird darting about over the surface of the water. "Petrel!" Greger got onto it but we both then lost it and there was no chance of a pic. The bird had a markedly black-and-white appearance so I'll put it down as a storm petrel.
We had passed under at least two bands of slightly spitting cloud on the way out, and when we reboarded the ferry at Stornoway it was quite definitely raining - so we sat for a while in the area between the coffee shop and the children's play-room. Given the number of children on board, I think it must be half-term - and what with them, scolding parents, and two hysterically barking dogs, the noise was terrific! After a while, feeling slightly battered, I went up; and when Greger joined me later he was amused to see that I was entirely alone. Bliss.
The rain petered out and we applied ourselves once more to searching for birds that just didn't seem to be there. A few gannets, goodish numbers of kittiwakes, the odd group of guillemots, and several great black-backed gulls were all we could spot - until Greger pointed out a flock of birds flying low over the sea. They turned out to be twelve barnacle geese.
These and the storm petrel saved the day. I've been fretting that others spot petrels while I seem to miss them, so this sighting boosted my birdwatching self-confidence a bit. I just wish I'd attempted to snap it - but there wasn't time. Is there ever?
