Tuesday, May 12, 2026
I had only just walked through the gate onto the cliff path when I spotted whimbrels down on the rocks - three of them, taking precarious refuge from the very strong winds.
On the machair, where the sea thrift is beginning to show, I found groups of frantically feeding ringed plover and dunlin - and my first golden plover of the year.
Think I'll just call this a Motacilla wagtail!
Across the headland at Badentarbat I was admiring the bogbean flowers in the pool when loads of greylag geese (well, about a dozen) suddenly rose with a clamour from beyond the reeds and flew low over me. I scanned the sky and found the cause of their panic - an adult white-tailed eagle, possibly on the hunt for goslings.
The eagle circled over the pool several times while the geese flew about protesting loudly - and was last seen being escorted from the premises by a couple of hoodies.
The only bonxie of the day was spotted here, flying out to sea. The remains of the sperm whale on the beach are now blackened and much pulled about - but it's best not to get too close, as the pong is still terrific!
My day list was 21. The good news is that there were plenty of wheatears around, some singing and flying up in display; but (unusually for the site) I saw no skylarks or stonechats. One common sandpiper was heard down on a loch-side as I drove out of the area; but I heard no cuckoos or snipe and saw no ospreys. It's a cold spring - the sun and the wind seem to battle it out each day, and the wind so far is winning.
// posted by Christine @ 10:33 AM 
