16/17th May 2013, the last couple of days on North Uist

The weather was kind on Thursday, beautiful warm sunshine blessed us for the day. Concentrating on the area near the cottage had given us a little local knowledge as to what we could see and more importantly where to find things.

A small lochan yielded a pair of tufted ducks..

and whooper swans..

Hougharry Bay was a splendid spot for a short walk..

With views to distant islands..

Turnstones were numereous here..

Turning to return to the car we discovered a twite...

By the waters edge a male eider basked in the warm sunshine...

and a buzzard visited close overhead..

By driving slowly and using the passing places provided to let following traffic past we were able to watch for wildlife during our short journeys around the top of North Uist.

We stopped the car to watch and photograph beautiful golden plover..

Grenitote was one of our neighbouring villages, a wonderfully peaceful place and another short wander beckoned...

I could attempt to name all the birds in this shot, but I will leave that to the viewers!!

Rather easier is naming these bar tailed godwits..

and knot..

Another short drive to Balranald and once again the car was halted to capture this lovely stonechat by the roadside..

Very few birds stand out as a profile at long distance, golden eagles are distinct by their immense size....

How did we know it was an eagle? We saw it fly in!

Another stationary bird and another prize for driving slowly, a beautiful short eared owl..

We had been hoping for good otter sightings, unfortunately wildlife does not appear just when you want and some persistence/patience and a large slice of luck are required!

Visiting a recommended spot our efforts were extremely well rewarded as we watched an otter feasting on an eel..

A small tortoiseshell butterfly was another lovely addition to the photographs..

A memorable day indeed and all too soon Friday arrived, our last full day and once again we stayed in our local area....a good plan as it turned out.

Another glorious sunny day..

Golden plover were in evidence again..

and the elegant lapwing..

Our day began with a drive to Loch Euphort, we spotted red deer along the way..

We enjoyed a lovely short stroll by the loch..

This old ruined building caught the eye with some spectaculay fluffy clouds to add interest..

Another buzzard shot..

and a kestrel too..

We had decided on a lengthy watch where we had seen the otter the day before, it was not too long a wait before we had a double reward as two otters  hunted and romped not too far away..

What a fantastic experience and one we shall never forget.

A moss carder bee, a local species, posed nicely for me..

...along with a tiny fly!

Finally I managed another golden eagle shot, distant but its size was a clear indication what it was..

What a week we had experienced and now some cleaning and packing was necessary, a 5.00am alarm for a ferry from Lochmaddy to Uig on Skye, a drive down the isle and onto the mainland then a scenic drive to Kenmore by Loch Torridon, I wonder what the second week of our holiday would bring?

Thanks ever so much to all who view, a computer breakdown stopped me keeping up to date while we were away. Don't forget if you are leaving a comment that they come to me first for approval before appearing on the blog.