The focus of the photography in Scotland was seascapes and landscapes, but of course for me, the birds are irresistible. The coasts of Lewis and Harris, naturally, are filled with birds. Let’s start with the northernmost part of the island with the wonderful name — the Butt of Lewis. The wind might’ve been fierce, but the Fulmars handle it with ease. They were pairing up on the cliffs.
Gneiss Fulmars
Other pairs apparently felt more comfortable on the moss beds on top of the rocks.
Fulmar butts on the Butt of Lewis
Off the cliff and down on the beaches are the noisy Eurasian Oystercatchers. They are just as charismatic and colorful as their American cousins.
Eurasian Oystercathers
An earlier visit to Garry Beach on the east coast included a walk on the sandy beach at low tide. We returned at high tide, and I walked along the cliff side. Feral pigeons are common residents of cities all over the world. They are likely descendants of Rock Doves, and a few years ago ornithologists determined that small colonies of pure bred Rock Doves remained on the Outer Hebrides. Earlier this week, I shared images of the standing stones on Lewis and Harris. It is likely that the people who built those stones had also domesticated Rock Doves, and so might also be responsible for the pigeons that flock on top of monuments all over the world.
Rock Doves on Garry Beach, Isle of Lewis
Instead of walking down to the beach, I decided to circle around on the nearby road. There, I met a local fellow who walks along the beach two or three times every day, and we chatted about the area. I told him I thought I spotted a buzzard flying, and later realized we were talking two different versions of English. Americans refer to vultures as buzzards, while Brits refer to what we call hawks. He told me there were buzzards (hawks) often along the northern hills and golden eagles sometimes flew over the southern hills I was walking along. As I continued my walk with my long lens in hand, I kept searching the skies and hills for raptors. Soon, I was rewarded with a golden eagle surveying the territory. While I waited for it to fly, it just perched majestically over the scene.
Golden Eagle above Garry Beach
When it was time to leave the island, we took a ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool. The 50 mile wide North Atlantic strait between Lewis and Harris and mainland Scotland is called the Minch. As we were leaving the island, gulls gave us a farewell wave.
Glaucous-winged Gull above the Minch