Outer Hebrides, May 2025 (2)

So, the best part of a week, with a great weather forecast, a lovely team, a lovely hotel base, during the peak time for avian arrivals and departures - what could possibly go wrong?

A very close Gannet on the journey over

Well, nothing, to be honest. Every day exploring these beautiful, remote islands and their birds, wildlife and landscapes was an absolute joy, and I'm already looking forward to returning, hopefully in the not too distant future. Meanwhile, a few photographic posts.

Waders were, of course, a primary theme of the trip. Turnstones (above and below), Dunlins, Sanderlings, Whimbrels and Ringed Plovers - pit-stopping on their northbound journeys - seemed to cover every beach and expanse of machair, while the sheer density and abundance of breeding Redshank, Lapwing, Snipe and Oystercatcher was incredible.

We were also fortunate to come across a (potential) rare breeder - a stunning male Ruff, attending a skulking Reeve and holding territory, in an area of suitable breeding habitat:

Among the many gull flocks we checked, this Little Gull was a nice bonus at the end of trip:

...while the aforementioned breeding Redshanks were a constant presence, looking fine in their subtly beautiful summer plumage.

(More to follow0

Outer Hebrides, May 2025 (1)

Another month, another great trip to Scotland - this time to the Outer Hebrides. It was our first School of Birding School Trip - i.e., a purely birding holiday for 'graduates' of our Schools, where we get to relax a bit more and focus just on in-the-field adventures - and I'm happy to say it was a great success, and hugely enjoyable from start to finish.

Approaching North Uist - flat calm....

Pit-stop on Skye

Sunset from the hotel (above), and the hotel (on the right, below)

We book-ended our trip at the Grant Arms Hotel (our usual School of Birding base), spending a night or two in the Highlands at either end, with a solid six nights on the Hebs in between. We broke up the journey westwards with a couple of birding stops along the road, the first - at a lochside pull-in - producing not only breeding Black-throated Divers but a pair of displaying Wood Sandpipers, a very rare breeder anywhere in the UK.

Morning runs around Carinish - just a 12th Century ruined Temple (and Scotland's first university), mountains, marshes, beaches and big skies....

Onwards to the ferry (via a couple of stops on Skye) and a perfectly still crossing between Uig and Lochmaddy, with the Minch like glass throughout the journey - with plenty of seabirds and Common Dolphins to enjoy before the short drive to our accommodation for the week, the Temple View Hotel in the hamlet of Carinish (if you're wondering where the nearest 'proper' town is, you'd need to get back on the ferry to find it).

White sand beaches, Lewisian Gneiss, turquoise waters, lush green lowlands, picturesque highlands - a hard sell indeed 

A word about our hotel: recently taken over, refurbed and relaunched by the truly lovely Katie and Alex (and super-chilled collie Heidi), we loved it. Great home-cooked food (breakfasts and evening meals were all excellent), wonderfully welcoming and relaxing, and brilliantly run - nothing was too much trouble and we're big fans. We'll be back soon, for sure.... 

What a week it was. I've been fortunate to travel extensively in the Northern Isles and also Inner Hebrides in recent years, but I'd not been to the Outer Hebrides for many years, since I worked on various bird surveying projects out there in the early and mid 2000's; even then, it was mostly Lewis and Harris, and so this was effectively new territory for me.

A happy team!

The view from the highst point of North Uist, looking towards St Kilda

We spent all our time on the three inter-connected islands of the southern group - North Uist, Benbecula, and South Uist. Once again - it's the theme of 2025 so far! - we were blessed with ridiculously good weather, with sunshine being the dominant feature of each day; just wonderful for soaking in not only the stunning scenery and habitats, but also the multitudes of birds we were fortunate to enjoy. Of which - see next post....

In a guiding capacity, for Simon and I, it was a dream - not only were the locations, birds and conditions wonderful, but we had a team who were an absolute joy to be with throughout. Everybody really got on board (as we knew they would, having had the pleasure of their company before), making every day a happy (and funny) one, with an inherently good craic from start to finish.

Barpa Langais cairn and Pobull Phinn (Finn's People) stone circle - two of the neolithic treasures of the Uists

Surveying on the moors, late April '25

Tree Pipit 

Rich and I are back up on the moors again this year, conducting breeding wader surveys for the North Yorkshire Moors National Park - not to anything like the same degree as last year (when we covered the huge, five-yearly survey across the entire NP), but a relatively small area involving Locton, Levisham and Fylingdales Moors.

Male Common Redstart 

As mentioned previously, the weather has been consistently kind for all outdoor activities this spring (and indeed year), and we had wall to wall sunshine last week as we Brown and Shepherded our way across the sites.

Male Ring Ouzel (above); Raven and Carrion Crow (below)

And what a joy it was. On the scrubby, regenerating slopes, Cuckoos, Grasshopper Warblers, Ring Ouzels, lots of Stonechats, Willow Warblers and Whitethroats, pleasingly numerous Whinchats, Redstarts and Tree Pipits headlined, while in the more fertile upland areas, we'd Golden Plovers, Snipe, Curlews and Lapwings to plot on the maps.

Breeding Willow Warblers

Whinchat (above), Curlew (below)

More Tree Pipits in parachute display flight

The coast, late April '25 - Filey

Wheatear freshly arrived on the Brigg 

When I'm over the coast these days it's always a pleasure to sneak in some peaceful birding, and this time I managed a couple of brief sessions back at the old manor.

Migration was evident on both occasions, with a Redstart in Long Hedge (above) , a Grasshopper Warbler in Long Lane, lots of hirundines and warblers arriving, as well as two Cetti's (below) battling it out at the Dams and plenty of other spring joys to behold.

Sand Martins and Swallows at Carr Naze pond