Outer Hebrides - The Uists

I have recently returned from a week with Helen and good friends Lee and Rachel to the Outer Hebrides. We spent a week on the island of Berneray, joined to North Uist by a causeway. The Outer Hebrides are truly stunning and packed full of wildlife and it is a place to which I will certainly return.

Wildlife highlights for me were seeing Corncrakes, finding a Lesser Yellowlegs, experiencing some seawtaching at the famous Aird an Runair and simply seeing all the common breeding waders.
Other highlights included a great bike ride to Cheese Bay, a superb walk to North Lee with stunning views all around and catching up with the Detectorists!
Below are just some of the highlights.....

The island of Eriskay

Corncrake performing at the RSPB Reserve Balranald

Corncrake

Common Seal on Berneray

One of the many fabulous beaches on Berneray

Common Seal on Berneray

Male Hen Harrier on North Uist

Male Hen Harrier, North Uist

Short-eared Owls were seen regularly on Berneray

Our seawatch day produced all 4 Skuas 

Pomarine Skuas

The Island of Eriskay

Sanderling and Dunlin were common on the beaches 

Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones at Aird an Runair, North Uist

Purple Sandpiper, Berneray

Sanderling and Dunlin

One of the many stunning and deserted beaches

Dinger and Walls

Team Berneray

Rock Dove, Berneray

Black-tailed Godwits at Loch Bhrusda, Berneray

Corncrake

Lapwing Chick at RSPB Balranald

Lesser Yellowlegs, Loch Bhrusda, Berneray. A bird had been present on the island of Vatersay
aprroximately 70 miles to the south of Berneray, but I think it may be a different bird
based on some plumage differences. I will post a video in the next few days.

View over Lochmaddy and North Uist