A brief overnight stay in Stornoway provided the opportunity for a couple more sea watching sessions from the Ullapool ferry. Thursdays' highlights included a dozen or so Arctic terns and at least similar numbers of great skuas. A few common dolphins and a grey seal grabbing a couple of breaths added to what was a generally quiet voyage.
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| arctic terns |
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| grey seal |
A few
kittiwakes, fulmars, gannets and the commoner auks were scattered across the Minch but there was little to get the heart pounding.
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| kittiwake |
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| puffin |
An evening stroll around Sandwick bay just north of the town turned up a couple of dunlin, a few whimbrel and a ringed plover. The real highlight however was a corncrake calling from the thick grass along the coast path. Unfortunately as is usually the case with this species I did not see the bird.
The return voyage on Friday was in a rather unpleasant cold, easterly force 6. Despite the dreary conditions I was happy to see a
pomarine skua and a
basking shark that did a full breach which was very spectacular. Unfortunately it only jumped once so I did not get a photograph. A guillemot of the bridled form was also good to see.
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| pomarine skua |
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| pomarine skua |
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| guillemot- bridled form |
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