Return to Skye: Part one.

It was two years ago that I was last on the Isle of Skye and it was good to be back. It was a family holiday but as usual I had the camera with me. It was going to be slightly different this time though as I was not really going to be chasing around trying to photograph things. This time I was going to see what came along on our travels. It was a sixteen and a half hour drive to get to the cottage so the next day we took it easy.

The first thing I saw when I stepped out of the door the following morning was a Wheatear. It soon became evident that it had obviously been a great breeding season for the upland birds, as there were young Wheatears, Meadow Pipits and Stonechats everywhere. On the very first day too, I saw the first Golden Eagle of the trip though it was at distance, but a Golden Eagle none the less.

Two days later I was to see the first Sea Eagle of the trip, and it was quite a close encounter. We had seen a Buzzard as we were driving along, looking like it was mobbing something just over a cliff edge. I stopped the car and went to have a look. I had the camera ready as I approached the edge of the cliff, but just as I got to the edge, another Buzzard took off. I stood there thinking that it was just a Buzzard mobbing another Buzzard, when all of a sudden a Sea Eagle took off from the cliff underneath me. It had been hidden behind a rock and then had raised its head and had seen me. I was not really expecting it after the Buzzard had taken off, and though I did get a couple of quick shots, they were not really that good. I wasn't disappointed though as it had been a great close encounter and I had got superb views of it!

From there, we went down to the south end of the island to Armadale Castle. We always go there as it has such history and a very good little museum, plus stunning gardens. It was there that I saw the first Spotted Fly-Catcher that I had seen for several years. It didn't hang around for long, but it was great to see one after so many years. We went from the castle around one of my favourite roads on Skye. It just takes you around in a loop, but has such a variation in scenery all the way around, and it was the first place I ever saw a Golden Eagle several years ago. No Golden Eagles today, but we did see a Red Deer hind and her calf standing in some clear fell forestry just off the road about eighty metres away, and I got some really satisfying pictures of them both, and of the calf suckling, which you don't see evey day!

The next morning, I was up at quarter to three to go to a place I thought there was a good chance of seeing an Otter. I was out of luck though as no Otter showed but it was a beautiful sunrise over the mainland, and as there was nobody else up and about at that time of the morning, I was able to get some pleasing shots of Rock Pipit, Hooded Crow, Oyster Catcher, Raven and a young Stonechat. It was the evening though that provided a first for us all. We sat on some roadside cliffs looking across to the islands of Lewis and Harris. The sea was like a mill pond and it was a lovely sunny evening. I just happened to be looking out to sea through the binoculars, when right where I was looking, up popped the unmistakable shape of a Minke Whale! It surfaced two or three more times, and though the sightings were brief, it was our first ever sighting of a whale and you just don't forget that!

The following day we went to Dunvegan Castle. Again, it was a place we always go back to for the history and the gardens, but they also do a superb Seal trip from there which I would recommend to anyone as they get so close to the Seals because they are so used to them as they have been doing the boat trips for years. However, before we even got to the castle, we had excellent views of a pair of White Tailed Sea Eagles soaring together. We had just come out of the islands main town, Portree, and we were just starting over a favourite mountain road of mine, when we saw them. They were right above the road and were not really that high up and we were able to watch them through the binoculars for five or ten minutes before they split and went away out of the glen and out of sight.

At the castle, I was so pleased to see this time a pair of Spotted Fly-Catchers. Got some great veiws of them and some good pictures, and also saw that they were feeding at least one fledgling. We then went out on the Seal trip and got some really close views of the Common Seals with some well grown pups. I was able to get some nice shots, but you had to be quick to get them swimming as they would appear and then disappear just as quick!

The next couple of days, we had quite a bit of rain but it didn't matter as we had planned a lazy couple of days anyway.When the weather broke, we were soon out and about again and I felt like a bit of a hike up into high ground to see if I could see any Eagles. After about an hour of finding out I am not as fit as I used to be and could really do with losing a bit of weight, I made it to where I wanted to get to and sat down to listen and watch. The first thing of interest was a female Merlin which came hurtling past to sit for a few seconds on a rock a short distance from me. I was not quick enough to get any shots, but I got good enough views of it before it vanished over the edge of the hill.

I sat up the top for about an hour and would have sat longer, but unfortunately there was no breeze and the infamous Midges became too much of a nuisance. I didn't see any Eagles, but I was entertained by several Ravens dancing around high up in the thermals. It was quite something to watch thier acrobatics and to be in such peace and quiet. We were nearly halfway through our holiday and had been quite spoilt by what we had seen already. Surely it couldn't get much better, could it?.......