Scurrival beach and the Sound of Barra

What a place the Sound of Barra is, glorious beaches and incredible views across to Eriskay and South Uist, and the wildlife is outstanding. Today I walked along Scurrival beach and met Ray at Eoligarry jetty. Sanderling scurried across the sand like clock work toys and the air was full of the piping of ringed plover. Twite and rock doves flew up from under my feet close to the dunes. Suddenly I noticed a flock of waders flying towards me fast, snipe in off the sea, they flew away inland. 

Next I heard the barking of geese close by and a flock of around 50 barnacle geese flew over heading east through the Sound, and they were followed by others, four small flocks totalling around 150 birds. These are from the Greenland population and they won't have seen land for at least 600 miles if they stopped over in Iceland and more like 1000 miles if they've come straight from Greenland. An amazing experience to watch them arriving for the winter. A few minutes later 12 pale-bellied brent geese followed the same path. Meanwhile an adult white-tailed eagle flew over Fuidheigh and a partial summer plumage great northern diver flew over the sea. When I eventually reached the jetty, Ray had just been watching an otter catching and then eating a fish. What a place this is.