Today was a day to wander and to observe nature, especially the birds. I still have not seen a Corncrake and likely won’t as locals say they might see 3-4 over the course of many years!  You hear them though! 

The first thing that strikes me about Tiree and Coll is the abundance of buttercups! There are fields and fields of them and it looks like someone has deliberately laid a yellow carpet down in the middle of a field or alongside the road. There are other flowers as well this time of year, tiny white and purple flowers and even a few tiny orchids scattered among them.  Had someone on Coll not pointed out the orchids to me I would have missed them entirely as they are tiny. I also love the bog cotton. Bog Cotton is a gloriously ethereal flower which grows out of peat bogs across the wilds of Scotland. The sight of thousands of white, fluffy Bog Cotton heads dotted across a windswept field is incredible,

Birds are also fun to observe. There are a lot of Oyster Catchers – they live on Tiree year round while the ones at home in New Jersey migrate. They are numerous here and seen on the rocks by the sea or in the fields above the beaches and even further inland. I have also seen a Snipe, tbough failed to get his picture.  There is one bird I have taken a picture of and I cannot find it anywhere.  It is in the picture gallery – the red legs are what is throwing me off.   The Lapwings are numerous in the fields as well – what a funny looking little bird!

I’m sure if I was a serious birder I would be in absolute heaven out here in the islands.  As it is, I enjoy seeing the different varieties and hearing their individual calls.  Now, about that Corncrake……