We saw many Great-Northern Divers around Skye & the Uists coastlines in May, it's always such a treat to get good views of them in their splendid breeding plumage.
#BirdingScotland
Colin Holter
The Uists host important populations of breeding waders on coastline, moorland & machair. Ringed Plover & Redshank amongst them. We were pleased to see so many on our trip last month.
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A few more of the beautiful Arctic Terns on North Uist, May 2026.
#BirdingScotland
Always great to see white-winged gulls - we saw both Iceland & Glaucous Gulls on our recent trip to the Uists, both 2nd cy birds I think. The Iceland was at Ardivachar, & this absolute bruiser of a Glaucous was on the rocks off Balranald beach one evening.
#BirdingScotland
Eiders are a commonplace around the Hebrides, but I think they are iconic birds of northern coastlines, often providing a gentle crooning soundscape to many a coastal walk, or equally at home offshore in rough seas during a seawatch.
I always enjoy my encounters with them.
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The insects & invertebrates in decomposing seaweed on the hebridean beaches are the attraction for the waders, a food bonanza to fuel migration. These 2 breeding plumaged Knot happily fed as I sat nearby - likewise this Whimbrel, whose calls always evoke spring migration to me.
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Sanderling (in many plumage variations), North Uist. May 2026.
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Nearing the end editing my photos from the Uists last month... Raptors are never far away on the islands, we saw both eagles, though Hen Harriers seemed fewer than our previous visits, but good numbers of Short-eared Owls incl. these 2 on Benbecula, such mesmerising buoyant flight.
#BirdingScotland
Arctic Terns, North Uist. May 2026.
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We had one evening of very clear distant visibility on North Uist, which gave us our best ever views of the remote St.Kilda archipelago some 40 miles out into the Atlantic (for most of our week St.Kilda was invisible - cocooned in Atlantic weather systems).
#Scotland #Hebrides #StKilda
