Hen Harrier

It's a bit of a cliché for people to come to the Uists looking for Hen Harriers, but sod it, I wanted more than a fleeting glimpse I got of one on Skye about 10 years ago, and if anywhere is the place to improve that ratio it's here. So this is a terrible shot, but I don't care. Stunning bird. Just stunning.

The light was pretty awful for any birding today to be honest, but that didn't stop me enjoying watching a couple of Short-eared Owls doing their thing on an early morning bike ride; trying to get a close view of a Cuckoo on a telegraph wire in a comical cat and mouse; and being thoroughly mesmerised by an overhead White-tailed Eagle flypast (though I've got loads of shots of them in the past, the Hen Harrier surpasses that).

As sunset (a little after 10pm in these parts) approached, the 'Otter House' (as the translation from the Gaelic has it) earned its name as well. I set up my trail cam for the first time last night, quite pleased that my guesstimate on the location of the otter run between seawater Loch Euport and freshwater Loch a'Ghoille was more or less spot on. The rain blurred the lens, but otters there were. Then tonight Mel spotted one as the Oystercatchers nesting nearby made their unhappiness keenly felt.

There's a possibility we can see their holt, and I've got a theory on the timings of their comings and goings, so there is much to work on for the next few days to try and get some video and photos (all without disturbing their routine of course).

So far this has been a rather impressive wildlife trip. Now. Where are the Corncrakes....?