U3A cold, grey, and grim bird spotting day in Broadford Bay, 22nd January 2013

It was a cold, bleak day. The lighting was poor and so was the photography.

 Common redshank (Tringa totanus)

 Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

 Common ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

 Dunlin (Calidris alpina)

 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

 (Ruddy) turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

 Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope)

At this point we stopped for a coffee break at Linda's place and met her canine behemoth.

 The hills of mainland Scotland.

 Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata)

 Red-breasted mergansers (Mergus serrator), I think.

 Pair of wigeon

 Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) watching a European otter (Lutra lutra) tucking into his fish and chips.

 Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa). Can be differentiated from the bar-tailed godwit by its straight bill.

With a dimming sun and a cooling wind we left Rubha Ardnish for another day.

December 2012

5th

A bunch of naked apes (Homo sapiens) scrutinizing one of their machines.

Just minor abrasions.

Winter comes to A Chorra Bheinn (1509 feet).

7th

Looking into the interior of our galaxy, The Milky Way, from Uigshader.

The Pleiades star cluster at the bottom left.

Orion hovers over the reflected glow of Portree's street lights as Jupiter passes through the Hyades star cluster. One can see Betelgeuse which was the subject of two questions in the recent Skye U3A quiz. As regards the fate of this red supergiant one team answered that it would explode and I only gave them half a mark which, in retrospect, I think was rather mean.

11th

Just before sunrise Venus communes with a dying Moon.

12th

Ice on the River Snizort.

November 2012

2nd

A common snipe (Gallinago gallinago) at the bottom of the garden.

 

 

5th

 Hooded crows (Corvus cornix)  tormenting a common buzzard (Buteo buteo).

 

 

 

A Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) scrabbling around at Staffin beach.