Sooty Shearwater (copyright Phil Wilson)
This trip was planned originally for Thursday 21 September but a poor forecast and the likely disruption of the ferry service led to its postponement. Five people came on the trip on Saturday 23rd September and we arrived at the Calmac upstairs waiting room to be greeted by the “Viking” Gull in the harbour below us that appears to be resident in Ullapool. It had to be a good omen. A “Viking” Gull is a hybrid between a Herring and a Glaucous Gull. Could we count both species for the trip?
On the outward journey highlights were:
White-tailed Eagle
Arctic Skua 2 dark phase and 3 pale phase
Great Skua 1
Sooty Shearwater 50+
and a few Storm Petrels.
The Saturday trip meant we had longer in Stornoway to enjoy a pleasant lunch at An Lanntair, the Arts Centre in Stornoway.
The return journey turned up:
Sooty Shearwater 90+
Manx Shearwater 3
Storm Petrel 1
Great Skua 4
It was a great trip for cetaceans with Harbour Porpoise, Common Dolphin and at least six Minke Whales.
Only 26 bird species were seen but it was quality not quantity.
Alister, Lesley, Phil, Michael and Sally.
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