Seeing large arrows on TV weather maps when you intend travelling by ferry is never very encouraging!! Such was the scenario that was indicated for later on Sunday with the worry that the system might develop slightly earlier! Whilst it was grey and a bit breezy, the sea was little more than choppy first thing in the morning so the the imminent problem could be ignored. As we approached the mainland it became increasingly misty combined with low cloud. Some sectors of the sea journey are always more productive for birds than others , but today provided a fairly uniform picture with very little being in evidence, impaired still further by the poor visibility. A few auks, odd gulls , but that was it!
Birds then became low down on the day's agenda as poor weather locked in, news of a road closure due to an accident and, finally, to crown the conditions overall, it started raining , quite heavily at times, which continued all the way through to Inverness. Everything seemed to be in reverse as wind conditions deteriorated as the journey progressed. Just my luck, or so it seemed, to be caught in a front accompanying my journey direction,but there it was!! A further road accident and delay, and mist redolent of a November day all added to the monotony and absence of anything remotely associated with wildlife. Finally, arriving all of two hours later than anticipated, the wind had dropped, the rain stopped and the mist disappeared other than a layer over the northern hills. Hopefully all was now left behind for the next few days at least?
A late walk out with the dogs through adjacent woods proved to be nice and fresh, mercifully midge free but necessarily quiet due to the hour. A relaxing end to a poor day, somewhat destroyed by further bad news that a good birding colleague on several past foreign trips had nigh on lost his sight. Life can be a cruel process at times!!
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