It was a cold, but beautiful, still afternoon. The birds were roosting on the shore of a small spur of land.
There were oyster catchers, curlews, blackheaded gulls, dunlins redshanks and a very grumpy, cold looking heron hunched up at the back.
As the tide went out they started to wake up, preen and move off into the water.
Within minutes the water was studded with little black figures wading or treadling with their feet to bring up worms and shell fish.
You might, if you were driving past, think those black blobs off the spur were just seaweed beds exposed by the low tide but they are actually birds moving out to feed.
It was too cold to stand for long, so as the sun set over lochgilphead we headed back, stopping only to watch this redshank delicately tiptoeing along the icy shore looking for razor clams.
Gorgeous photography! Great reflections. What a beautiful setting and all those birds! I love your heron shots and the last two redshanks with the feet in motion. Your first photograph is a winner!! Poetic and Inspiring. Carol
ReplyDeleteAaaa...., thats a real beauty, captured beautifully....... That bird really has long beak to poke through water and mud, almost to it's own length!.... ~bangchik
ReplyDeleteSpectacular views ! Your photos are splendid. Such beautiful scenery. Poor heron seems not the least bit amused ! Love the oystercatchers and the view of the town. Magnificent !
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful photos, it must be so amazing living so close to the Lochs.
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous photography of the loch. The black headed gulls are so pretty.Such beauty just makes a person feel peaceful looking at it through your pictures. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow, wow, wow! What wonderful photogrpahy. I particularly love the cloud reflections.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures brought back some very happy memories for me of excavating in the inter-tidal zone of the Severn Estuary. It was so peaceful and all the little waders used to work around me. Happy days.
Great post,
RO :o)
Oh, I just love how beautiful Scotland is. The reflection on the water is just spectacular!
ReplyDeleteI just found you at Blotanical and what a delight to see you beautiful photos. And of course, I do love your Scotland! and it's big land and sky. Diana
ReplyDeleteElegant redshank!
ReplyDeleteToday we went looking for salmon, and it's so sad. Where once there were many spawning ... there are now none to be seen.
Your area looks pristine. Too beautiful for words.
Alice
Beautiful, peaceful photographs. Makes me want to bundle up and park myself on the side of the loch with a cup of cocoa and a journal.
ReplyDeleteCindee
Yan it looks so idllyic - the west coast of Scotland is just so spectacular. I can just imagine the sounds there were all around you as you stood and watched all the comings and goings.
ReplyDeleteHow lucky to live in such a beautiful place, and with these fabulous birds to keep you company.
ReplyDeleteHallo everyone, and thanks so much for all your lovely comments.
ReplyDeleteCarol, praise from the praiseworthy! I always love the photos on your blog.
Bangchick, thanks for dropping by. I think the curlews have the longest beaks, slightly curved.... as you say, ideal for poking around in mud.
Hallo MissM, good to see you. The heron is undoubtedly as fed up as Smudge and me and with this prolonged cold weather. It’s not natural for the mild west coast and we’ve all.... human, bird and cat... had enough.
Hi Liz, yes it is beautiful and I love being able to see the loch from the garden. It is different every day, in fact almost every hour!
Hallo Lona,I agree with you the black headed gulls are much prettier than the large, noisy herring gulls. They’re in their winter plumage so just have smudges and stripes of black around the eyes. If you enlarge the 6th pic (just click on it) you can see the head markings. I think they look almost tern like.
Hi RO, your memories do sound good, I’d love to work with waders feeding around me. I’m intrigued now and wonder what you were excavating.
Noelle, thanks for visiting, it was a spectacular day, so peaceful and still. I imagine you must get calm like that in the Arizona desert too.
Di, welcome, I’m glad you found me. Yes big land and big sky from which big rain often falls!
Hi Alice. Sad to hear about your salmon. Population declines are a huge concern everywhere. That’s why I get excited to see the mundane little sparrows in the garden. They’re in trouble elsewhere but increasing in my little corner of paradise.
Cindee, great idea! A cup of cocoa would have been most welcome while we were watching the waders, our fingers were getting very cold.
Hallo Rosie, hope you’re surviving the deep freeze up in Perthshire! It was lovely and quiet just the occasional curlew or oystercatcher calling both of which are rather melancholy and fitted the mood perfectly.
Jo! Good to see you Back. Hope you had a lovely holiday time and are coping with the weather. I sometimes forget what a privilege it is to be able to watch the wildlife around but when I take time just to stop and stare, everyday sights like birds moving off to feed, become rather wonderful.