Barra 2013

We have been on holiday to Barra.  Whilst we were away Corncrakes have been heard calling at Treshnish! Present for over a week now.  

I spent most of my holiday looking at the wild flowers!  Everything seemed a little behind when we first arrived. The pyramidal orchids had not started flowering, and it was only in the second week that we saw our first 6 spot burnet moths - the warm weather brought them out, and the pyramidal orchids too! 

Marsh cinque foil.

Suffolk tups in clover, buttercup, lady's bedstraw machair.

Silverweed.

In a garden on Harris.

Two's company, three is a crowd.  The third one eventually flew off and left them in peace.

 Roadside verges thick with orchids.

Crops planted on Vatersay for ground nesting birds, particularly corncrakes.

On the marram grass at the airport.

Near our cottage.

Carpets of bog asphodel appeared in our last few days.

Farmer dusted off his bicycle.

We visited lots of beaches.  I found some new sheds.

We managed a short trip to Harris and Lewis in the middle.  Scarista Church.

Some very strange clouds over Vatersay.

The Barra community shop.

On our last day, we met a crofter who was starting to shear his ewes by hand.  I later realised what his other job was.

It was great to be away, and I felt a little sad to be leaving.  But it was equally great to be getting back home.  We had missed a wedding at Treshnish while we were away, and found a cake tin with delicious wedding cake waiting for us when we got back, which was lovely.