View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Friday 19 March 2010

Evening notes

It was still a bit light at 7.30pm this evening, so we're definitely heading towards spring. Although we had a gale today, it was not cold. Went into town this afternoon, but had to suffer a blasting from the grit that was blown up by the high winds. During the winter, tons of grit had been dumped on the streets of Stornoway and it had not been swept up since New Year.

Just before darkness fell, a flutter of large, whitish wings caught my attention in the backyard. It flew into the hedge, which is home to many small birds, flew out at high speed and back in again. In the end, the bird sat down outside the hedge and I could see what it was: a sparrowhawk. Small wonder the blackbird was panicking. I did not have my camera on me, and the light conditions were way too poor to be able to take pictures at any rate.

The below image shows a gull taking advantage of the force 8 conditions this morning. 


Although we have had fewer gales this winter than average, it is still a relief for boat owners that they can put their vessels on hard standing during the winter months. By 1 May, they will have to be back in the water.

2 comments:

  1. Hurray! Today is the last day of Winter!

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  2. Not a bad photo of the gull in flight Guido.
    As for the sparrowhawk? Once something skimmed my face whilst I was stood on the patio. It caught a wood pigeon right in front of me. It flew into the beck, which runs through the gardens. I walked over to see what it was and it was a buzzard still holding down the pigeon. It looked me in the eye for quite a few seconds then reluctantly gave up its prey and flew off. The pigeon shuffled off through the hole in the wall where the beck came in, so I don't know how it fared after that. My curiosity took the buzzards lunch away from it and possibly saved the pigeon. Who knows?
    Jeanie











































































































































    Jeanie

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