Crossing the Sea of the Hebrides

A five hour crossing of the Sea of the Hebrides today, from Oban to Barra, produced low numbers of cetaceans, with harbour porpoise and around eight common dolphins the sum total. All good value for money, but I was hoping for a minke or two. Perhaps on the return leg?

I've travelled through the Sound of Mull on multiple occasions and each time I eagerly dart around the deck of the ferry scanning the skies hoping to see a white-tailed eagle, but I've never seen one yet from the ferry. Until today..... 

For some reason today we made up for all of the previous missies by seeing FIVE eagles, two sitting on rocks just north of Craignuire, two on an island off Salen and one flying over cliffs just north of Tobermorry! They kick started a decent ferry crossing from Oban to Barra.  Bird numbers were generally low and were dominated by kittiwakes and gannets, but we did see grey phalarope (Ray only), storm petrel (me only), sooty shearwater, great northern diver and a few Manx shearwaters.

This is a view I always look out for on the ferry, Ardamurchen lighthouse with the squid like shape of Eigg behind.

Here's me back in 1987, aboard the Danbrit on our way to spend two weeks camping on St.Kilda (opens in a new window), with Eigg to the right and Rhum to the left.

So we're back on Barra for two weeks, with hopes high that we might have some decent birding and perhaps encounter a rarity or two. Time will tell.