Wildlife Highlights of the Year

Just trying to work out what was my wildlife highlight of the year. It's a tough call! 

We've just completed our first season and I have been astounded by the variety and frequency of our sightings of birds, cetaceans and flowers on our walks. By getting out day after day you cannot help but come across island wildlife, even when you're not looking for it.

Here are some of my favourite sightings from this year:

• 7 sea eagles, two golden eagles and a buzzard, all at the same time, at Cravadale in North Harris!
• The two basking sharks we watched for an hour off Tolsta Head.
• The peregerine falcon on the Carloway coastline.
• The red, black & great northern divers - seen everywhere, including from my front door!
• The mountain hares of North Harris.
• The cacophony of bird song on the Uist machair - redshank, lapwing, oystercatchers and dunlin singing their hearts out.
• Merlin scooting low over the moor at Ness.
• Minke whales and dolphin off the Butt of Lewis.
• Red deer in the Harris hills.
• The otter swimming around sea stacks near Carloway.
• 30 grey seals hauled out on rocks near Finsbay, South Harris.
• Long tailed ducks in Broad Bay.
• Arctic skuas chasing arctic terns, also in Broad Bay.