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Bird Sightings Western Isles - Harris |
The Winding Single Track Road Leading to The Start of the Walk This road is a single track winding road with ultimately takes you to Huisinis Beach. Along the way you will see spectacular scenery and all manner of wildflowers, birds, , a whaling station boiling chimney, Amhuinnsuidhe Castle, black hebridean sheep and even perhaps if at the right time of year, deer. I wont dwell on what you will se as this page is more about the actual walk at the end of the road. Upon reaching the end of the road, you will see the Huisinis beach to your right - there is at the left hand side parking spaces and toilets. |
The Walk Starts at the Lovely Jetty at the North Side of Huisinis
This lovely walk which takes you to Traigh Mheilein - a lovely white san died beach, with aqua marine blue seas all around you and looking across to the Island of Scarp - is well worth the effort of the scramble. You scramble up the cliff side - not too hard a climb though - easy for most - I suspect.
It took us about an hour and a quarter to reach the beach which is a splendid reward for your efforts. This jetty is so pretty, look across the Atlantic to the the famous "Island of Scarp". From this jetty we have across several visits seen many different birds and even a really huge jelly fish. Even when its the middle of winter, to look out at the crashing waves of the Atlantic is great
Atlantic Sea Views all The Way
As you wend your way up the rock face, there are plenty of places for you to stop and admire the stunning scenery or just stop and listen, you will hear the birds.
There are plenty of gulls flying overhead, as well as the shags and cormorants, there were also lots of tiny birds to be seen, like the migrant wheatears who pass through spending their summers here.
Indeed in the later months like November there are snow buntings passing through the Western isles
Spectacular Sea Views
The photo opposite is a glimpse you get of the lovely golden white san died beach, its really quite deceiving as it would appear at first sight like the beach is quite small, in fact it stretches on for quite some length.
The sand is a glorious white colour and so fine - it's made up of partly ground shells which are blown onto the land and help to create the stunning fertile machair which can be seen at Huisinis
From the jetty you can watch the birds, sometimes struggling with the winds, this jetty is one of our favourite places to be peaceful and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of The Isle of Harris.
Jellyfish Swimming seen from the Huisinis Jetty
This amazing jellyfish was swimming just near the Huisinis jetty. We spotted this in June 2010. Although I had seen many different jellyfish on the beaches in the Western Isles, I hadn't seen one as large as this one before and swimming too.
Jellyfish known as jellies or sea jellies. Jellyfish are found in every ocean - from the surface to the deep sea - invertebrates that live in the sea. On the Isle of Harris and The isle of Lewis - you can see many different types of jellyfish
| Wildflowers - Geraniums - Malvia I spotted on the moorland just above the Traigh Mheilein beach. I think they may be a species of geranium, although I am reliably informed that there are about 7 different types that can be seen here on the Western Isles, including common storksbill, herb rocket, cranesbill. They were actually very tiny, and there was only the one patch of them that I could see, made up of about 4 flowers Beach dance My daughter and husband, enjoyed the tranquility of the beach when they visited, there was only the four of us on the entire beach and they were dancing on the sand. (Ah - romance is alive!) The Sound of Scarp separates the island of Scarp from the mainland of Harris. You can see this island straight opposite as you walk towards Traigh Mheilein. Sound of Scarp The Sound of Scarp separates the island of Scarp from the mainland of Harris. You can see this island straight opposite as you walk towards Traigh Mheilein. The Traigh Mheilein Beach on The Warm Sunny Day As the photographs below show the beach on a very warm bright sunny day, again there were just the two of us on the beach that day .We have now done this walk on about five occasions and enjoyed each walk. Along the way, we have seen all manner of different wildlife and fauna and flora. Wildlife seen along the way on the Walk to Traigh Mheilein There have been the birds, buzzards, pied wagtails, gulls, shags, cormorants, seagulls, gannets, oyster catchers, even a snow bunting one time in November. In the summer the moorland is just full of lively rabbits and then there is the lovely machair especially nearer to the Huisinis end.Over the occasions we have visited the North side of Huisinis we have seen many wildflowers, from wild primroses to the geraniums, thrift and many more tiny wildflowers. The Machair The most precious though are the flowers which form the "machair". Last year (2010) the flowers were quite prolific making up a carpet covering much of the moorland grass. (this year I don't think the machair has been as successful ) Particular areas of the Western Isles - seem to have their own machair - that is made up of all different types of flowers - sometimes some of the species being only specific to that particular region. Western Isles council, Conmhairle nan Eilean Siar and Scottish Natural Heritage & the European Union have funded the RSPB Scotland-led project to make sure that the lovely Machair doesn't die away. The hope is that the funding will allow the development of a better understanding as to conserving the machair. The existence of the machair depends on environmental and human factors. The balance of these has meant that it has survived for many years. its survival is threatened by climate change - sea levels and the ever changing of land use by humans The machair creates perfect conditions for threatened birds like corncrake, chough and corn bunting Jetty - So Near Yet so Far Once having reached the lovely Traigh Mheilein beach, you can look back across to the jetty on the North side of Huisinis It appears like it is so near, and yes by sea it would be, however for me it was still an hour and a half,s steady scramble/climb to get back to the jetty. Once rested and having had a picnic, we set of on the homeward journey. |
