Uist in the Spring Time

Looking North from Ballivanich (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens at 90mm, 1/400 sec at f/16, ISO 400, handheld)

The first overnight trip of the year, since lockdown, was to Uist this weekend.  We were very lucky with the weather, bright and sunny most of the time but the north-easterly breeze did provide some more active fronts, including the above which moved quickly across the islands from east to west.  The dark clouds and curtains of rain, offset by the bright sunny patch on the dunes and the amazing turquoise of the sea in the bay made this shot irristible.

Equally dramatic was the light at Clachan when we first arrived, looking west.  Again the amazing turquoise colour of the sea made this scene truly wonderful.  I particularly liked the renovated old croft house adjacent to the old abandoned one, and the ubiquitous telephone poles.

Old Croft House at Clachan, North Uist (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens at 70mm, 1/250 sec at f/8.0, ISO 100, handheld)

The trip involved quite a bit of driving, mainly to do a lot of bird watching - 64 species counted in two days, but I did manage a few shots in between.  Not surprisingly, the white-tailed eagle was one of the main highlights, but we also had decent views of a male hen harrier, short-eared owl, and long-tailed duck.  The following images are my other favourites from the trip.

White-tailed Eagle (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens at 200mm, 1/640 sec at f/11, ISO 400, handheld)

White-tailed Eagle being mobbed by Gulls (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens at 200mm, 1/640 sec at f/16, ISO 400, handheld)

White-tailed Eagle being mobbed by Herring Gulls (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens at 200mm, 1/640 sec at f/11, ISO 400, handheld)

Starling (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens at 200mm, 1/640 sec at f/4.0, ISO 100, handheld)

Bluebells (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens at 115mm, 1/800 sec at f/2.8, ISO 100, handheld)

Evening Light on Cnoc an Torrain from Loch Sanndaraigh (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens at 70mm, 1/160 sec at f/8.0, ISO 400, handheld)

Paiblesgearraidh Croft from Loch Sanndaraigh (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens at 175mm, 1/500 sec at f/8.0, ISO 100, handheld)

Solas Beach Scene (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens at 185mm, 1/640 sec at f/13, ISO 400, handheld)

Uist Colours (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM lens at 70mm, 1/1,000 sec at f/11, ISO 400, handheld)