Sad End

On Wednesday I was crossing from Uig, on Skye, to Tarbert, Harris, and on the CalMac ferry met and talked with members of a group of twitchers. They were understandably excited about the prospect of a rare sighting, a white-throated needletail, a bird from a branch of the swift family normally to be found in Asia and Australasia. They were on-course to see a creature that was off-course. The ferry docked on time at around 15.40 and taxis were waiting to take the enthusiasts to a spot some two miles to the south-west of the town. Alas, the bird, capable of flying at up to 105 mph, died that afternoon when it flew into a domestic wind-turbine. The full story is carried on the BBC's Highland & Islands website.

Scottish Islands Explorer - aware of how enthusiasts will travel to far ends