Falls of Kirkaig, Sandpipers, Butterwort flowers and Black-throated Diver on Fionn Loch, 12 May 2011

The walk up the river Kirkaig starts off through birch woods, covered in mosses and ferns with bluebells and primroses at this rime of year.

I have yet to identify this plant.  Any ideas anyone?

Butterwort flowers.

On the other side of the river the hills were blackened by the recent fires that swept though the hills near Inverkirkaig.

There is a steep climb down to the Falls of Kirkaig, which are spectacular and too high for salmon to get further upstream.

We had lunch at Fionn Loch.  The top of Suilven was in the clouds.  And since it was raining as well we decided to attempt Suilven on another day if the weather improved.

In the distance was a solitary duck.

It looks like a Black-throated Diver, which was a rare sight; only a couple of hundred breed in Britain here in the N W Highlands.

Common Sandpipers breed here close to fast flowing rivers.  There is one on the rock by the river, above.

In winter they fly south.  Click here to see a Sandpiper and other wintering birds at Ferring Beach in January 2011.

The rain had produced puddles on the path and this Pipit was taking full advantage of a bath.
It was a great walk in strong winds and rain, which did not dent the pleasure of walking in such lovely places.