Our passage from Oban, along the Sound of Mull and out across the Sea of The Hebrides to South Uist, was as smooth as silk with many seabirds along the way, including Manx Shearwaters, Gannets, Great and Arctic Skuas (dark phase), Kittiwakes, Arctic Terns, Puffins, Razorbills and Common and Black Guillemots. Back on land, the treeless landscape of the Western Isles is ideal habitat for the Short-eared Owl, and so there it was on our arrival at the Isle of Benbecula House Hotel, hunting the rough grass just across the road. This magical straw-coloured bird became a regular feature during breakfast and dinner each day.

Following exciting news of recent sightings, we headed north across Benbecula and onto North Uist. Along the ‘Committee Road’ we found the drake American Wigeon, which had formed a special relationship with a British Wigeon, allowing a nice comparison of these two closely related species in the same field of view. This stretch of moorland also produced close views of light phase Arctic Skuas and a Short-eared Owl, patrolling the moorland with slow lazy wingbeats. After lunch at Greinetote, a search of the machair headland failed to find the Snowy Owl, last seen here three days earlier, but as a consolation we did see Rock Pipit, proper wild Rock Doves and four Great Northern Divers in various stages of winter to spring plumage, and at close enough range to appreciate the sheer size of these magnificent birds.

While millions down south suffered the pouring rain of a typical bank holiday weekend depression, we happy few enjoyed basking day after day in 18 hours of brilliant sunshine, thanks to a big blue cloudless sky, with amber sunsets shortly after 10pm. A short way from the hotel, on Loch Mòr, a dainty Red-necked Phalarope made a brief appearance and then disappeared without trace, and we saw our only Twite of the trip here. Moving on to North Uist and the Balranald nature trail, the seascapes of azure and turquoise with white sandy beaches were reminiscent of a tropical paradise but without the palm trees. Here we had good views of jangling Corn Bunting, while the tantalizing “crex crex” from several directions did not result in any sightings of the elusive Corncrake.

Heading down the spine of South Uist, a roadside Cuckoo caught our eye and we watched it swooping from its perch to catch and swallow large hairy caterpillars. Next stop was Flora Macdonald’s birthplace, surrounded by beds of Yellow Flag but not a sniff of a Corncrake. It seemed they were remarkably quiet that week. A walk along the coastal dunes between Frobost and Kildonnan produced birds from opposite ends of the systematic spectrum, a Great Northern Diver and a Corn Bunting. We also had Whimbrel here, which was new for the trip. After the low lying machair and dunes of the west coast with its long white sandy beaches, we switched to the rugged heather-clad mountains of the east, deeply invaginated by secluded sea lochs. It was here beside Loch Aineort, in the sheltered woods full of singing Willow Warblers, that we spotted a lovely pink-flushed male Lesser Redpoll, while out on the loch, a pair of Red-throated Divers performed a synchronised swimming display with bills pointing skyward in a vertical posture like a couple of skittles. Back on the west coast on the breezy headland of Rubha Ardvule, a restless flock of some 250-300 Sanderling, many in breeding plumage, foraged on the beach. Returning to the hotel, a quick scan of Loch Bee produced around 360 Mute Swans.

As the customary fine weather continued, we set off from Grogarry on a circular walk around the Loch Druidibeg National Nature Reserve. The machair here was full of ground nesting birds including Ringed Plovers, Oystercatchers, Dunlins and very vociferous Lapwings, Redshanks and Skylarks. As we passed through the crofts of Stilligarry, a new sound joined the chorus, which stopped us in our tracks. It was the unmistakable “crex crex” coming from a damp area full of horsetails behind a hummock, not too far away. We crept onto the hummock to look down on the patch of bright green shoots producing the rasping calls. Suddenly the small compact form of a Corncrake appeared from nowhere, and thankfully the vegetation was thin enough for us to track the bird as it sprinted through the horsetails with an outstretched neck, thus keeping its head below the ‘parapet’. After this surprising burst of speed, a the head popped up and called before disappearing, but popping up again and again in different spots over the next couple of minutes. We even watched as it flew low but fast for some 50 yards or so before disappearing behind the house. Imagine that for your garden bird list! We continued the walk, elated by the successful sighting of such a notoriously difficult bird.

After a picnic lunch overlooking Loch Skiport, we set off along a track on the look out for eagles, with great views across the sea to Skye. A scan of the offshore islets pinpointed a White-tailed Eagle perched against the backdrop of the sea, but without a white tail, as it was a young bird of about three years old. As we retraced our path another eagle appeared in flight and put down on a dead tree branch across the loch, but close enough to see the sun glinting in its eye. Then there were two of these youngsters in view at the same time, possibly prospecting for a future home together, but better still, one of them floated towards us and we all stood gobsmacked and mesmerised by the enormous bird as it slowly circled low over our heads as if to check us out. What a memorable day that was.

On our last day on these fabulous islands, we went as far north as possible, across Benbecula and North Uist up to Berneray, with a couple more Red-throated Divers and a Peregrine en route. Once on Berneray, we had a picnic lunch in the dunes next to a brilliant white sunny beach, while watching Arctic Terns being harried by piratical Arctic Skuas, with Little Terns diving into the clear turquoise water of the Sound of Harris. Heading south again, another drive along the ‘Committee Road’ coincided nicely with a smart male Hen Harrier, hunting slowly across the moor just a few feet above the ground. Before heading back to the hotel to pack for the long journey home next day, a final stroll by Loch Langass drew another blank with Otters, but the views from the top of Ben Langass were breathtaking, with the mountains of North and South Uist, Harris and Skye in various directions, and as we descended the hill to the stone age burial mound, a Black-throated Diver flew right over our heads! What a fantastic finale.