Being a huge wildlife lover, I was really surprised by the diversity of animals on this little island. In our garden, every morning we were greeted by flocks of linnet with their striking red fronts and in terms of sea birds we got to see gannet, fulmar and skuas when out walking, especially near the clifftop colonies at Kenavara. Oyster catchers could be seen everywhere and were surprisingly noisy especially when nesting or raising young-they took a considerable disliking to our kayaks and screeched at us a lot! Exploring the island made me realise how important it is to be considerate of wildlife and respectful of their own space. Completely by accident whilst scaling a steep hill, we came very close to a baby fulmar, snuggled up in a nest between two unassuming rocks. We had absolutely no idea there was a nest so close to where we were walking and quickly backed away. I did take one shot, and although I must admit it was tempting to move a little closer to get an even better photo I knew I would feel terrible if I disturbed the nest or the chick’s parents so off we went. However it was a very special encounter.
On a sadder note, despite the island’s beauty we were also reminded that mother nature can be very cruel as we learnt the hard way when we found an oldish seal pup washed up on one of the beaches whilst out for an early evening walk. It was still alive but shaking all over. Initially we thought he was stranded and that perhaps we could get some help and manoeuvre him back into the water but it soon became clear he had suffered a head injury and that there was nothing we could do to help as he seemed paralysed and effectively unable to move. In the end we decided the only option was to walk away and as harsh as it seems leave nature to take its harsh but necessary course. The worst part was that as we scrambled back up the sand dunes I saw a seal swimming along the shoreline popping up its head, as if it was searching for something. There’s no way of knowing if this was the pup’s mother looking for it but it was a heart rendering moment and really brought home the power of the natural elements here. The sea is a force to be reckoned with, both for seals and humans alike.
On a more cheerful note, over the two weeks we got to see many seals happily basking out on the rocks as we kayaked nearby and they were very curious about us too, popping  their heads up nearby to check us out!
Perhaps though if I had to single out a favourite island inhabitant it would have to be the hare. I’ve always wanted to photograph these graceful creatures and Tiree presented the perfect opportunity as a pair regularly visited the sand dunes and grassy area just outside our house.
Sarah Clews Photography 