Saturday 10/12/05

Fairly bright and blustery day. Wind from the west, force 6 with the odd shower. Pretty mild. Fill up one of the birdfeeders, which had been emptied after it overturned under the weight of a starling. At one time, 8 sparrows, 8 starlings, a robin and a thrush are scurrying on and under the feeders. Secure the feeder to the tree with some garden twine, to prevent it tipping over again - unsuccessfully. Watch crows over the seawall, picking up a shell and dropping it down from a height. They eat the contents once the shell cracks. Mailvan goes round to the Coastguard station and Goat Island at 10.45. Weather deteriorates to drizzle as the afternoon progresses, but nothing too heavy. Heard that the west and north of the island were cut off for several hours following two accidents. The first involved a lorry going off the road on the A857 Stornoway to Barvas road. This closed the road, which meant that people had to drive an additional 40 miles through Callanish to reach Barvas. When another accident occurred, now at Carloway (6 miles north of Callanish), the north and west of Lewis were cut off completely. Dinner consists of microwave food, which I eat in the company of mrs B and her granddaughter.