On The Turn . . .

One of the things I’ve found living on Skye is how distinct the seasons are, whether they be accentuated by the vast and plentiful array of flora or the varying weather conditions.  Today was one of those days where it would have been all too easy to stay indoors and keep cosy and warm rather than embrace the changing seasonal environment.  A grey day with the cloud down I donned my waterproofs and took a walk along one of my favourite local spots – the sea wall on the A851 looking across to Knoydart.

With such a grey horizon I challenged myself to seek out colour in the last of the autumnal foliage clinging on for life, such as this moss on the sea wall with the blanket of fallen leaves at its foot.

And this little shoot rising through the brown & golden leaves.

Shape and colour combined were also to be found.

As well as bold foliage on the turn from green to a rather dirty brown.

This single colourful leaf left on a branch looked like a golden crisp good enough to eat.

While the wet berries stood out in the last of the daylight.

With rain drops delicately perched on these leaves.

Finally as I looked out to sea I got the biggest surprise of all.  What I thought to be a piece of drift wood turned out to be an otter swimming on the turn of the tide hunting for fish.  Can you spot it?

I don’t know how long I watched this otter.  I was mesmerised as it swam with the tide, diving, coming onto the rocks to eat its prey and then back out to sea.

And then the last bit of colour of the day as I made my way back to my car.

With autumn finally on the turn winter has started to make its presence felt.  The winds arrived earlier this week and now that the Met Office in conjunction with the Irish Met Service have taken the step of running a pilot project to name wind storms we await to see if the first big storm of the season, Storm Abigail, is on her way . . .