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.

10 Nov 2015a

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.

10 Nov 2015b

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

10 Nov 2015c

Shape and colour combined were also to be found.

10 Nov 2015e

10 Nov 2015f

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

10 Nov 2015j

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

10 Nov 2015g

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

10 Nov 2015h

With rain drops delicately perched on these leaves.

10 Nov 2015i

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?

10 Nov 2015n

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.

10 Nov 2015k

10 Nov 2015l

10 Nov 2015m

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

10 Nov 2015p

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 . . .

6 Responses

  1. Looks like you had a very enjoyable walk, surprising what you can see at this time of year.

  2. Lovely walk & beautiful colors. I finally saw a Curlew fly & heard at the same time her call – only taken 16 years!

    1. Thanks Emma. Doesn’t it make it all the more satisfying though when you wait so long?! It took 4 years of looking before I saw my first otter.

  3. As instructed your dutiful parents are now official TJFrog “Blog Watchers” !

    You have a wonderful eye for colour.
    Whats your secret ?
    How did you get the Otter to pose for you ?

    1. Welcome to my blog Mum & Dad! All the colour photos were taken along the sea wall. A little challenge I set myself to seek out colour on a grey day. The otter posing on top of the rock was pure luck. Although each time it reached the top of the rocks it quickly turned and went seaward again so I think it sensed I was there.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.