Westwards Pt1.

Hello Wildwatchers.
 My 40th birthday was creeping in & instead of a slap-up meal or new hand bag, as if, I decided the best way to bring in my new epoch was to feel wild & free up in the Highlands of Scotland. 
We booked a small van, something we've never done. The plan was to head west towards Ardnamurchan for four nights Wildcamping. Then on up to near Gairloch for two nights in a pod.  
We never got a small van, we got a monstrosity of a beast. 
Aye, cheers Enterprise you plonkers. 
We spent our first chilly night in a spot we've camped at many times before. In Glen Orchy. 
 We were packed up & away by 9am the next morning, excited to head on.  
We arrived in Ardnamurchan around midday & stopped for brew next to Loch Sunart. 
Loch Sunart is a Sea Loch which hugs the south of the peninsula. It was tranquil, stunning scenery & we soaked it all in gladly. 
Loch Sunart is rich in wildlife & we didn't have to wait long for our first sightings. Stonechat & Ringed Plover. Mark heard a Cuckoo calling. (I did not) 
A few miles further along the winding road, we made our second impromptu stop. The sun was shining & we really just wanted to disembark from the Titanic that was our van & feel the warmth on our faces. 
We found a great spot on the rocks next to the Lochside & had another brew.
Common Terns began to fly up the Loch, hunting the ebbing tidal flow. 
Their shapes were stunning as they danced and dived into the fresh & salty water mix catching their lunch.
We were seriously engrossed in the Tern behaviour, watching every prospective dive & trying to catch something worthy on camera.  A panicked alarm call from a bird neither of us recognised distracted us from the Terns. We strained to hear & what direction the calls were coming from, scanning the skies and trees. Then all of a sudden, Mark said,
 'Eagle! There!' 
Holy shit it was. An Eagle being pursued by two Common (or Mew) Gulls.  It was pretty close, then went down behind the trees in front of us, still being chased by the two Gulls.  The whole bay was now an orchestra of invisible alarming birds.  The majestic giant circled back into the bay, still desperately trying to shake off it's two pursuers. We watched it soar & shimmy it's way free of the Gulls. 
The sound of our shutters, like a Wren's AK47 song, made us both laugh. 
We had been on Ardnamurchan for around an hour.  We embraced. It was a fabulous shared wild moment & it wasn't even my birthday yet... 

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