Jonathan: Quite a day for wildlife! This morning, driving back to the Big Garden from the croft, there were half a dozen or so seals ‘beached’ on the skerries close by the Eriskay Causeway.  They were so near, and their outlines so striking against the turquoise blue of the water, I stopped a while by the stone revetment to watch them. I reached for my camera, but remembering all the tasks I had to get through today I thought better of it. A pity, a real pity, because as I let out the clutch and accelerated an otter suddenly appeared on the revetment right beside me – with a fish in its mouth! If only I’d stopped!!  …  I need to re-order my priorities.  This afternoon, on the way home from Daliburgh, we saw two short-eared owls engaged in a dog-fight, presumably over territory. And last but not least, at the croft this evening, working on fencing, I could hear a sky lark singing, but the song was not from up in the sky, but the ground and nearby.  Looking about me, I could seee – perhaps just 15m away – the male skylark dancing on the spot, his crest raised and wings fluttering and his head thrust forward and beak open as he sang: darting about him, also on the ground, a slightly smaller bird, presumably a female.  Apparently unimpressed, she flew off, and he darted away after her. I’ve not found any description of courting rituals in books I have, or online, so don’t know whether this is behaviour is usual.