The everlasting days of summer come quickly. The machair is aglow with wildflowers: daisies, buttercups, birdsfoot, wild pansies, corn marigold and sub-species of spotted orchids unique to the Hebrides all take their turn in the sun.

Almost all wild creatures are busily feeding their growing young and this means lots of activity for the onlooker to enjoy. Most birds will already have their young out and about with them and instead of trying to spot a single crested tit or redstart, you may have a whole family to look at!

Young pine martens are enjoying their new found confidence and can present delightful sightings as they can often be fearless of humans. The tawny owl also have young by now and although they are nocturnal birds, do their youngsters know that yet? The sound of woodland birds getting very excited can often lead you to a fledgling tawny owl sitting very exposed on a branch and being mobbed by other birds.

The corncrake is another unusual and sought after sighting and on the Islands of Coll, Tiree and Iona you can pretty well guarantee to hear and possibly even see one, when the adults are being led astray by their exuberant youngsters. The snipe can be a secretive bird in spring but in midsummer they often sit up high, even on a telegraph pole in order to follow their young about, as do redshanks.

Watch out for mountain hares. When farmers cut their grassland for silage and new shoots of grass appear, they are lured to these lower levels to enjoy this delicacy. Sea eagles are often seen at sea level as they find the young of different species of sea duck easy pickings at the end of the summer. As they take off they give the onlooker a spectacular view as they glide overhead with their huge pale head and yellow bill scanning the ground below.

At sea it can be choppier now but getting richer with food. On a calm day on the headlands off the extreme west coast, you may catch sight of porpoise and possibly basking shark and minke whale. Join one of our boat operators on a whale watch and maximise your chances of seeing these creatures.

And what better way to round off the day than watching the red, pink and orange of the sun setting over the islands, silhouetted agains the glow of the western sky.

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