Scotland Day 25 (Tuesday 18th June)

Hi

During the morning of Tuesday we drove around the island north of Connesta and scanned various headlands.  Nothing different located, the usual Fulmars, Common Buzzards, Great Skuas, Gannets, Ravens etc filled the skies and wheeled around endless crags and rock buttresses.

Uig is an interesting village to the north and would make an excellent local patch to work.  We only had time to walk the wood and check the harbour, both quite windswept in a strong southerly breeze.  Lots of fledged young birds included Greenfinch, tits, Willow Warbler, Treecreeper and Siskin, with all three hirundine species hunted insects in the lee of the wind.  A Spotted Flycatcher was noted and the freshwater outlet in to the harbour attracted Red-breasted Mergansers and lots of bathing gulls.

We decided to check out the hitherto unexplored middle and western sections of Skye.  At Dunvegan Castle an adult White-tailed Eagle careered around overhead and Loch Dunvegan provided loafing areas for particularly large numbers of Common Seals.

It took a long time to reach Neist Point, the most western-most point of Skye.  Here we hoped for Minke Whale but despite spending hours looking out to sea we failed to find any (normally a very reliable spot for them apparently).  The choppy water and strong wind probably didn't help at this very exposed and dramatic landscape.  However we found a Basking Shark close in and watched it for ages at it performed three broad circles around a small bay on the leeward side of the point, it's gaping mouth, extended gills, roman nose and slow methodical meander in search of plankton all being possible to witness from our cliff-top perch.  Unfortunately due to the glare of the sun and surface chop I'm afraid the images just don't do it justice.

Eleanor found a pair of loafing and confiding Great Skuas (or Bonxies) and again we spent a long time with these birds just enjoying our time with these wolves of the sea.

Other wildlife noted included more Porpoises, Arctic Skua, common sea-birds and passerines, and then it was time for our one and three quarter journey back to our abode in order to re-charge the batteries for the next day!

Regards

Eleanor & Neil

Basking Shark

Great Skuas (or Bonxies if you prefer)

Common Sandpiper

Juvenile Wheatears

Scotland Day 24 (Monday 17th June)

Hi

Still on Skye and a visit to Staffin Beach first thing in the morning to exercise the dogs was also quite good for wildlife.  A big dog Otter fed off the beach and nearby island and a pair of Bonxies terrorised the local terns and gulls.  Hooded Crows (which seem particularly numerous here on Skye), Ravens, Fulmars and Wheatears inhabited the small cliffs here and the shallow bay provided a feeding area for Black Guillemot, Kittiwake, Razorbill, Red-throated and Great Northern Diver, with Manx Shearwater flying past further out.

We then checked out a couple of sites including the tourist walk to see the Old Man of Storr, an impressive and almost foreboding stack of rock set in an ancient landscape.

Next was a boat trip out of Portree, primarily to try for close views of White-tailed Eagles.  We were fortunate to have two adults coming down for fish near to the boat - definitely a series of wow moments! For good value an adult Golden Eagle came up over a nearby cliff causing the White-taileds to emit a warning call to warn him/her this was their territory!

A couple of Porpoise came surprisingly close but remain pretty much impossible (for me at least) to photograph.

Later that afternoon we took a hike along Glen Sligachan on the edge of the Cuillin Hills range.  Why they are called hills is beyond me, they're huge!  Despite boasting the highest density of Golden Eagles in the UK we didn't see any, but a pair of Greenshank interacting with a Merlin was interesting and even more Cuckoos called and chased each other across the boggy moorland.

We spent the evening exploring Loch Ainort which yielded plenty of Eider, auks, Red-breasted Merganser and plenty of Common Seals and several Porpoise.  Our final interesting observation was a Merlin flying alongside the car near Staffin as we made our way back to the north of the island.  Another very long day!

Regards

Neil M

Yep another Fulmar!

White-tailed Eagle - adrenalin rush bird!

Jackdaw - perhaps not quite
such an exciting bird but I like them!

Scotland Day 23 (Sunday 16th June)

Hi

Our first full day exploring the island of Skye commenced with a mountain walk near Flodigarry.  A steep climb in to the low cloud was interesting but initially didn't produce any birds of note.  Some 'alpine' cattle didn't seem to really want to be there, the steep terrain and scree slopes didn't seem appropriate!  After some time two Ring Ouzels were located as they 'chacked' their displeasure at a Kestrel and the ever-present Hooded Crows.  A pair of Great Tits were busy feeding their fledged young at the base of the mountain in some low-lying willow scrub and already independent juvenile Stonechats came to have a gawp as we puffed and panted upwards.

After about three hours and with us and the collies well and truly exercised we drove further south along the coast to Kilt Rock which is a viewing area overlooking very impressive coastal cliffs.  Fulmars weaved about below us and passing sea-birds included squadrons of Gannets flying in formation and the odd Bonxie or two.  A couple of Peregrines put in an appearance with one of them flying out to sea and unsuccessfully attempted to catch a passing Puffin (which dived in to the water to escape).  Rock Pipit, Rock Dove, Lesser Redpoll, Twite and Whitethroat were all on display from the car park.  A summer plumage Red-throated Diver graced a nearby freshwater loch.

Our next destination was further south and a couple of areas around the pretty small town and harbour of Portree.  Here we saw our first Siskins for a little while and a freshly-fledged juvenile Hooded Crow with a natural curiosity for it's new world kept us entertained!

Out on the Brae road which parallels the impressive Sound of Raasay, Eleanor picked up on a flock of 6 Common Cranes flying north.  Sadly they didn't call but a super sight nonetheless.  The habitat here supports breeding Wheatear, Stonechat and Whinchat and Cuckoos continue to call and show themselves regularly.  A pair of Golden Eagles were watched as they cruised the cliffs nearby.

We finished our birding day with a visit to Uig Wood.  Plenty of common woodland birds here which included singing Blackcap and Chiffchaff, a pair of Long-tailed Tits with fledged young, Treecreeper etc.  A pair of Sedge Warblers were feeding young in the nest by the beach in a small patch of phragmites and cow parsley.  However, a Marsh Warbler sang snatches of song from the same vegetation but remained extremely elusive, but a good find nonetheless.  As we walked back up through Uig wood, the distinctive song of a Common Rosefinch could be heard.  We eventually tracked the bird down to a heavily vegetated bank on the opposite side of the road and it continued to sing from dense gorse and elder.  However it refused to show itself so we will never know if it was a dull brown job or a gorgeous pink stunner!

Regards

Neil M

Rock Dove

Great Black-backed Gull -
eye to eye with
arguably the biggest gull
in the world!

Gannets

Fulmar - sorry can't resist them!

Scottish Rabbit!

Juvenile Hooded Crow

Scotland Day 22 (Saturday 15th June)

Hi  

Saturday was our last day on the Outer Hebrides.  Our self-catering accommodation was called 'Otter View' but we hadn't spent any time there to see if any ever did come past!  As we were cleaning the place prior to leaving, the owner (thanks Ron) alerted us to a female Otter fishing the sea loch next to the croft (poor quality images below).

After leaving Otter View for the last time we decided to spend our last hours on North Uist at Balranald (again)!  We notched up a Short-eared Owl and a Hen Harrier on our way there.  Needless to say the Harlequin Duck was conspicuous by it's absence!  However, two more Otters put in an appearance, initially tumbling around on the machair and then fishing off one of the beaches where they caught and consumed a large eel.  Birds included several Great Northern Divers which included a gorgeous adult emitting that haunting call you hear on all American film tracks!  Two Whooper Swans, Corn Buntings, Corncrakes calling and the usual waders and sea-birds made up the usual inventory.

A drive then to Lochmaddie and the ferry to Uig on Skye.  A large pod of Common Dolphins were mostly distant, a Sunfish showed briefly and seals and auks dotted the sea as we churned along.  Birds included Bonxie, Arctic Skua, three Storm Petrels, good numbers of Puffins and Manx Shearwaters, Kittiwakes, Gannets, terns etc.

On arrival at Skye we had time to do a little birding and dog-walking after finding our new accommodation.  An adult Golden Eagle on the north-east side of the island still hunting at 10.25pm was the highlight.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Otter at 'Otter View'

Sanderling and Dunlin

Sanderling

'Drumming' Snipe.  Displaying Snipe fly overhead
and regularly fly upside down and on their side
whilst fanning their outer tail feathers.  This creates
a bleating sound referred to as 'drumming'.

Otter at Balranald

Common Dolphin

Scotland Day 21 (Friday 14th June)

Hi

On Friday we elected to have a day trip to the islands of Harris and Lewis.  We caught the 7.15am ferry that travels from North Uist to Harris.  Birds seen from the ferry on the hour-long excursion included Great Northern Diver, Red-throated Diver, Bonxie, auks, Arctic Tern, Kittiwake and the ever-present Gannets.  As we approached a large flock of Eider, three scoters broke away and flew off around the side of the ferry (at some range).  However one of them was unmistakeably a drake Surf Scoter!

On arrival at Harris, a Golden Eagle circled a nearby hilltop and even displayed briefly before disappearing.

We then motored gently through Harris which is an exceptionally beautiful island on the west side, and drove up to the bigger island of Lewis.  We headed off to the west side to a small RSPB reserve called Loch Na Muilne.  Here we saw a couple of Red-necked Phalaropes, but it wasn't possible to obtain really close views without causing disturbance to other birds on-site, so we watched from a distance instead (sorry no photos)!  A female Teal was in charge of her just-hatched ducklings and common waders and sea-birds were all around.

We then drove via Stornoway to Tiumian Head which is a useful spot for cetaceans.  A single large dolphin splashing around appeared to be a Risso's but it was a touch choppy to easily see dolphins, Basking Sharks etc.  The relatively small sea-bird colony kept us entertained though.  A pair of Carrion Crows near here were the only ones we saw in the Outer Hebrides and we saw another Teal with ducklings.  With a few stops to admire the dramatic views of Lewis, we drove slowly back south to again catch the ferry from Harris to North Uist.  Plenty of birds on the return crossing were mostly repeats of the morning crossing with the addition of Arctic Skua.  Three scoters again flew off well ahead of the ferry and the resultant long-distance images depicted a drake and duck Surf Scoter with a female Common Scoter.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Common Seals

Fulmar

Kittiwake

Teal

Surf and Common Scoter

Scotland Day 20 (Thursday 13th June)

Hi

On Thursday we explored the islands of South Uist and Benbecula and made repeat visits to the Solas area and Balranald on North Uist.

Balranald produced two Whooper Swans, a Bonxie, a Little Gull, 4 Turnstones and still plenty of Sanderling on the beach and several singing Corn Buntings.  The stiff westerly breeze pulled the passing Gannets and other sea-birds in nice and close.

The Solas road over the heather moors seemed to be too breezy for the Short-eared Owls to put in an appearance, but the Hen Harriers were still busy (one male caught what appeared to be a vole and later an Oystercatcher chick) as were two Common Buzzards and a fly-through Arctic Skua. 

Despite a good walk around the desolate wilderness of Loch Druidbeg on South Uist, we didn't see a great deal of wildlife.  A circular drive around some of Benbecular was good for three Red-necked Phalaropes on the sea at Stinky Bay (which were attacked by two Arctic Skuas), a couple of Whimbrel and excellent numbers of breeding waders and loafing gulls.  Stinky Bay paid host to about eight Eider broods which surprisingly were in the same place where large gulls fed on invertebrates on the strewn and smelly sea-weed (Eider ducklings are regularly predated by large gulls).

Forgot to mention that on Wednesday (12th) we saw a second summer Iceland Gull on North Uist.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Meadow Pipit

Herring Gull

Oystercatcher

Black-headed Gull

Male Stonechat

Salcey Stroll

A Sunday morning stroll around Salcey Forest proved to be very productive with a fine mixture of species on offer.  This venue is one I regularly visit with my friend Paul as it is roughly half way between our two homes.
Today we were especially interested in looking for butterflies, particularly Wood White as this is a good site for this delicate flier.  We soon found a number of individuals resting in the ride side vegetation, eventually reaching a total of around a dozen by the conclusion of the walk.
A number of Common Spotted-orchids were coming into flower, mainly in the North-Eastern corner of the wood (where the majority of the Wood Whites are also to be found).
What appeared to be a family party of 5 Ravens flew over with the 2 adults cronking repeatedly to the 3 youngsters.

As we headed towards the Cafe in anticipation of our usual bacon roll and a cup of tea 8 Common Lizards and 3 Grass Snakes were spotted basking on a fallen oak in the weak sunlight.  As the temperature was fairly cool still we were able to approach quite closely without alarming the reptiles and had prolonged close views.
In addition to the Wood Whites, Small and Large White were also seen as well as Orange Tip and Speckled Wood.

     Regards,

                   Neil H.

Terns and Gulls

A walk around Summer Leys on Saturday morning was pleasant, if a little on the breezy side.  I was hoping to see the drake Garganey that had been present on the reserve for the previous few days.  Sadly the bird was wearing the 'cloak of invisibility' that many Garganey seem to be able to turn on and off at will and so I drew a blank.  
There was some consolation in a drake Red-crested Pochard near to and sleeping on Eddie's Island.  The bird is starting to go into eclipse but was still immediately obvious with its bright red bill.
There were at least 5 Redshank present as well as a pair of Little Ringed Plovers on Round Island.
The most obvious change from last week was the first of the new Common Tern and Black-headed Gull chicks.  Round Island had at least a dozen Tern chicks huddled together behind any tiny sprig of vegetation they could find to try and stay out of the cold wind.  They soon became more animated when one of their parents returned with a fish fry offering, instantly mobbing the adult for food.  There are about 50 nests on Round Island so hopefully there will be a lot more youngsters before the week is out.
Rotary Island is the preferred choice for the Black-headed Gulls this season.  The rapidly growing vegetation on the island makes it difficult to assess how many pairs are breeding, but there was a group of chicks loitering on the waters edge awaiting food.
The Oystercatchers appear to have hatched young; the adults were continually flying to-and-fro from Round Island with food but I didn't mange to see the chicks.
The Black Swan continues to be present, it has been there for at least a week now.
Large numbers of Swifts were skimming the water for insects with smaller numbers of Sand Martins and House Martins mixed in.

        Regards,

                 Neil H.

Scotland Day 18 and 19 (11th and 12th June)

Hi

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week we were blighted with some dull and cloudy conditions here on the Outer Hebs and with quite a bit of rain and heavy drizzle in particular on Tuesday.  This affected our ability to see and photo the birds, particularly as it was also very windy!

On Tuesday morning in the rain we walked around Langass Wood and then birded a couple of sites on Benbecula and South Uist.  There was a break in the weather and then the drizzle returned in the late afternoon and evening.  On Wednesday we concentrated more on North Uist including a return visit to Balranald and scouting out some pretty wild and woolly headlands!

We managed to find good numbers of Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls, despite the sometimes inclement conditions, a Golden Eagle at Loch Pontain being mobbed by a Merlin, and some excellent numbers of breeding waders on the west shore machair.

Regards

E & N

Short-eared Owl

Coffee-coloured Highland Cattle
There are black ones too!

Lapwing on a bad hair day!

Starling.  Subtle plumage variation
from the mainland birds, voice
different too

Over we go!

"Did he make it?"
"Yep he made it!"

Scotland Day 17 (Monday 10th June)

Hi

The last sunny and hot day on Uist as the weather changes to more normal wet conditions!

In the morning we explored the north area of North Uist and found one of the famous arcing beaches that must have been two miles in length and without another soul in sight!  A fantastic place to exercise the collies even if the bird-life was minimal.  Even so, Gannets and Kittiwakes were fishing in the bay out of the strong southerly breeze, and a Great Northern Diver cruised the turquoise waters.  A 'ringtail' Hen Harrier and a couple of Common Buzzards hunted the dunes and a singing Corn Bunting and several Twite populated the flat machair on the land-ward side.

After a couple of hours here we drove the single-track roads, stopping and scanning at suitable vantage points.  It was another day when the distant outcrops of St Kilda were clearly visible to the west.  A summering Whooper Swan had a whole loch to itself but most other birds were mostly repeats of previous days.

Somehow or other we found ourselves back at Balranald, and we went on an extended (6 hour) hike taking in the sandy beaches, fields and machair.  It was very enjoyable but we were all very tired and thirsty at the end of it!  I don't think we saw any birds different to the previous day and again failed to connect with the elusive Harlequin.

The evening was spent scanning the moorland road to Solas.  In fading light we saw three Short-eared Owls and some three or four Hen Harriers and notched up some more Arctic Skuas and a Greenshank.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Swallow

Adult Herring Gull

Arctic Tern

Yet another Oystercatcher!

Meadow Pipit