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

Scotland Day 16 (Sunday 9th June)

Hi

Sunday morning and a hike around moorland near Lochmaddy was sufficient to locate a pair of Arctic Skua on a small freshwater loch, one bird being a dark phase individual and the other a pale phase.  Breeding waders on-site included Golden Plover and Curlew and a Short-eared Owl showed briefly by the roadside.

After breakfast it was off to the RSPB reserve at Balranald, a coastal reserve associated with the delicate machair habitat which proves irresistible to breeding waders and other birds.  The approach road is one of the best places to see breeding waders and their chicks, with Redshank, Oystercatcher and Lapwing all being attentive to little and not so little balls of fluff!  A pair of Gadwall were showing off their ducklings and a first summer Little Gull hawked insects overhead.  Three Corncrakes were heard but not seen and a slow but enjoyable yomp around the machair headland was very pleasant in warm sunshine.  In addition to the waders already mentioned, Snipe and Dunlin and Ringed Plover breed here too, joined by noisy Arctic Terns and Common Gulls.  Twite 'twanged', Meadow Pipits 'chipped' and Wheatears 'chacked' as we cicum-navigated the dunes and shallow pools.  Good numbers of shoreline waders included plenty of Sanderling and Bar-tailed Godwits and a couple of Corn Buntings 'jangled' along the drier sections.  A gorgeous male Hen Harrier quartered nearby.

We went back here in the evening to coincide with high tide but there was no sign of the long-staying Harlequin Duck which has been in the area most of the spring (last reported on 7th June).  More Arctic Skuas, nine Great Northern Divers, Short-eared Owl and plenty of off-shore Manx Shearwaters and other sea-birds were ample compensation.  The still, light and warm conditions meant we were out birding here to nearly 11pm!  The campers on-site were clearly going to have to endure the rasping calls of the Corncrake all night long!

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Lapwing

The Oystercatcher had caught
and was breaking up a shore crab
when the Herring Gull came along,
grabbed it and promptly swallowed it.
The Oystercatcher was not pleased
and chased the gull all over the shop!

Redshank

Sanderling - summer plumage

Scotland Day 15 (Saturday 8th June)

Hi

Saturday was taken up on ferries!  We initially caught the Mull to Oban ferry at 6.45am.  Then we took the Oban to South Uist ferry at 8.30am.  This longer journey is scheduled to take just over 5 hours but took a great deal longer due to a technical fault temporarily preventing us docking the other end!   We then drove slowly to Lochmaddy on North Uist which is to be our home for the next week.

As such most of the wildlife sightings were in or over the sea.  It was very calm and this permitted continual if brief viewings of Harbour Porpoise on and off throughout the whole journey.  These animals rarely show much above the surface.  We encountered several pods of the more lively Common Dolphins and a couple of small pods of Bottle-nosed Dolphins.  Grey and Common Seals were about in some numbers.

Plenty of sea-birds included the four common auks, Gannet, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Manx Shearwater, Great and Arctic Skua and three Storm Petrels.  It was possible to see a solitary Golden Eagle hunting over Morvern uplands as we sailed the length of the Sound of Mull.

On arrival at Lochmaddy and after settling in at our self catering chalet, we went for a walk across the low-lying heather moors which are typically dotted with small and large saltwater and freshwater lochs.  The evocative goose-like calls of the Red-throated Divers as they flew overhead were fabulous, and a male Hen Harrier is always quality birding.  A short walk in to a conifer plantation was sufficient to prove breeding Long-eared Owl with an adult seen and young heard calling.  Roll on more Hebridean birding!

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Gannet

Arctic Skua

Scotland Day 14 (Friday 7th June)

Hi

Friday was our last full day on Mull.  We spent the initial part of the morning checking out a plantation near to where we were staying and relocating some Dippers that Eleanor had discovered the morning before.  The spruce plantation held several Crossbills and the usual woodland birds and the Dippers were seemingly collecting food for young in the nest so we didn't linger.

We decided next to visit a couple of eagle nest sites and were rewarded with both White-tailed and Golden. The birds were rather inactive due to the still and very warm conditions, but a little breeze persuaded the male White-tailed to complete a little successful fishing and the female Golden Eagle to fly around her nest a couple of times. Other standard fare included Great Northern and Red-throated Divers.  We finally found an Otter; it would have been rather embarrassing to have stayed a week on Mull and not seen one!

An impromptu decision mid afternoon saw us climbing up Ben More, the highest mountain on Mull (just short of a 1000 metres).  The dogs didn't think it was such a good idea, but the lovely warm conditions and excellent visibility compelled us upwards!  The bird-life was unremarkable, although there were still singing Wheatear, Meadow Pipit and Skylark at about 800m.  The only birds at the summit were a few Ravens.  The views were just stunning - Ben Nevis et al to the east, Jura and Islay to the south, the faint outline of the Outer Hebrides to the west and the Ardamurchan, Rum and Skye to the north.  A very fitting end to our very enjoyable stay on Mull.

Regards

Neil M

Dipper

Friday's Moths

Another quiet night for the Pitsford moth traps.  Numbers of all moths are still hugely below what would be expected for this time of year.  Having said that there were several very attractive moths in the night's collection.  Star of the show was again a Poplar Hawkmoth (which was pictured in the previous moth posting).  Illustrated below are three of the supporting cast: Green Silver-lines, Peppered Moth and Green Carpet.  The Green Carpet photo is particularly pleasing as it is a notoriously flighty moth and this is the first time I have managed to get a reasonable picture of one.

Also present were Hebrew Character, Angle Shades and Brown Rustic.

    Regards,

            Neil H. 

Scotland Day 13 (Thursday 6th June)

Hi

Yesterday (Thursday) was my turn to take a boat trip out to the west of Mull and visit the Treshnish Isles, while Neil was dog-minding and hopping from beach to beach!

Another day of blazing sunshine but it was surprisingly cold on the boat in a cool north west breeze.  The combination of both the wind and sun coloured me up even more like a beetroot than normal!

It was pretty calm in most places we visited and it wasn't long before we found some action.  A pod of Harbour Porpoises showed intermittently and a single slinky Minke Whale showed a couple of times but then disappeared in typical fashion!  A pod of energetic Common Dolphins came next but alas we couldn't find a Basking Shark.

Plenty of sea-birds included a big movement of Manx Shearwaters in the morning, but strangely none in the afternoon.  A single Sooty Shearwater was flying with them.  Common auks, gulls, terns, a couple of Bonxies and two Great Northern Divers kept us entertained at sea.  However as soon as we landed on Lunga, it was the comical Puffin that continued the entertainment with plenty of interaction, against a backdrop of Bluebells.

All too soon we were back at Tobermory where I was met by two energetic dogs and not such an energetic husband as they had clearly worn him out!

Eleanor

Puffin

Puffin and Bluebell

Puffin interaction

Razorbill

Scotland Day 12 ( Wednesday 5th June)

Hi

Yesterday (Wednesday), we took a three hour boat trip in to Loch na Keal and Loch Scridain.  The conditions were again very warm with hardly a breeze and it was very enjoyable just chugging along!  Birds seen included a Great Northern Diver, two pairs of Red-throated Divers and plenty of gulls and auks.  We espied a couple of White-tailed Eagles and one of them circled the boat twice which was pretty impressive!  The Common Seals were very vocal and the still conditions meant that their strange strangled wailing could be heard for miles!

In the afternoon we explored the south-east corner of Mull, the area around the small community outpost of Croggan was particularly beautiful and tranquil.  An adult Golden Eagle was mobbed relentlessly by a male Hen Harrier and a Hooded Crow, the harrier in particular looking tiny against the eagle.  A 'ringtail' Hen Harrier also put in an appearance but most other wildlife was repeats of previous days.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Common Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Oystercatcher

White-tailed Eagle

Scotland Day 11 (Tuesday 4th June)

Hi

Tuesday was a full day on the small island of Iona, located off the south west tip of Mull.  Sunny and actually hot on this day!

After the five-minute ferry over to Iona, we explored the key areas of the island.  The best birds located were 13 Corncrakes, mostly within the community of Iona itself.  The vegetation should be much higher this time of the year, but the advantage for us was that the Corncrakes were relatively easy to locate and with patience it was possible to see some of them too.  Clearly some were still sorting out their territories and were chasing each other both on the ground and in flight.

A Great Skua flew over a couple of times and a colony of Arctic Terns were showing well as they fished the surf at the north end.  Like Mull, sea-birds were very much in evidence and many of the land-birds were similar (apart from Rooks and Jackdaws which seem to be mostly absent from Mull).

On arrival back to our temporary home (very late again but still daylight), a pair of White-tailed Eagles showed well on the opposite side of the valley where they have rapidly consumed a sheep carcass during the last three days.

Eleanor and Neil

Greylag Goose

Arctic Tern

Oystercatcher

Starling (they are still
singing up here!)

Common Sandpiper

Corncrake

Scotland Day 10 (Monday 3rd June)

Hi

Monday was another sunny and bright day up here on Mull.  However the late Spring has affected things here too, with masses of Bluebells out at the same time as Primroses and earlier flowering plants, mixed in with orchids and later flowers.  The bracken which should be much taller by now has hardly grown at all and the result is a profusion of colour on the mountain slopes.  Quite stunning and perhaps Mull at its best.

The huge sea lochs are full of both breeding and non-breeding auks.  The locals say this is very unusual and another sign of a cold and late (but dry) Spring.  There seems to be plenty of life in the water with the terns and Kittiwakes continually catching small fish; there are good numbers of jellyfish in the water too.

Plenty of birds to watch in the stunning light, with Sandwich and Common Terns joining the more numerous Arctic Terns at key points around the island.  There must be hundreds of pairs of Common Sandpipers and Oystercatchers on the island, every waterside stretch seemingly hosting a pair of each.

We explored the small coves and beaches west of Tobermory and then went up on to the Mornish headland to watch for activity along the cliff-tops and out to see towards the island of Coll.  The sea was flat calm and it was possible to see every surface movement for miles.  Grey Seals and Porpoise continually bouyed to the surface and the water was littered with diving auks, Manx Shearwaters, terns and Kittiwakes.  Gannets, Arctic Skuas and Great Northern Divers were all in single figure numbers, but it was a memorable experience with the awe-inspiring peaks of Mull and in the distance, Rum and Skye adding to the splendour of the spectacle.

Regards 

Eleanor and Neil

Common Gull

Red-breasted Merganser

Whinchat

Eiders