Mull, Day 4

 Late start after yesterdays long day on Iona. Met a friend for a pint in the Mishnish at lunchtime.

Tim moved to the island several years ago, and we have not met for at least 30 years.

It was very nice to see him after all those years and talk about old times and people we knew.

After a late lunch I set off for Aros, a spot I have visited many times on my visits. The visit today was not a long one due to the weather, hail and rain showers, Sand martins were dashing about hunting insects, the islands only mute swans were feeding, while oystercatchers and male mallards were just standing.

A pair of red-breasted mergansers flew in and a great northern diver was offshore. When the rain started I left and drove to the hide at Fishnish. As I got out of my car I could hear crossbills calling and walked towards the area they were calling and saw a female on the top of a pine tree. Another year tick.

As I got to the hide 5 other birders were watching a white tailed eagle as it circled quite high up.  From inside the hide I saw another white tailed eagle sitting in a tree on the other side of the ferry terminal. After yet another rain shower, I left and headed for a layby near Craignure Golf club. No sign of any eagles nest but a few gulls on some exposed rocks.

Garmony was my last stop  where I added dunlin and shelduck to my trip list, taking the total to 51.

Iona

 

This is the Bay at the Back of the Ocean, Iona. On the walk there I saw lots of wheatears

This willow warbler was sat on a wire

while this wren sang from a bush below

I heard a cuckoo on several occasions but did not see it. I joined other birders looking for corncrakes. We heard 4 calling as we stood behind the fire station,but sadly no sightings.

Tobermory Lighthouse

 Brilliant sunshine first thing this morning, so I walked to Tobermory Lighhouse, which is about 2km from the cottage.

Willow warbler, chiffchaff, blackcap, raven, hooded crow, common sandpiper and cuckoo.

Mull Day 1

Left Oban on the lunchtime ferry. Black guillemots in the harbour, a few gannets on the sea as we sailed across to Mull.

No sign of any terns on the island with the lighthouse. Still snow on the distant moutains.

Arrived in Tobermory just after lunch today. Shopping etc kept me busy till 6pm when I set out for my first birding session of the week.

I parked near the Mishnish Lochs. Several great black-backed gulls visited and after bathing flew off. Sands martins were flying low over the water and a female teal was disturbed by a hooded crow and a whitethroat was flitting about in some bushes.

As I watched a GBBG fly off I noticed a large bird in the sky over a hill.

Just a dot in the sky

My first white-tailed eagle of the trip. My next stop was the hide at Loch Torr.

No sign of any birds of prey, just sand martins flying low over the water. What will tomorrow bring?

Oban

 

O:vernight in Oban, off to Mull tomorrow.

2 year ticks, hooded crow and black guillemot.

Flamborough Head and RSPB Bempton Cliffs

 

A day out with Stu. We met at Flamborough Head where a skylark was singing in the field next to the car park. Standing next to the fog horn station we saw wheatear, meadow pipit, puffin, sand martin, swallow, kittiwake, guillemot and razorbills. Lots of gannets flying past.

Near the "drinking dinosaur" we saw turnstone and purple sandpiper. Walking back along the motor way hedge, we added yellowhammer, sedge warbler and reed bunting to our list.

RSPB Bempton was our second stop of the day. All the car parks were full, so we had to wait for someone leaving to occupy their space.

Swallows building a nest near the visitor centre

Jackdaws on the feeders

Tree sparrow posing on a post

Brief glimpses of puffins

Lots of kittiwakes

Red admiral, peacock and painted lady butterflies.

A pleasant day with a new year tick the puffin.

North Duffield Carrs

 

Only just managed to get a second visit to this site this month. My last visit was on April 2nd. The water levels have just about vanished from view. However the large number of mute swans feeding in the various ditches indicates that there is still enough food about.

Lapwings, curlews and skylarks in the field on the other side of the scrape. Swifts, sand martins, swallows and house martins hunting over the reserve, the first time this year I have seen all 4 together.

The mute swans nest looks as if there is only 1 egg in it at the moment.

A pair of Canada geese brought their 6 goslings onto the scrape

Mrs Mallard had 1 duckling

To the right of the hide, and only just in camera range, this bush was proving popular.

1st a whitethroat

then my first sedge warbler of the year

3rd visitor was a reed bunting

closely followed by a linnet

then a male blackbird.

a wren was a bit closer

A pleasant 3 hours and two year ticks.