Monday, February 28, 2022
A first-winter Iceland Gull was again on the quayside in Ullapool.
Thursday, February 24, 2022
A walk across the dam at Loch Glascarnoch was just that - a walk across the dam! Turning onto the track at the far end we felt the icy wind blasting into our faces and turned back. Four ravens had been flying around in a sociable manner when we left the car, until two peeled off and headed south while the other two flew back to a possible nest in the usual place on the wall. It was Greger who spotted the eagle quartering the hillside downstream of the dam. I thought at first that it was our first golden of the year - a large female, maybe; but as it flew steadily towards us it showed the proportions and plumage details of an immature white-tailed sea eagle.
Saturday, February 19, 2022
The stonechat was one of a pair foraging along the shores of Loch Glascarnoch, where we walked on crunchy snow in bright sunshine - with almost no wind!
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Several "gip, gip" calls - faint at first but growing louder - alerted me to the approach of crossbills; two went flying over, but a markedly grey female landed on a nearby spruce and proceeded to preen, not taking much notice of me.
I was in Longart Forest, hoping for crested tit. At one point a hardish trill came from deep in the conifers - but crossbills were also singing and I think they sometimes produce a trill. A band of larch along the edge of the track made it difficult to see into the depths - and the next time the call came it was further off.
Eventually I turned back, and lingered in a spot where huge old birch trees were draped in grey-green lichen; from later researches, I think it's a beard lichen - probably an Usnea species. Down the slope, small brown birds were emerging from the dead bracken and flying a few feet, going down again into the confused jumble of mossy rocks, dead branches, and sodden bracken, then repeating the process. They made me think of little brown mice, only these had wings! The birds seemed to be in groups but clearly belonged to one big, restless flock - and at last some came out onto the track ahead, where I could see that they were redpolls.
I tried not to move but the redpolls wouldn't settle anywhere for long. Next moment they'd flown up into the trees, where they were difficult to see; but soon they were swooping down yet again.
As I walked slowly on the flock streamed up and away from me, before going down again onto the ground where they disappeared in the bracken or explored fallen mossy trunks. It was impossible to count them but I think there must have been at least a hundred birds.
Friday, February 11, 2022
There were several small pools in the dunes at Achnahaird, but there was no bird life on or around them.
In the UK it was once thought to be confined to southern Britain - but is now seen more frequently in northern waters. The website where I found my information (britishseafishing.co.uk) has a photo of one found on the Isle of Tiree in 2014.
Tuesday, February 08, 2022
I headed south to look for snow buntings, and hopes were raised when a flock of small birds took off from the grassy verge as I drove past. But after much searching, they turned out to be goldfinches; and a shower of rain cut my walk short. Returning to the village, I was cheered by the sight of a mob of gulls above the "wee jetty" and as I drove along Shore Street one flying just ahead looked good for Iceland. But a search of the harbour area brought nothing but the faithful old Viking. Driving round to West Terrace, I walked out to the river spit - and there was an Iceland Gull, standing on its own a little apart from the crowd.
Another bunch of clouds threatening rain was racing across the sky towards me so I left, pausing to snap the gull in profile.
The oddest thing I saw today was this crab, in a lay-by on the shores of Loch Glascarnoch.
Its other claw lay in the grass nearby. A gull couldn't carry a crab this large and anyway gulls aren't often seen here. An eagle probably could - but I can't see an eagle carting it all the way from the coast to dine on it right next to a main road. This has to have arrived here by human agency, though goodness knows why.
Sunday, February 06, 2022
The purple sandpiper was one of at least five on the river spit as the tide fell this windy morning.
Friday, February 04, 2022
After several short bursts of hailstones which then turned to wind-driven snow, I set off for Ardmair without much hope - but the snow turned to rain and then stopped, and I arrived at the lay-by in sunny conditions. I took a short walk without seeing much and returned to the car; looking towards the camp-site, I spotted a white-tailed sea eagle heading my way.
The eagle flew along parallel with the road - too close for me to get a decent shot. Mobbed by a buzzard up by the houses, it turned and did another flypast, landing eventually on the spit.
This would be the one time when I parked at the farthest end of the lay-by from the spit! Still, at least I didn't appear to be disturbing the eagle - and I leaned against the car and snapped a few photos. I wondered if it would find something among the rocks as a (probably) different bird did in December and carry it away; the light was better today (at least it was right then) and so I would have a better chance of seeing what it was.
Then a car pulled in at the camp-site end and a man got out with what looked like a large-lens camera. He walked through the camp-site to the far end (near the spit) and the eagle took off. I'm not suggesting those two events are linked; but they did happen in that order. Away went any hopes of finding out what an eagle finds to eat among the rocks - but I did get a handy-for-plumage-scrutiny shot as it took off.
Tuesday, February 01, 2022
Having spent the morning washing and ironing I decided belatedly on a trip to Ardmair; and in strong winds and poor light spotted a white-winged gull at the camp-site end of the beach - after I'd walked in the opposite direction. Typical. The gull was very obliging, flying towards and past me, then turning and swooping past again. But it was all too fast (and close) for me, and this was the best pic I could manage. I think it's an Iceland gull; it flew towards the fish farm where I lost it.
