Isle of Mull - Final Day

The Final Day of Mull was a bit of a miserable one in terms of weather. Most of the time it was OK, just overcast, misty and the odd shower. We went to Beach - "Beak" - to try for the Adder, and the possibility of getting a Dipper on the river. We started off with a nice Whinchat, but it's not the greatest picture.

We then went to the top of the river, when Dad spotted a Dipper feeding a bit further down. We couldn't get any closer, so that was a shame.

We then went looking for the Adders, when I found one in a tussock of grass.

We then went down to Fidden again, maybe seeing the Tree Sparrow again. No sign of that, but we did get a cracking Skylark.

In the evening, we stayed up late at the back of Loch Scridain, to look for the Otters. We got cracking views of at least two fishing. Light was awful though.

We then got great views of a male Hen Harrier to end the day

Great to see Murray in the Wimbledon Final. He is doing well. Hopefully this time he will win. Fingers crossed.

Happy Birding!

Isle Of Mull - Day 1

Finally, I can get started on sharing our Holiday with you guys. On the journey up, we didn't get much apart from a couple of Raven and a couple of Tree Pipit. We stayed in the B&B called Avoncraig.

Where they had a massive cat that got very pally with me. LOL.

This place held a nice but brief male Bullfinch, Siskins, Lesser Redpolls and Linnets.

Siskin

Rock Dove or Feral Pigeon

The following morning we got the Oban Ferry at about 11:30am to Craignure. 

Sightings on the boat included new Black Guillemot and Razorbill plus a lone Kittiwake onto the year list. A mixed flock of Common and Arctic Tern was a good sighting.

We got off the ferry and headed to Grasspoint. Driving down the road to Grasspoint, Dad spotted a distant White-tailed Eagle on the top of a hill. On Lochdon, about 4 Whimbrel were still lingering to add to the year list, and plenty of Hooded Crows too. The afternoon was moving on, so we decided to move back towards the hotel. Driving through Glen More Mountain Range, one of the resident Golden Eagles put in a appearance - also new for the list. Going round Loch Scridain, at least 4 Great Northern Divers were about.

8 new species on this day, plus 2 on the drive up, so 10 newon's on the first couple of days.

The 2nd Day will be hopefully posted in a few days, possibly tomorrow.

Happy Birding!

A Summary of 2012

With this being my first year having a blog, it has been something that I should've started earlier. If it wasn't for Jim, I wouldn't have had this blog, so thank you! And also, a big thank you to you readers, I mean, for all your comments, it has given me confidence to think that my blog is a worthy website!

I will just mention that we spent a day at Landguard in Felixstowe yesterday (30th) with some friends, and we went for a walk round Landguard Nature Reserve. It was the first time I'd ever been round this place, and considering we weren't birding, just keeping an eye out while we walked our friends dogs - Peter, Brian and Benny - we saw a good number of Mediterranean Gulls....

Mediterranean Gulls at Landguard

Well, we started off the year with a Ring-necked Duck at Ranworth Broad in January, this being a lifer. Then Cranes, White-fronted Geese and a Merlin at Stubb Mill. Moving on to February, a Black-necked Grebe at Minsmere, with 7 Smew, a Goosander and a Greater Flamingo skating on ice. Very amusing. Late February was a trip to Lynford Arboretum showing good numbers of Hawfinch...

Hawfinch at Lynford Arboretum

I then had my French Trip with the school, which turned out to be a great Birding Vacation! Black Redstart, White Wagtail, Black Kite, Short-toed Eagle, Cirl Bunting, Great-Grey Shrike, Serin, Short-toed Treecreeper and Osprey were the hightlights...

Serin

We then went to Thetford Area on the 13th April, and we were surprised  to see a Cuckoo so early in the year, the earliest ever for me! Also a pair of Mandarin flew up river and into trees which was nice. Then, another Minsmere visit on the 7th May produced Wryneck, a pair of Black-winged Stilt and a Ring Ouzel...

Wryneck

And Ring Ouzel

I managed to pick out a Roseate Tern on the scrape on the 18th at Minsmere, before departing back out to sea. That was also a lifer! Then, Lakenheath Fen. Golden Oriole, a pair of Garganey with a Grasshopper Warbler. Bliss. Then, the Isle of Mull. Eagles, Auks, Passerines and Otters. Puffin, Manx Shearwaters, a Corncrake and a Dipper being the lifers of the trip. 

Puffins on the Treshnish Isles

Late June provided a 10pm start for Nightjars with a Stone-Curlew chucked in with it!

Nightjar

In mid July, Cley produced a Curlew Sandpiper plus the regular Spoonbills, the Sandpiper being a lifer. I was also pleased to see that there were 2 families of Little-ringed Plover with chicks on the reserve. Moving on to August, and Minsmere provided us with 2 lifers, Ferruginous Duck and a Pectoral Sandpiper...

Ferruginous Duck

And Pectoral Sandpiper

In September we had our Norfolk trip - 3 day stay at Sea Palling - seeing Common Scoter, Grey Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Arctic Skua and Yellow-legged Gull all new for the year. 

Purple Sandpiper at Titchwell

Then in October, we had Little Auk and White-rumped Sandpiper between Cley and Salthouse, both lifers.

Pathetic picture I know, it's the Sandpiper for gods sake!

Then, the 1st December provided a Richardson's Canada Goose at Salthouse with several other Geese. That was a day to remember, because obviously it was a lifer, but it was just because it was raining and we got wet, that was the good thing about it! (I don't know why really it's just an excuse). Then the Waxwings came into Stowmarket....

Waxwing in Stowmarket

That leads me into the next part because on Boxing Day, we saw another flock of probably the same birds with just a few more a bit further down the road towards Tesco...

Waxwings

Well, another year gone, and an incredible total of 205 birds seen in Britain this year, with 216 including the French Sightings. I wish you a Happy New year, with a bird filled 2013. Tomorrow we are hopefully going to North Warren to get some of them wild geese, and maybe a visit to Minsmere to see the Smew? Happy New Year. 

Isle of Mull - Final Day

The Final Day on the Island, and with all the birds seen on the holiday already, what an earth should we go looking for. We all had a vote of the bird we wanted to see, and the answer was the Dipper. Researching the best places to see them was a bit of a struggle, but the River Aros, and Loch Ba seemed to be the places that stuck out the most. Looking at the map, it seemed that these places were in the north-ish part of the Island, and we were based in the south, so we had to allow about an hour and a half's journey to get there. So we got cracking straight away. 

With today being like all the other days (sunny), Wheatears, Pipits, Hoodys, Ravens, Buzzards, Eiders and the Hen Harriers were all visible, along with the Shorties from Pennyghael. 

We arrived along the River Aros, but with only passing places in sight. We couldn't see a Car Park, so we parked in one of the passing places - naughty naughty. We walked down the river about 50 yards, and with a pair of Grey Wagtails hopping about on the rocks, but no Dippers yet. We got to the point where we thought we should move the car, so Dad went back to move the car while Mum and I stayed to look out for the Dippers. 2 minutes later, I said with excitement "Dipper!" Mum soon found it after I described it and we got great views.

Newly fledged Dipper on Rivers edge

Obviously wants to get good shots of itself!

Loch Ba didn't produce very much at all, only a Red-breasted Merganser, Willow Warblers and Siskins, with a Cuckoo too, but a Toad was an interesting find, clumsily moving about in the damp leaves...

A brief sighting on the way back was 3 Otters running across the road right in front of the car, incredible. This sighting was actually on Day 5, I just forgot to put it on there.

Some of you may have noticed the Nightjar picture on the left hand side of this blog under Rarity Pictures, and that will be my next post, including a rare garden visitor, and also, another patch visit, with some good sightings. Speak to you soon.