Isle of Islay - Final Birding Day

Well, what a holiday we had to this point, and now it was the last day. Where to go????

With a report of an Osprey up at Loch Gruinart RSPB the previous day, we thought we would go and give it a look. We arrived up at the reserve and walked the Woodland trail. We had a couple of Common Carpet moths which were nice...

Also lots of Green-veined White's along the path...

Also a Common Darter and a Meadow Brown.

We reached the first hide....Taigh Deas

We got a Snipe in this hide but not much else. However, I was scanning the dunes out the back and picked up a large raptor flying over the bay. I kept watching it, and then it dived into the water. It had to be an Osprey! Far too far away for a picture, but it was viewed closer from the second hide, Taigh Tuath, but still distant...

We then went up to Ardnave Point again, where we had the usual Chough, Raven, Shag, Gannet, Meadow Pipits, Swallows, Oystercatchers and Skylarks. We also had several Grayling too...

The last day was a wet day, so we didn't do much, but we did get a pair of Whinchat, Stonechat and a ringtail Hen Harrier which was great! We also got a Stag outside the cottage in the evening which was great, and a Whitethroat was a nice surprise too.

That is it then, our Islay Holiday of 2014! Hope you enjoyed reading the posts. Happy Birding!!

Sunday 8th June - A MEGA DAY!!!

I WILL BE NOT UPDATING THE BLOG AS MUCH AT THE MOMENT DUE TO SCHOOL WORK. I HAVE 4 TESTS NEXT WEEK, 2 HOMEWORK PROJECTS AND 3 OTHER PIECES OF HOMEWORK. I HOPE YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME TO SAY THAT I AM BUSY!

With me trying really hard to get my first MEGA of my career this year, Dad and I couldn't resist not going up to Burnham Overy Staithe to see the Spectacled Warbler!!!

On the way we got a Barn Owl and Marsh Harrier at Fakenham Magna, which was nice to see.

When we arrived at Burnham Overy Staithe, and parked in the layby, you could see the hundreds of birders on Gun Hill from at least a mile away maybe more. We were on a bit of mission to get down there, and then wandering back to see what else we could see. On the way up though, we (intentionally) walked past the obliging Little Terns and a Spoonbill.

We got up to Gun Hill, and joined the throng of birders....

When we arrived in the group of birders on the left of the picture, the Spectacled Warbler was a bit distant, but very vocal, so pictures were hard to obtain. After watching its behavior from a distance, we joined the group of birders at the bottom right of the picture.

After a little while of sitting down getting sun burnt (LOL), the bird appeared quite close to us. We got amazing views of this MEGA bird, and to my relief, we got some decent photo's to look back on. Awesome little fella!

We then started to wonder back. We got great views of Sedge Warblers that tried to steal the show...

We also got the Spoonbill again, the obliging Little Terns, a Bittern and a several Whitethroats...

We then went looking for a Montagu's Harrier that had been seen earlier in the day but failed miserably! We then went to Salthouse to look for 3 reported Garganey off Iron Road, but we didn't know where Iron Road was so we left it there.

We finished the day at Holme where we got a Cuckoo.

A very good day to remember for when I get older, and hopefully this will be my first of many MEGA's to come????

Happy Birding!!

What a start to the week!

On Easter Monday, Dad and I went to Kessingland to see the Ring Ouzels and the Dotterel. Unfortunately, the Dotterel moved on at 5:30am, so we just focused on the Rouzels. After finding the place through the help of locals (we didn't have a clue), we found the Ring Ouzels after a bit of a walk south of the Caravan Park towards the sluice. There were 3 males and 1 female. As usual though, the dog walkers didn't help, and all the birds were flushed and went and landed by the sluice. I had a detour round the area, and I found 3 Sedge Warblers and 3 Whitethroats, both welcome year ticks.

I then joined Dad, and the Ring Ouzels were showing really well, allowing for decent pictures (LOL)...

We also got a flyover Green Sandpiper, Wheatears and Linnets

Didn't see much else or go anywhere throughout the rest of the day so no need to report.

Needham Market Ringing

I went out with the local ringing team to a site in Needham Market near the sewage works this morning. We ringed a range of birds included Lesser and Common Whitethroat and Blackcap (no pictures), Wren, Treecreeper, Robins, Linnets, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Dunnocks and a Blackbird. Before I arrived, they had also ringed a Garden Warbler, female Bullfinch and a Reed Warbler. I saw the Garden warbler, and also heard a Nightingale, and saw a Swift over the sewage works.

At about 10am, I was looking across the river, when a black thrush flew high from right to left. My initial thoughts were Blackbird, but when I put my binoculars up to it, I was shocked, stunned and bewildered to see that it was a male Ring Ouzel. I shouted out RING OUZEL and it flew in a tall tree by Flordon Road. As I went to have a better look, it flew out of the tree, and onto a bramble mound north of the sewage works. I relocated, and got some great views, even if the pictures don't show that....

A superb patch find!!!

Happy Birding!