Mull trip episode 4 - otter hunting

We're having a nice, relaxed time here on Mull; the sun's been shining, the sky is blue - and there is always the chance of spotting some amazing wildlife around any corner. We've spent the last two or three days ambling around a few of our favourite spots - and checking out one or two new ones. 

Otters have been one of my target species this week, so we've spent quite a bit of time checking out some of the most likely spots, with some success. We've seen the local large dog Otter several times, including getting a good view of him grooming himself on a rock, before resuming working the kelp beds for butterfish. We also saw another huge male briefly on Loch Spelve, from the track to Croggan, but it vanished very quickly. We've yet to see a female or youngsters this year, but hopefully before the end of the trip!

Dog Otter at sunset

Also at Croggan, I spent a little while under the lush green shade of the beautiful, twisted boughs of the Sessile Oak woodland, photographing the antics of a pair of Wood Warblers as they brought food to the nest.

Wood Warbler

Along the track from Croggan, I also had a close encounter with this rather engaging little Sandpiper, a beautifully coloured Fieldfare (which sadly was not at all willing to pose for me!) and a family of Lapwings with a very cute, tiny speckled chick. Despite the parents' warning calls, it was too distracted by a tasty-looking bug to do a very good job of pretending to be a stone! Lots of Greylag Geese with goslings of various sizes dozing on the Loch edge, too.

Sandpiper

Lapwing Chick

Driving on from Croggan towards Lochbuie, I was very pleased to come across two stunning Fallow deer does grazing in a meadow on the edge of a stand of ancient mixed woodland. These ladies were looking absolutely gorgeous in their dappled summer coats, especially with the sunlight streaming down on them! 

Fallow Deer

A visit to the beautiful bay at Ardalanish is always a wonderful way to spend a few hours. As well as the spectacular views across to Jura, the wildflower-laden streambed & orchid-studded dunes attract a good variety of birds and butterflies. I had fun photographing a gregarious family of Wheatears of varying ages.

Wheatear - Female

Wheatear - Juvenile

Wheatear - fledgling

 I also had a pair of Sedge Warbler in the reed beds by the stream. 

Sedge Warbler

There are lots of moths and butterflies, such as this lovely Small Tortoiseshell and High-brown Frittilary.

As well as the ubiquitous Hooded Crows!

An unexpected added bonus was a trio of Red-throated Divers in the bay. Not too close in, but wonderful to see these lovely birds in full breeding plumage.

I was also back for another look at the Mountain Hares yesterday evening, and was rewarded by a very obliging beast, right out on the shorter grass. We saw at least 5 individuals in the course of the evening, so they seem to be doing well.

In the same area, I also got some really good views of the resident pair of Hen Harriers - both the male & female this time. Both birds were seen quartering, with the female coming close at times. I even witnessed a couple of distant food-passes, which were fantastic to see.

Visiting a smallish, freshwater lochan added a few more species to our list. We spotted a fledging Cuckoo, still being fed by it's tiny adoptive warbler parents. There were also two Black-throated Divers, 4 Red-throated Divers, Little Grebe, as well as Turfted Duck, Herons and more Geese. I was particularily interested to note a pair of Whooper Swans, which flew in to the head of the loch just at sunset. 

Round Loch Scridain, we've mainly seen smaller birds, although we've seen both of the pair of White-tailed Eagles which nest across the loch flying past several times. Curlews standing sentinel above their chicks have been nice to see, as well as juvenile Goldfinch, Rock Pippits, Meadow Pippits, Sky Lark and Sanderling

Meadow Pippit

Curlew & Chicks

On the mammal front, we'd been commenting that we haven't seen too many Red Deer down by the loch this year, compared to previous visits. Apparently, this is down to the very high numbers of midges about after the rains, as the deer hate these airbourne pests & tend to keep to the hills when they are particularily bad. However yesterday evening, the stiff  breeze must have lured them down, as we had several groups of young bucks and more mature stags grazing in the meadows along the road, all with their antlers still re-growing & covered in velvet.  

We also clocked up another mammal species in the form of feral goats, with a small flock grazing along on of the rock crags above the moorland. Usually they stick to the more inaccessible coastal cliffs, so it was great to see a few in relative comfort! 

Goat - Nanny

Just to round things off, I've just been watching a Tawny Owl hunting in the courtyard of our farmhouse. It even landed just below my bedroom window. Too dark for photography, but always a buzz to see!

Mull trip - episode 2; Hares & Harriers

Today was another rather damp & dank day here on Mull, with steady rain from dawn until early evening. A few brief forays out around Loch Scridain in the afternoon suggested that the wildlife was almost as reluctant as me to go about it's business in the wet - with little showing other than various gulls, waterfowl and waders, including Lapwings, numerous Oystercatchers, Sanderling, Pink-footed Geese, Red-breasted Merganser & a handful of distant Gannets. Also showing a few rather soggy small birds - mainly Wheatears &  Rock Pippits, but also some colourful Stonechats and a Siskin.

Lapwing

Driving back along the head of the Loch, we noticed a number of very agitated gulls, Lapwings and Oystercatchers dive-bombing a spot within the reed-beds. Speculating that there must be a predator present, we loitered waiting to see what was causing all the fuss. It turned out to be a Buzzard, which flew out carrying a well-grown Oystercatcher chick back to it's own nest. The irate parents & mixed-species neighbours mobbed  & harassed it even after it was back on it's nest.

Buzzard predating Oystercatcher nest site (chick in talons)

The clouds finally lifted & a few scraps of blue sky emerged this evening, so we headed off down to the South of the Island to see what was stirring after a day of rain-stops-play. My main target species was Mountain Hares; although it's always a bit surreal to see them down at sea-level. They seem to enjoy the close-cropped grass that the ever-present sheep leave behind! The Island's raptor population had obviously been waiting out the weather too, as we saw several Buzzards on the way down, and had a fairly close view of a juvenile White-tailed Eagle on a mission to somewhere or other! 

I was also delighted to spot a male Hen-Harrier quartering off to the side of the road - and even more excited when a second male launched itself up off it's perch on a boulder to chase off the intruder. A dramatic ariel pursuit ensued, with the intruding male eventually heading off at speed. However, it didn't stay away for very long - we observed the two males clashing twice more over the course of the next hour; presumably their territories slightly overlap. I feel quite privileged to have witnessed a duell between two of Britain's rarest birds! The light was going a bit, so excuse the picture quality!

Male Hen Harrier

Checking out my usual reliable spots for the Hares proved fruitless, although I did get some great close views of a family of Wheatears, with the fledglings still looking very fuzzy & cute.

Fledgling Wheatear

Male adult Wheatear

I'd pretty much given up for the evening and we were just heading home, when Lou spotted a well-hidden pair of ears protruding from a clump of reeds. Sure enough, it was the elusive Mountain Hare beastie! With patience, I was able to get some decent shots of it - and a second one, which peeked shyly over a grassy tussock at us. While the light was going, I'm actually quite pleased with how the colours have come out in these. No doubt I'll be back again for another look before we come home!

Mountain Hare

Mull trip episode 1 - White-tailed Eagles & a mackerel or two

We arrived on Mull for our annual pilgrimage to wildlife central on Sunday evening, after a long, hot and tiring drive up from Swindon. Although it was a lovely evening, after over 12 hours in the driving seat, even I couldn't motivate myself to go out spotting - at least any further than the bottom of the garden! 

Mind you, in our lovely accommodation there is a fair amount to be seen without stirring further afield. There are several industrious families of Swallows nesting in the eaves, so the air is thick with the adults whizzing to & fro from dawn to full dark. Starlings, Blue-tits, Pied Wagtails and Chaffinches are all also nesting around the old steading buildings, lots of cute little bunnies cheekily sneak onto the lawn to graze (much to the delight of the huskies) and best of all, directly in front of the farmhouse is a Common Seal colony. One of the estate's resident pairs of White-tailed Eagles are regular visitors to the reef at this time of the year while the seals are pupping, attracted by the possibility of a buffet-special of seal placenta!

Monday was a bit drizzly until late afternoon, but we weren't too upset to have a relaxed start, being rather shattered after the long drive up. We did venture out for a bit of a recce of a few of our favourite sites around the Ross of Mull in the afternoon. Lots of interesting small birds around, particularly Wheatears, Stonechats, Sanderlings, Spotted Red-shanks, Lapwing, Twite, and Oystercatchers - however the light wasn't really good enough for much in the way of photography.

Common Seals - Male, Pup and female

Stonechat - Male

Another drive out in the evening produced our first otter spotting; a big male fishing along the edge of the kelp beds - sadly a wee bit distant to be worth a shot. Lots of Greylag Geese, plus the ubiqutious Hoodie Crows. I also spotted a female Hen-Harrier quartering over the reedbeds at the head of the valley - she then sped off up the hillside after catching some prey - presumably off back to her chicks. 

On Tuesday, we went out on the fabulous Mull Charters White-tailed Eagle tour. This is an unmissable part of my trip each year, and it never fails to deliver a great day out. This morning was no exception, despite a rather damp & overcast start. The pair of Eagles we visited are nesting out on an inaccessible peninsula known as 'The Wilderness' - and the name is very apt. An awe-inspiring landscape of lowering cliffs, dank sea caves and stark crags, it's an atmospheric backdrop for these magnificent birds.

 Both of the adults came out very quickly as soon as the boat reached their territory, flapping very determinedly around in search of their lunch. It's amazing to see these 'barndoor'-sized birds diving down with great precision to snatch up a fish from the surface. After three passes, we'd all shot hundreds of shots and retired to a spot further along the headland for a quick coffee while the Eagles consumed their booty. I had fun earning my passage by fishing for mackerel for the next few trips! In just 10 minutes or so, myself and another guest had caught 30 or 40 fish - it's incredible to be able to drop a line in and pull it out seconds later with 3 fish on it! We pinched a couple for our lunch and I can testify that they are very tasty; no wonder the Eagles are keen! 

After a final pass by the Eagles, we headed back towards the landing point at Ulva Ferry, via another Common Seal colony, where we got some close views of several very young pups with their mums. We also saw Black Gulliemots, distant Gannets, Cormorants & Shags.

Common Seals - Males

Common Seals - Female & Pup

Common Seal - Pup

This afternoon, a little drive around the loch produced a trio of Red-Breasted Mergansers, a very noisy Sanderling family, Oystercatchers with half-grown chicks, Snipe & Curlews - including a chick and Stonechats. 

Curlew - Chick

Curlew

There are Owls in those fields!!!

Today I took a friend out to the Salisbury Plains, to see if we could see any of the Short-eared Owls that have been so elusive for me on my previous visits. 

The sun was out with only a few scattered clouds, so we thought the chances should be pretty good, as on the previous days it had been raining in the area with some wind. 

On route a few hares and roe deer were seen in the fields, along with the odd buzzard. The weather was pleasant, though cold, when we arrived on the tracks. Other watchers were out,  but not many owls had been seen.  As we drove around, the very tolerant resident Kestrel was perched in his usual spot, and some Stonechats were seen along with a couple of Corn Buntings. 

By late afternoon with no owls being spotted we decided to try a bit further along the valley.  Finally, success! Though distant, two Shorties could be seen quartering over the rough grass. Under a hour of light was left by then, so our fingers were firmly crossed that they would come closer. However, no luck - as they continued up the ridge. 

I should have been paying attention to the bushes on the side of the track, as they like to perch on them. Right enough, one had been perched by the side of the road & as we drove past, off it went! It landed on the ground a short distance further back, allowing a quick record shot. 

Short-eared Owl

We decided to head back to the location of our first sighting and wait. Glad we did, as one continued to hunt and caught a vole. As it flew off with it, what looked like another Owl jumped up and successfully stole her lunch. On closer inspection it was the female Hen Harrier. The disgruntled Owl flew off and perched on one of the hawthorns further back in the field. While we were waiting for more action, the Male Hen Harrier flew past quite distantly. 

Short-eared Owl

As the sun was now setting, we decided to head off and on our way round stopped to have a quick chat with another visiting friend who had been lucky to see 4 owls from his position, though again fairly distant. While we chatting our forth owl appeared, hunting in the distance. We said our farewells and headed out and just on the last 30 meters of track encountered one last Shortie perched fairly close by. 

It was now dusk, so it was a case of up with the ISO and hope for the best!

Short-eared Owl

A couple of records shots of our fifth Owl of the day. Including our friend's sightings there were at least 7 individual birds present. We are assuming this perched bird and the other seen while we were talking were two of the four he saw as they were in the same area. 

Short-eared Owl

Lets hope for some nice weather at the weekend as we are hoping to return.

Sunday Shortie Spotting

Wouldn't you just know it; Saturday was beautiful, sunny and clear all day, but we were stuck in most of the day due to having some plumbing work done. And today when we are free, the weather has been misty, grey & cold!

Walking the dogs this morning, Louise came across some slightly more exotic visitors than the usual garden & woodland species; a pair of Little Egrets. Although they're no longer a particularly rare sighting, it's always odd to see birds which we'd normally expect to find on our Spanish trips on a small steam running through a council estate in the middle of Swindon! If only the weather was more like Spain, too...

In spite of the rather miserable conditions, this afternoon I decided to chance another trip to Salisbury Plains in search of the elusive Short-Eared Owls. There wasn't quite as much to be seen today as when I visited earlier in the week, and much less raptor activity.  Even the local Kestrel was looking more inclined to perch up on the hawthorns than to hunt.

After staking out the owls' favourite valley for some time, we were rewarded with brief appearances by two of them. We only got quite distant views of the birds flying along the brow of the hill - apparently moving from one roost to another. They certainly weren't actively hunting, and the second bird was being harassed by several of the local rooks. Still, it was good to at least get a look at the owls. I'll pop back along later in the week for another go!

As with earlier in the week, there were good numbers of Fieldfares & Redwings, Stonechats and Goldfinches - as well as a group of buntings roosting up for the night inside one of the hawthorn bushes.

Just as we were leaving, a beautiful female Hen Harrier came gliding down the valley, passing very close to us. It's always a pleasure to see these fantastic birds - and it was certainly today's highlight.


Hen Harrier - Ringtail

Andalucian adventures - watching the autumn migration part 1

Southern Spain is a great location for birdwatching at any time of year, but things get especially exciting during the peak spring & autumn migration periods. Hundreds of thousands of birds pass through to  cross the Straits of Gibraltar on their way to wintering grounds in Africa. It's a wonderful opportunity to see raptors in huge numbers - particularly if the Levante winds are blowing, keeping the birds piling up in the area, waiting for an opportunity to cross. The sunshine, beautiful scenery and delicious food & drink are an added bonus!

We generally visit for at least a week in early September each year.There is always something new to see - and the never ending quest for the perfect photos, of course! I grew up just outside Cadiz, so a visit to the area is like a trip home for me - always friends to catch up with, and favourite haunts to revisit. Every year, we plan to spend at least a day or two just relaxing on the beach, but with so many excellent wildlife spots in the area, somehow it never quite happens.

We've got a number of regular sites where we spend a lot of our time, but we are still finding new ones - with a little help from local friends.

Before I describe our trip, a word of advice if you are planning your own bird-watching visit to the area; invest in fully comprehensive insurance for your hire car! Most of the best birding sites are only accessible via very rough, unpaved tracks, to the detriment of the poor little rental cars. We've done major cosmetic damage on several previous occasions, but this year we managed to destroy the sump, necessitating a change of car. Needless to say, it didn't put us off - we were back down the same track the very next day.

'Very Dangerous' track!!