I'm back

It's been a long time but I lost the will to live with blogger due to the internet problems. It took seven months to get it fixed - Facebook was easier to upload to so that has been a big help. I'm jut dabbling at the moment so here are few photos from earlier in the year - March to June in no particular order...

Buff-tip

 Common Sandpiper

 Golden Eagle

 Golden Plover

 Golden-ringed Dragonfly

 Male Hen Harrier

 Female Hen Harrier

 Montain Hare

 Otter

 Puffin

 Razorbill

 Redshank

 Common Seal

 Skylark

 Common Snipe

 Stonechat

 Treecreeper

 Whinchat

 White-tailed Eagle

 Yellowhammer

The wrong day?

A trip to Lunga was good in some respects and bad in others. Maybe I was there on the wrong day! The Shags provided good opportunities for photos and they seemed to have plenty of nests with youngsters.

The Puffins performed for the crowds which always puts a smile on your face but I saw very few birds bringing fish to the burrows.

The Kittiwakes appeared to have done well with most of the nests having two chicks and the rest just a single youngster.

Guillemots didn't seem to be doing very well either despite there being plenty of birds...

...with the bridled variety looking particularly dapper.

I only spotted a few chicks in the seething throng.

There was no sign of any Razorbill youngsters but there were plenty of adults around but I never saw any of these birds with a fish either.

Some of the Puffins were still digging burrows!

A few Arctic Tern were seen among the more numerous Common Terns while the Great Skuas patrolled the skies.

The annual trip

Joy and I had our annual trip out to Staffa on a nice sunny day. Not too many Common Seals on the way out but there always seems to one that will pose for a photo.

A couple of RT Diver were seen and quite a few GN Diver but nothing that exciting until a Great Skua flew past the back of the boat.

There were plenty of Manx Shearwater sitting around on the sea...

...and we saw the Royal Navy HMS Exploit training patrol vessel out on an exercise.

All the usual stuff was seen around Staffa - Black Guillemot, Common Guillemot, Razorbill, Eider, Twite on Staffa itself and plenty of Shag.

The Puffins were still being a bit shy so they didn't come ashore but we got good views all the same.

End of June.

Some photos from the last few tours just to give some of the highlights. The Red Deer stags are starting to look good now and they should get rid of the velvet in July - I wonder if it'll be later with the cold spring.

The Tree Pipits have spent a bit of time being quiet but now they are back displaying again.

The Whinchat are still bouncing around but I haven't seen any young birds yet even though I do know that some are out of the nest.

The WT Eagle and Golden Eagle both have a large chick that should be on the wing by the end of July. Otters are still being seen on most days but we did miss out the day we saw this oiled Puffin.

It was a bit of a wet and windy day but we did find another auk - Guillemot.

The Linnets seem to enjoy the wet grass...

...and the Greater Butterfly Orchids are in flower at last. They don't seem to be lasting very long this year and a whole bunch of this species was munched by...

...Red Deer. Quite a pale looking beast on the right and a spotty youngster in the middle.

This female Adder has showed reasonably well over the last month.

I did say the Whinchats are showing well so here is another shot!

It won't be long before we stop seeing the Snipe on a post so here is, possibly, the last one for this year.

Corncrake.

A trip over to Iona with Doc to have a look for Corncrakes was quite productive. The day started off with rain but it was supposed to get clearer as the day went on. In cool and breezy conditions there was not a Corncrake to be heard! Things did improve but there were a few distractions along the way...Sedge Warbler ...

...Pied Wagtail...

...and some cracking views of Corncrake!

Other delights were some splendid Jackdaws...

...and plenty of tourist Corncrake - Song Thrush.

We spent a fair bit of time trying to track the Corncrake through the grass...

...watching them disappear into clumps of grass...

...and hiding in the brambles.

You could see them watching you...

...but they were showy too.

They may have stood in the open...

...but when they were face on they were surprisingly hard to pick up.

But how do you find the elusive Corncrake?

Just wait for them to start shouting!

A couple of Starling families were housed in the walls and not fussed by the passing humans.

A trip out to Staffa with Davy Kirkpatrick was well worth it. A couple of year ticks on the way there - Manx Shearwater and Purple Sandpiper plus a few Twite, Black Guillemot, Puffin...

...and a superb Great Skua.