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| Latest reports
for September 2007
28th Lochdon: "........regularly
had two 'Marsh Tits'
on our bird feeders since July. The birds were still there yesterday.
Sue Dewar
27th Tobermory: It has been an amazing day up here
at Tobs for geese! On a faily frequent basis since about 8am we've
had flocks of graylags, usually in skeins of between 17 and 25 birds flying
in from the north. At 4.00pm circa 150 Pale
bellied Brent geese flew in from the north-west. landing
on Calve island and Bay. Jenny Reddaway.
Latest reports for August 2007 26th Lochdon bridge poo:l a Kingfisher by the bridge on the grasspoint road, and a second bird was at Aros 28th. Peter Hall, Andy & Diana Oldacre & visitors Mr & Mrs No Name 9th to present Loch Beg 1 Black throated Diver and 1 juv Black Guillemot. Also up to 6 Crossbills seen in trees behind the shop. Barn Owl has been seen or heard most evenings this month. The Golden Plover flock has been between 70 and 100 birds most of the month. 6 Greenshank all month. Up to 3 Turnstone during the month. 14th Loch Beg 1 Swift. 17th to present Loch Beg 1 Knot. 24th Fionnphort 2 Bar-tailed Godwit. Bryan Rains 23rd Pennyghael had c130 Golden Plover, along with a solitary Turnstone, as well as about 10 each of Redshanks, Greenshanks, Ringed Plover. Finniphort ? had c200 Shags, which impressed me. Sam Forest 23rd Oban foreshore: a Ring billed Gull was on the George Street foreshore this evening Stuart Gibson. 18th Tobermory: A Black Redstart was spotted in Tobermory in the Ledaig car park area. this is only the third record for Mull. Vaughan Evans 17th Loch Cuin: 3 Greenshank, 2 Redshank, Shaun Mccullagh. 5th Oban-Craignure Ferry 50+ Manx Shearwater, 1 Arctic Skua (dark phase) and 1 Storm Petrel 9th Ulva, House Martin/Swallow Hybrid just behind café. Dr Martin Fowlie 19th Kilfinichan Bay: up to 8 Common Scoter in the Bay David Stafford. 15th Loch Tuath: a very scarce Velvet Scoter drake seen very close in shore by David Stafford 20th am 'Erraid Estuary', Fidden - 2 Juvenile Knot East of Erraid Log Pile - Carol Marshall 8th Glengorm Castle: sea watching at Dun Ara close to Glengorm Castle .I was watching a gannet fishing just off the shore when a Great Skua briefly attacked the gannet before flying out to sea. 9th Caliach Point: about a mile inland from Caliach Point a peregrine falcon flew over us. Trevor Walker 14th Griburn Rocks area: a 'probable' Goshawk Arthur Brown Discover Mull Tours 13th Loch Buuie:3 WTSE at Gull Point ( south side) Lochbuie Bay. I adult plus two juveniles. Alastair Gossage 10th Oban:31Swifts feedingover Oban at 21.00 hrs Stuart Gibson 9th Oban: 4 Swifts feeding over Campbell Crescent/Oban High school Stuart Gibson 9th Griburn: 5 Twite at Gribun on 8th also saw the B.T. Dive. Arthur Brown Arctic Skua (dark phase) seen daily on Loch Scridain chasing the CommonTerns. Bryan Rains 8th Aug - 2 Turnstone, 1 Dunlin, 1 Black-throated Diver and 30+ Golden Plover on Loch Beg. 6th Aug - 1 Peregrine, 1 Sanderling at Fidden. 2 Great Northern Diver at Uisken. Bryan Rains Wild about Mull tours. 6th Loch Na Keal: 4 Whimbrel on the south shore, also a Red Throated Diver the Usual Gannets Kittirwakes and guillemots and a black guillemot. Arthur Brown Discover Mull Tours 5th Aug - 2 RT Diver on Loch Scridain. 1 Sanderling at Fidden. 2nd - Probable Goshawk gliding from Quinish Woods south across Loch Cuin.Shaun Mccullagh. 1st August - 3 Peregrine and 1 Hen Harrier at Loch Pottie. 6th July: late report of a Nightjar at Dervaig by the Heritage Centre. P A Robinson Thanks to: P A Robinson, Shaun Mccullagh, Arthur
Brown, Carol Marshall, Bryan Rains, Debby Thorne,
Latest reports for July 2007 White tailes Sea Eagles tags for this year are
white with black lettering and there are 8 chicks on Mull. 6 have been
tagged with lettters A E G L M P and two will not
be tagged. Dave Sexton
July Thanks to: Callum Entwistle, Bill O'Neill, Nick Reed , Shaun Maccullagh, David and Lorraine Marsden, Carol Marshall, Stuart Gibson, Dave Sexton, Jenny Reddaway, Simon & Helen Duckworth, Tony & Sylvia Holmes., John Beal, Carol Marshal, Mark Kulstad, Anthony Cheke, Latest Reports for September 2006 30th Lochdon : 5 Greenshank feeding on the loch shores at 3 pm in the afternoon. Alan Spellman 30th Lochdon : 5 Whoopers on the loch this morning Alan 28th Lochdon: 3 Whooper Swans flew in this evening at 17630.hrs Alan Spelllman 27th Kintra : a Water Rail by her garden pond, near Kintra, heard calling in the night and seen at close range from her kitchen window, possible injured wing. Seen briefly by myself. Elvyn Blomfield, Mike Wagemakers 25th Ulva Ferry : Single Spotted Flycatcher. Pair of Black Throated Divers, 6 Dunlin, 10 Oyster Catchers and a single Long Tailed Duck in Calgary Bay. 4 Little Grebe at Dervaig. One White Tailed Eagle (adult) flying overhead on the back road from Dervaig to Salen Kevin Lock and Paul Harwood Nottingham 23rd Loch Spelve 14 Turnstone on the shore of Loch Spelve (near Ardnachoil farm) Pair of Hen Harriers (Male and Female) in Glen More 10.40 am 23rd Grasspoint : Ringtail Hen Harrier, near bridge on road down to Grasspoint. 4 Golden Eagles: all Adults. Two at West end of Loch Spelve and two at Glenmore, displaying! Trevor Donaldson et al, Aberdeen Bird Club group Loch Beg :We had an unusual wader at Loch Scridain, turned out to be Eclipse plumage Sanderling, associating with two Dunlin, one Knot ( winter) and a Golden Plover. Trevor Donaldson et al, Aberdeen Bird Club group 26th Killiechronan campsite: 1st Little Gull of the autumn at Killiechronan campsite today . Arthur with tour 25th Cagary Bay : a juvenile Sanderling with 4 Dunlin at Calgary Bay, Anand Prasad 18th Sept – Merlin, Fellonmore. 19th Sept – 2 Sooty Shearwater, Loch Scridain – 1 Little Grebe, Loch Beg 20th Sept 3 Pale-bellied Brent, Fidden Bryan Rains & Joy Hardy 23rd Lochdon : at 1900hrs 30 Turnstone, 75 Golden Plover, 97 Whimbrel, 20 Dunlin, 30 Bar tailed Godwit, 35 Oystercatcher. Alan Spellman 22nd Laggan Ulva. a single Brent goose. Arthur Brown Discover Mull Tours 21st Lochdon at high tide 1900hrs. 115 Whimbrel, 8 Redshank, 4 Bar tailed Godwit, 20 Golden Plover, 50+ Wigeon. Alan 17th Glen More :Possible juvenile Goshawk in Glen More opposite the quarry, Buzzard size but like Sparrowhawk, did not hover but held on wind when not circling kept diving short and fast darts to ground before rising again. Arthur Brown 16th Salen : male blackcap in my Salen garden yesterday David Sexton RSPB Officer 16th Killiechronan : I Got my Black Tailed Godwits at Killiechronan in a small bay to the left of where we were this morning. A little later both birds, there was 2 of them, flew off showing white wing bars and black tail. Arthur and Pam 16th Caliach Point : 50 Twite and a single White Wagtail amongst a few Pied Wagtails. Pat & Bob Stone & Alan 12th Fidden : 3 White Wagtails with up to 50 Pied Wagtails on the shore near Farm. Also Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Twite all busy feeeding in the field and on the shore line. A Merlin flew past. Alan Spellman & Kevin Boothroyd 12th Loch Beg : 5 Greenshanks were presant opposite the Kinloch Hotel, plus Redshank, and Golden Plover. Kevin B 11th by Ulva Ferry. Flock of 30 Eider by fish farm. David & Felicity Pollard 11th Lagganulva: 2 Black throated Divers, Dipper on aros river, 120 Greylag Geese put up by WTSE great noise and spectacle off Killiechronan campsite, also there 60+ Ringed Plover at high tide. Arthur Brown. 10th Loch Beg : 2 Knot g, 2 Red throated Divers and a Great Skua Loch Scridain also my 1st Teal of the autumn on the 8th. Great Golden Eagle everywhere at the moment a lot of them juveniles. Arthur Brown. 7th Carsaig. Nuns Cave. flock of 16 Twite on shore. David & Flicity Pollard. 10th Lochdon at high tide, (20.30hrs) I counted 136 Whimbrel and 23 Bar tailed Godwit, plus a few Dunlin. Alan 10th Killiechronan. 8 Black tailed Godwits in field . Alan Spellman 9th Lochdon. : at high tide on a small spit of land.(0900hrs) 34 Whimbrel, 37 Golden Plover, 20 Bar tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Oystercatcher and 4 Wigeon plus 6 Herons. Alan Spellman 8th Killiechronan.1900hrs 15 Black tailed Gowits in field counted. Alan Spellman 7th Lochdon : Osprey over Lochdon this morning 08.20 hrs. Andy Oldacre 6th Grasspoint : 2 Red throated Divers - Osprey - Mussle Farm Loch Spelvie - Redwing - Loch Spelvie. Jan & Pete Hall 6h Killiechronan. 189 Greylag Geese in fields (no tags) plus 25 Black tailed Godwit in partial summer plumage. By the Camp site were 37 Ringed Plover and a single juvenile Knot. Alan Spellman 5th Fidden : 100+ Meadow Pipits feeding on the shore near the farm.20 Pied Wagtails and juveniles alos 4 Alba race Wagtails. 16 migrating Dunlin on shore and 120 Greylags in fields. Alan Spellman. 5th Lochdon: Bar tailed Godwits and an Osprey also Crossbill at Garmony. David & Felicity Pollard 4th Calgary Bay: best bird was one Great Skua flying into Calgary Bay also one Basking Shark in Bay.Anand Prasad 3rd Aros Bay: 2 Black throated Diver & Bar tailed Godwit in the bay. Arthur Brown Discover Mull Tours 1st Loch Beg: 80+ Golden Plover plus Ringed Plover, Redshank and Greenshank. Pam & Arthur Brown Latest reports for August 2006 30th Treshnish Point. one Great Skua at Treshnish Point and about 6 Common Scoter flying around the Point. Anand Prasad 30th Black throated Diver at Dhisaig on Loch Na Keal Also Slavonian Grebe by outfall from hatchery at knock Arthur & Pam 23rd Cailiach point. 8 Arctic Skua were seen off the point today. Anad Prasad 21st Loch na Keal. A Slavonian grebe from the boathouse also a Great Skua at Croig and 20 Kittiewakes at Lagganulva. Yesterday 20th 150 Golden Plover Loch Beg Arthur & Pam Brown 5th-12th Loch Scridain. Great Northern Diver (2nd summer) between Pennycross and Killunaig. Oban-Mull ferry crossing. c 200 Manx Shearwater 5th Aug, 9th Loch na Keal Arctic Skua - single dark phase adult plus 3 adults on Loch Scridain opposite Killunaig (1 dark , 2 light) and one there on 12th Aug. 8th & 11th Loch Scridain/Loch Beg opposite the hotel at NM5328, single Greenshank 10th Killunaig. a single Merlin - 1 fem/juv and Hen Harrier Ad male on 6th and 9th Loch Don 11th over Killunaig. Red Kite - (blue wing tags) comes from the Black Isles population: 1 was seen over Killunaig 18:30h, heading slowly west. 6th Grasspoint: 2 Twite, flock of 40 Siskin at Killunaig on 11th Aug . flock of 50+ Rock Doves on Iona (8th) Ian Hartley 16th Ross of Mull 'Ormsaig' a Merlin from the window of the bungalow. Tony Jeffree 10th August, 5 Wheatear near to Fionnphort, 11th, Actic Skua in the Sound of Mull. Martin Izzard Canada goose was confirmed breeding this year on Mull at Garmony/Scallastle. At least one pair. Brood of at least 3 seen. Dave Sexton 10th Loch Beg. 30 Golden Plover along with 6 Dunlin flew into Loch Beg Arthur Brown 9th Oban Ferry. 200 Arctic Terns around Ladyrock, also 5 Gannets.3 Shearwaters. Alan 8th Oban Ferry. 3 Manx Shearwater, 1, Black Guillemot, 4 Little Tern, Diana & Andy Oldacre/Pam Brown. also a Little Gull briefly at Lochdon. (circa 12.00hrs) Alan 6th Loch na Keal. Black throated Diver in summer plumage, Pam Brown. 17 Whimbrel, Gannet, .Black Guillemot, 100+ Greylag, Eider. Alan 5th Croig. a single Goldeneye, this is very early for this 'winter species' Arthur Brown 2nd. Ben Buie. a covey of eight ptarmigan, in summer plummage, just below the summit of Ben Buie, put up by the dog below us. Also Sea Eagle across Loch Buie. Alastair Gossage 1st Loch na Keal. 5 Whimbrel along south shore. Alan Latest reports for July 2006 Dervaig - 22nd to 29th July; mainly from area of tidal pond Red-breasted Merganser - max 18 together on sea loch on 25th Sparrowhawk - a female and a male on 23rd Peregrine - 1 flew E on 23rd; 1 flew W on 27th Dunlin - max 5 on 23rd; 1-3 regular Snipe - 4 on 23rd and again on 26th Black-tailed Godwit - summer plumage adult present 22nd, 23rd and briefly on 25th Whimbrel - single on 23rd and 24th Greenshank - max 5 on 24th; 1-4 regular Common Sandpiper - max 3 on 23rd; 1-2 regular Tawny Owl - 2+ calling after sunset on 25th and 28th David Williams 28th Loch na Keal (Knock end) a Great Skua seen by Colin Moody, also a 'probable Little Gull isreported from Ulva Ferry 27th Fionnphort a single swift reported by Mike Wagemakers 26th Treshnish Isles. three Great Skuas over Treshnish Isles Anand Prasad 25th Croig. 30 returning Dunlin at Croig today Anand Prasad 22nd Ardnamurchan. I have just received a report confirming the sighting of a Bee Eater at Arnamurchan, near Killchoan Village on 8th May. July 10 Little Grebe:at Loch Peallach (Mishnish Lochs).12th Great Skua: 1 chasing a Gannet and flying southwest around Treshnish Point 18th Great Skua: 1 at 19.40 of Port Haunn. Prasad Loch Frisa sea eagle hide now closed for 2006. Both chicks fledged successfully. The hide still there so people are welcome to watch from there but it is now locked. Chicks and adults will be visible in the general area for several months to come. Please still read wildlife law notices and do not hang about on the track as it may stop adults bringing in food LAST WEEK. circa 10th. A drake King Eider was seen around Ulva Ferry it may still be around. Fiona Harmer 17th Lagganulva. a single Little Auk was here this morning. Arthur Brown. A summer plumaged Great northern Diver in the Sound of Mull this morning. Peter Bradley 16th Lochdon. 37 returning Whimbrel at high tide (9pm), 12 Golden P[lover Alan Spellman 10th Lagganulva. 3 Common Scoter close in shore and 1 Red throated Diver. Arthur Brown 5th Killiechronan. a Reed Bunting also on 7th 3 male Goosander at Garmony. S & H Duckworth 1st Lochdon. Yesterdays Osprey returned to fish lochdon, (pm) only to be chased off by the Sea Eagle. 30th June. Garmony: Jay in woodland (this is a first 'summer/breeding season' record? We normally only get them in winter months) Dave Sexton 30 June/July Iona. midnight to 3am corncarke survey : 32 calling birds; 1 also at Fidden. 30th June at 10.00 am a Goshawk flew low across the Dervaig - Salen road about 200m North of the hill fort/ abandoned village in a NE direction. Andy & Chris Marshall 29th June Craignure Golf course. 3 swift flying south along the shore line .Pam Brown. Discover Mull Tours. 27th June, 2 Twite on the raised beach between Port Haunn & Crackaig. Andy & Chris Marshall 22nd June. a late report of a Black tailed Godwit at Dervaig. from Colin Sedgewick Thanks Summary for July to September 2005 from Alan Spellman A long staying 2nd winter Glaucous Gull was at Bunessan Pier from 17th July to 19th August. Calliach Point has been excellent all through this quarter with up to 130 Manx Shearwater, Gannets, Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots and Black Guillemots all being sighted. Both Great Skua (Bonxies) & 8 Arctic Skuas were seen on 23rd August. Further out to sea on the Oban to Coll ferry (22nd Aug), a Great Shearwater, 6 Sooty Shearwater & 2 Cory’s Shearwater were recorded plus 45 Storm Petrel & a Grey Phalarope (all in the mouth of the Sound of Mull) Simon Welloch RSPB Coll In the calmer waters of Loch na Keal on 29th Aug, up to 10 Manx Shearwater were skimming across the loch and 6 Gannets were busy plunge diving for fish. Summer plumaged Divers with juveniles included, on 22nd Aug, a Red throated Diver off Bunessan pier, and various dates in Loch na Keal and Loch Scridain. An adult summer plumaged Black throated Diver with a juvenile in Loch na Keal on 22nd and in Calgary Bay 2 summer plumaged Black throated Divers. There was even had a summer plumaged Great northern Diver at the mouth of Lochdon reported on 12th Aug As we moved into August there were signs of waders on the move, 12 Sanderling recorded on 29th July in Calgary Bay and later (19th Aug) 2 birds at Ardalanish beach. At Langamull, Shaun Mccullagh reported a summer plumaged Sanderling on 2nd with Ringed Plover. 24th Aug, and Lochdon briefly held 24 summer plumaged Bar tailed Godwit, resting and feeding with 27 Golden Plover, 18 Whimbrel, 8 Curlew and 20 Dunlin on the spit at high tide. On Ardalanish beach on 21st Aug there were 37 Dunlin, 15 Oystercatcher, 40 Ringed Plover, and Loch Beg, opposite the Kinloch Hotel, there were 71 Golden Plover & 40 Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Ruddy Turnstone, Greenshank, Redshank and a single Bar tailed Godwit. At Lochdon on 10th Aug.The Discover Mull Tour reported 12 Greenshank at Loch Don, (an unusually high number of birds) A single Magpie was seen on the road to Croig on 7th Aug close to the Dervaig Road. Ardalanish beach area ‘came up with the goods yet again’ with a flock of 40 Linnets feeding in the fields. Meadow Pipits were on the move, 60 plus birds flew in from the north at Caliach point on 21st Aug and at Killiechronan there was a male Redstart by the camp site at 12th. A Wood Warbler was heard calling in the sunshine as late as 1st Aug at Craignure. Ospreys were recorded on 5th Aug; two birds perched together at Knock by Loch na Keal. A single bird was fishing over Lochdon on 7th and another migrating bird at Craignure over the Sound of Mull. A female Merlin was seen at Fidden (always a good bet) and at Grasspoint a hunting male, and scattered sightings were reported during Aug & Sept. Peregrines were still around regular sites and on 11th Aug newly fledged Peregrine Falcon were giving very good views. Corncrakes on Iona 2005: 25 minimum calling males are recorded. On Mull there were 5 confirmed calling males spread from the Ross of Mull to Calgary, Torloisk and Treshnish Point. Staffa had two, Treshnish had three.”We have a very encouraging corncrake recovery underway on Mull”. (Dave Sexton, RSPB) A Red breasted Merganser with 7 young was in the pool bridge at Lochdon on 20th Aug and there were 10 birds on Loch Cuin by Dervaig on 27th, and on Loch na Keal birds can always be found, I counted up to 25 during most of August. Large rafts of up to 300 Eider by the mussel farm and a single male Goosander on Loch Scridain. Loch Pottie still has its single Whooper Swan on 19th Aug plus Little Grebe and 5 Tufted Duck September brought two first records, both from north American with a rare Sabine’s Gull between Lismore point and Duart Castle, seen from the Oban-Craignure ferry on 23rd & reported by Bill Jackson. And earlier from 3rd-4th at Loch Beg by Kinloch, an American Golden Plover with other Golden Plovers, reported by Bryan Rains & Joy Hardy. Yet another rare bird from north America was a 2nd winter Ring billed Gull which spent most of the month at Oban Harbour, George Street foreshore, giving outstandingly close views & joined by a second 1st winter bird. The Glaucous Gull was again at Bunessan Pier and a Little Gull was at Loch Beg on 18th. A Sooty Shearwater was spotted from the Craignure to Oban ferry near the lighthouse on the last day of the month by visitors John Evans & Paul Bridges. Large movements of migrating waders continued through the first two weeks of September tailing off as the month ended. Including peaks at favourite sites, Loch Beg, 90 Golden Plover, 39 Ruddy Turnstone, 100+ Ringed Plover and Dunlin. Lochdon, on a spit of land at high tide on 1st-3rd were 55 Whimbrel, 47 Oystecatchers, 64 Golden Plover, 40 Ruddy Turnstone, 8 Knot & 20+ Dunlin plus 8 Redsahnk & 2 Greenshank. (I looked very hard but could not find another American golden plover.) At Calgary on 9th, a single Curlew Sandpiper was reported by Shaum Mccullagh, also 4 Sanderling. Dervaig Bridge site briefly held 15 Dunlin and had regular influxes of Snipe, indeed this area is perhaps the best for getting close to Snipe. Bill Jackson reported and photographed a Grey Phalarope flying over the seanear Duart Castle on 28th return ferry trip A few returning winter ducks,Teal & Wigeon flew into Lochdon on 5th, and Red breasted Merganser in family parties were regularly fishing the loch. On 14th at Caliach point,a female Long tailed Duck was present. Caliach point in September gives excellent sea watching with large movements of birds including 300+ Kittiwake, 100+ Gannets, Great Skua and large numbers of Manx Shearwaters. Duart Castle sea watching highlighted 50+ Arctic Terns on the move south plus Gannets aerial acrobatics as they hunted fish close inshore. 18 Pomarine Skua flew through on 29th at Caliach. The first returning Slavonian Grebe was back on Loch na Keal on 2nd and a scarce Black necked Grebe was there on 4th. On 6th along the old Glen More road a Pied Flycatcher, a first year bird was found by Chris & Tony Johnson. Along the river Lussa near Ardura there was a Kingfisher on 19th. A lone single House Martin was still about on 20th in Glen Seilisder. At Ulva Ferry (6th) a Corncrake ran across the road in front of a tour bus. Barn Owls are not often reported but Shaun Mccullagh watched one for several minutes along the Grasspoint road on 26th. Short eared Owl have been scare this year, on 24th visitors David & Felicity Pollard were lucky enough to see a single owl at Ease Force on 24th.
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