
Early Marsh Orchid & Northern Marsh Orchid
Latest reports for July 2009
1 July Quail calling near to track down to
Ardalanish Beach – Carol Marshall, Norma Dowling and Bev Maidment. &
Steve Young Also a Sand Martin colony at the east end of the beach
near the stile. ,
Latest reports for June
2009
30th JUNE : CALGARY BAY (North shore)
Colony of Grayling butterflies
now on the wing on coastal lava cliffs at North end of Calgary Bay (6 -
7 butterflies seen); also colony of Transparent Burnet
moths observed feeding on Wild Thyme in same area. Birds included
ad. Golden Eagle, 3 Kestrels, Common Gull nest with one chick and another
'chipping' egg, 5 singing m m Whitethroats and singing Tree Pipit - Ruth
Fleming and Stuart Gibson
29th JUNE : LOCHDON (Gorsten Area)
1 Marsh Fritillary
seen nr High Oatfield; small colony of Large Heath
now on wing on coastal moorland North of Gorsten (4 - 5 butterflies seen);
pair of Hen Harriers in same area; 3 prs Linnet in gorse scrub; ad. WTSE
being mobbed by Raven and Common Gulls along North shore of Lochdon; also
3 Common Porpoise in nearby Firth of Lorne. Ruth Fleming and Stuart Gibson
30th: Transparent Burnet (Zygaena purpuralis)
day-flying moth - 2 at Loch Scridain, one at the quarry in Glen More.
3-4
Twite beside Loch Na Keal, south shore. Pam Brown with Felicity
Hansen and Mary Sparrow
30th Loch Pottie 1 Whooper Swan still present.
Uisken 1 Swift. Loch Beg 1 Mute Swan, 7 Golden Plover, 2 Greenshank. Crossbills
are showing in reasonable numbers in various locations. Bryan Rains
20th Male Hen Harrier flying down glen Forsa
early evening (this was about 2 miles down the glen)
21st Brief sighting of a Male
Ring Ouzel (this was about 2 to 3 miles down the glen Forsa)
21st Lesser whitethroat
at the car park on B8073 at the north end of Loch Frisa
25th on the shore near Aros Castle 2 Storm
Petrels fly south also a Whooper Swan at this site Geoff Trigg
28th LANGAMULL; 3 Crossbills over plantation; Red-throated
Diver calling and seen on sea; 50 Greylag Geese on sea; 14 Sand Martins
over colony where 5 out of 22 nest holes active; family party Linnets in
coastal scrub; pr Oystercatchers with b/2 harassed by Mink.
Orchids; 5 species
seen, Greater Butterfly, Fragrant, Northern Marsh, Common Spotted and Heath
Spotted.
Butterflies/Moths:
Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady, Small Heath, Pearl-bordered sp
, Six-spot Burnet and Slender Scotch Burnet all seen despite overcast conditions.
24th SALEN FORT 1 Swift --> S at 22.20 hrs; family
party of Whinchats.
25th TIRORAN - TAVOOL 18 Crossbills in plantation.
Ruth Fleming and Stuart Gibson
28th: 2 gannets flying south & about 6 porpoises,
near the lighthouse . Felicity Hansen & Mary Sparrow
25th 1 Swift near Treshnish cow-barn and about
an hour later 1 (possibly same) at Haunn.
The Quail has not been heard since the 21st and
i have reliable report that it was first heard on 31st May a week before
i first heard it, Anand Prasad
25th Tiroran-Tavool: Butterflies;
30 common blue, 40 small heath, 20 pearl bordered fritillary, 12 meadow
brown, 10 speckled wood, 8 painted lady plus both burnet moths, Ruth Flemming
& Stuart Gibson.
24th, 2 black guillemot by the pier in Craignure,
easily seen from shore. Felicity Hansen
24th Uisken: Common Swift at Uisken Bay along with
a Sedge Warbler and male Hen Harrier. Ashley Saunders
23rd Tobermory: at least 12 Swift over the town.
jenny & Chris Buckley
16th Kellan Lodge Mill (Loch na Keal) a 1st year
MALE COMMON ROSEFINCH, a very 'rare bird' indeed and a first for
Mull, previously one was on Iona in 1989. kindly reported by Ben
Dickinson
23rd Loch Buie: a LESSER
WHITETHROAT Loch Buie. The previous
record was one on Iona in 1965, Ashley Saunders Oriole Adventures
21st Glen Bellart: heard Quail
calling from grid reference NM455485, about 200 yards north of the coniferous
forest where the road crosses the cattle grid and disappears into the wood
on the road south of Dervaig towards Salen. It appeared to be coming from
an area between the fence line and the river. Between 17.00 and 17.25 it
called about a dozen times in short bursts - the "wet-your-lips" call being
unmistakable. We scanned the area were it appeared to be located but were
unable to see it. also saw a Whooper Swan
this morning on Loch Pottie. Thanks to Peter Hodgson, Jim and
Lynda Coyle
20th, Good day out, 60 species, including
Bullfinch
in Glen Aros and singing Wood Warbler in trees alongside Salen Bay.
Fragrant Orchids, amongst others, and Chimney Sweep Moths also in Glen
Aros. Mike Wagemakers
20th Whooper Swan on Loch
Frisa, Crossbills at the hide fragrant orchids, common spotted
orchids, small pearl bordered fritillaries, painted ladies just in front
of the loch frisa sea eagle hide hide. Debby Thorne
17th Garmony: a whooper swan at Garmony and
on 22nd 2 Turnstone. Dave Pieirce
15th Langamull: 600 Manx Shearwater, 10 sand martin,
60 painted lady, 44 small heath,24 chimney sweeps, 2 six spot burnet moth,
pearl and small bordered fritillary, Ruth Flemming and Stuart Gibson
15th Calgary: FEMALE HAWFINCH
seen
1.15 pm Frachadil House garden by Andy and Helen Mortley
14th Caliach Point: 500+ Manx Shearwaters on the
water, 10 Goosander at Dervaig. Arthur Brown
13th Over 40 species seen on the Cailaich road
BTO sqare including lots of Meadow Pipits and over 30 Skylarks
12th Staffa: 7 Twite and 2 Wren on Staffa, 8 Manx
Shearwater and a Corys Shearwater at very
close range together between Staffa and Lunga. I have seen Corys many times
in the uk and abroad and I am 100% certain of this sighting. Robert Hoare
7th Iona -on sea on west coast nr. Stac Liath:
Slavonian Grebe in summer pl. Bonxie past Port na Curaich -south coast
of Iona
10th Corncrake showed well on Iona -in recently
mowed field next to hotel. Whimbrel -Ardalanish beach, Mull
12th Uisken beachHen Harrier -female, Greenshank
-Loch Beg. Neil Osborne + reports from Hayley Tomlinson
10th male Hen Harrier and Turtle
Dove near the river aros just past the first cattle grid from
salen, summer plumaged Great Northern Diver in the sound of mull near the
pier at Craingure. Juv Great Northern Diver and 2 Summer plumaged
Black Throated Diver and Black Guillimot loch Buie also female Whinchat
on fence posts on the approch road. Robert Hoare
10th Calgary bay near beach: 5 female Eider ducks
with 17 newly fledged chicks! One red-throated Diver in bay.
At Langamull 92 Slender Scotch
Burnets and
Frog Orchids. Anand Prasad more
Orchids here
9th : summer plumaged Great Norther Diver this
evening on the sea near the fish farm from Garmony. Robert Hoare
8th Treshnish headland: Quail
calling on Treshnish headland walk track . Anand Prasad
8th Craignure: 5 black
guillemots today just off Craignure (from ferry).Felicity Hansen and Peter
Verity
A few highlights from our
week on Mull.
Pair of Shelduck plus one
chick at Croig, with WTSE ominously overhead (6th), Wood Warbler on the
Tobermory Lighthouse walk 5th Loch na Keal: drake Tufted Duck at head of
Loch Na Keal on the low tide pool by the campsite at Killiechronan. Geoff
Pain.
(5th), Pair of Arctic Tern
on Langamull beach, with the male fishing for the female: plus a Swift
overhead at the same location (1st), Whinchat singing at Carsaig, and
Treecreeper in the woods at Carsaig (30th): Spotted
Flycatcher in the woods at the Calgary Hotel (2nd), Pair of Red
Throated Diver at Calgary Bay (all week) and a pair at Loch Tuath (4th):
Bullfinch at Dervaig (3rd): Male Wigeon at Aros (4th).
During the week, Cuckoo's at Calgary, Ulva, Treshnish
Pt, Ardmore (pair), Carsaig, Loch Don, Langamull (on the telegraph wires
on the way to the beach) and Otters at Calgary Bay, Treshnish Point (x2),
Flat Rock Glengorm (x2) and Loch Scridain
In all 89 species in a week (mainly North Mull
+ Iona) - a record for me
Overall highlight was perhaps a hugeBasking
Shark in Calgary Bay on 1st - by far the biggest I've ever seen
Matt Atkin
4th Ferry Crossing Craignure to Oban: In the Firth
of Lorn were 8-10 Pomarine Skua drifting west,
excellent views. Alan
4th Aros. 1 Dipper and at least 5
Grey Wags on the burn. 1 male Wigeon on the sea in Aros Bay.1 male
Hen Harrier between Aros and Dervaig. Martin Sage
4th Loch na Keal: 2
red throated divers calling. greylags with goslings. On Scarisdale rocks
were 2 WTSE. RF & SG
4th Aros estuary: an
'out of season' Wigeon here today. Martin
Sage
3rd between Iona and Mull. Great Skua robbing 2
gulls between. also found Rooks on Iona
3rd Loch Buie: a pair of
summer plumaged Black throated diver have been giving excellent views here
for the last three weeks. WTSE flew over. several Swifts over Grasspoint
road. Alan
1st Lochdon. I watched stunning
whinchat in the mornings sunshine, and where was my camera, in my car 100
yards away. will I never leaarn ? Alan
1st Gribun: Lots of painted ladies at Gribun. also
peacocks. We have a resident tawny owl at gribun this year , and the peregrines
have moved to be replaced by a pair of kestrel on the cliffs. Liz and Richard
Hallam
1st Gruline Mausoleum. Spotted Flycatcher. Eurasion
Jay at Gruline., (scarce for mull) Martin Sage
The Isle of Mull Bird Report
(2008) is
available for sale at £5.95
in
Spar Shop Craignure
Tackle and Books Tobermory
Ferry Shop Fionnphort
Duart Castle shop & tea
rooms
Pennyghael Stores (next to
Kinloch Hotel)
Post Office at Salen also
have copies for sale.
I will be pleased to send
a copy by post
cost including post is £6.50
cheques should be made payable
to Alan Spellman
you can pay here via paypal
(£6.95)
|