Oban Harbour - Black Guillemot

With seven days in the Highlands etc behind me, it was time for a change of scenery and I was off to Mull for another four nights! Eagles and hopefully Corncrake awaited me but for now, I was at Oban harbour...... very early!

Planned of course :-) I wanted to get amongst the Black Guillimots - first task was to park up and find them! It didn't take long......

It was low tide and only one or two were hanging around the harbour - very vocal!

Tricky light too as the aspect was directly into the sun but at least I could get on the 'beach' to improve the angle.....

 A wingflap was prelude to.......

Flight! Almost impossible into the light!

but as the day wore on, one or two reasonable 'keepers'?

One individual climbed up on the jetty wall in front of me.....

Nice iridescent  colours brought out amongst the 'black' plumage!

And this is the reason they are there - nesting in the harbour wall!

The side aspect.....

Calling and showing off the contrasting bright red gape and throat - it's not just the feet!

Apart from the occasional Rock Pipit, not much else showing nearby but who cares - I was here for the Black Guillies and what a welcome! Then off for the ferry, which was 40 mins late but it's Mull here I come......

Mull - A Golden welcome

With the ferry running late, I didn't have much time to get amongst Mull's finest but took a gamble of a dead cert venue - Loch Na Keal. Within 40 minutes of driving off the ferry, I had scoped White-tailed Eagle and was about to enjoy 20 mins of this Golden Eagle gliding above me around and over the hillside! Record shot distance of course......

The closest approach....

Then over the top.....

A right Golden welcome methinks! With luck like this, Corncrakes could be on the cards?

Cairngorm - Snow Buntings and co....

It was a scorcher and for various reasons, I opted to take the 'easy way' this year in search of the Cairgorm specialities. Luckily, the 'walk to the top' with a guide ( who didn't mind me ignoring the 'commentary' whilst I scanned for birds) paid off with the three target species all seen!

This is Dotterel country....

And we encountered one pair - here's the female....

And erm... here's the only Ptarmigan encountered!

The views from the summit were spectacular, looking over towards Ben Macdui here...

With a couple of pairs of Snow Bunting, looking forward to scraps of food? Here's one of the females...

I'd already seen this male Snow Bunting from the viewing platform!

 But it was so much nicer to get a better angle of view up here!

Stunning in summer plumage....

I have to say the experience up the top is so much better with unrestricted time and opportunity after walking from the car park! I'll revert to that another year, but at least the walk to the top does give a better chance of the birds being seen at closer quarters than the viewing platform! You takes your pick......

I tried a late afternoon look at Findhorn valley which apart from Peregrine was unremarkable. Dippers on the way back to the hotel and post dinner evening session which produced Long-eared Owl and Short-eared Owl. Completed the day!

Ythan estuary - King Eider

The Ythan estuary is a magic place - livened up for me by this colourful male King Eider! After getting a negative report from a local birder who had checked out the estuary mouth, I took a walk / scan of the whole estuary from the golf course hut back to the 'mouth' and finally.... there it was on the far bank....

And there it stuck, mostly asleep for the next four hours! I amused myself photographing Grey Seals, and Eiders etc which may see the light of day eventually? Other birds present included: Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Shelduck, Red-breasted Merganser plus 4 species of Tern: Common, Arctic, Sandwich and Little :-)

Eventually, I was back on the case as the King Eider started to wake up!

And have a look around.....

Before getting buzzed by Eiders, flying off to feed! DUCK - literally :-)

It had to happen - after a bit of a stretch, my long vigil; was over! Looking as if it was practising ballet pirouttes, it was soon in its stride for take off as well......

Here's the sequence!

And now the other Eiders had to DUCK!

He circled over the sea and then flew inland behind the dunes, presumably up river to feed?

And I had nearly 2 hours of driving to get back to feed too! Dinner was switched to the late serving.....

Ythan estuary - Little Terns

Whilst wiling the time away as the King Eider zzzzzed, there was lots of bird activity and members of a pretty cosmopolitan Tern Colony, whilst generally fishing out to sea and on the far bank, occasionally came close. Four species involved: Common, Arctic, Sandwich and Little Terns! The latter a gratefully received year tick :-)

They don't hang about!

 Getting ready to fish!

Then hovering.....

Here's one of the Sandwich Terns for good measure!

Wonder if I'll get around to sorting Eiders and Seals? One day......