ORIOLE BIRDING TOUR REPORT MULL & IONA JUNE 2010

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Angela Holland
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1 ORIOLE BIRDING TOUR REPORT MULL & IONA JUNE 2010

2 Monday 21 st June Our journey started early following our overnight stop in Newark, and by 0930 we were collecting our last group member in Appleby, Cumbria. Te journey North around Glasgow was hassle free and were were soon motoring towards the west coast through beautiful scenery on the A85. An unplanned roadside stop for two circling raptors proved a real bonus, as the birds turned out to be OSPREYS and gave some great views in excellent light. We arrived in Oban in plenty of time for the 1600 ferry crossing to Craignure on Mull, and the flat calm sea meant the crossing produced two sightings of a total of five Common Porpoise. Several BLACK GUILLEMOTS were also seen, along with a couple of Northern Gannets and Common Seal. Around Pennyghael this evening Common Sandpiper and Ringed Plover were observed breeding along the shingle shoreline of Loch Scridain, where an OTTER also gave good views as it played on the rocks to the west of the hotel before swimming across the bay. A spectacular display of Northern Marsh Orchids in the adjacent field reminded us that we were in the Hebrides, as if the delightful sunset over Glen Seilisdeir and the Ross of Mull wasn t enough! Tuesday 22 nd June A great day with warm sunshine and light winds for much of the day. We completed a ciruit of the central part of the island via Salen and Loch na Keal, returning to Pennyghael along the north-eastern shore of Loch Scridain. Around the hotel this morning sightings included Northern Gannet, Willow Warbler, Eurasian Siskin and Red-breasted Merganser, and after a hearty breakfast we made our way up Glen More to visit the eyrie of a pair of GOLDEN EAGLES. We soon picked out the male, perched high on the crags, and the begging call of the well grown youngster pinpointed the nest itself. Here the female gave stunning views as she tore up prey and gently fed the chick, and once this task was completed she made several short flights to collect nesting material which she seemed to be using to make running repairs to the eyrie! We watched mesmerised for almost an hour, before continuing along the glen and down the shore of Loch Spelve. A roadside stop here produced Common Buzzard, Northern Wheatear, DARK GREEN FRITILLARY and KEELED SKIMMER dragonfly, while Small Heath and Large Red Damselfly was also noted. A little further on, we had some superb views of COMMON REDPOLLS singing and feeding young among the rhododendrons by the roadside. With patience, a fine male perched on a wire over our heads in beautiful sunshine, showing his red breast and forehead flash. Down at Loch Buie, we had a coffee and scanned the water picking up a few European Shag and Common Eider with ducklings. A WHITE- TAILED EAGLE circled over the ridge behind us, though a bit too distantly for decent views. Continuing along the eastern side of the island we arrived at Salen and had lunch by the Sound of Mull where BLACK GUILLEMOT and Atlantic Grey Seals could be seen. A Wood Warbler calling in the oaks behind us could not be found, though a distant Peregrine was circling in the clouds. Crossing the island at its narrowest point, we stopped at Killiechronan where one of the adult WHITE-TAILED EAGLES could be seen perched in a conifer. We watched the bird for a while but it seemed reluctant to move, especially as a squally shower swept through, so we headed back through Knock and along the southern shore of Loch na Keal. A couple of stops along this road produced nice views of a pair of Red-throated Divers in breeding plumage, three Common Eider, six Red-breasted Mergansers and a Common Snipe. Northern Wheatears were everywhere as we passed Gribun cliffs, with a spectacular view out to Staffa and the Treshnish Isles. A Peregrine was seen briefly over the cliffs here and Common Ravens became easy to see as we entered Glen Seilisdeir. Here an adult and juvenile WHITE-TAILED EAGLE at the nest were seen well, and we had an opportunity to photograph Heath Spotted and Fragrant Orchids. Finally, as we dropped down to the shore of Loch Scridain and started heading back towards Pennyghael, we chanced upon a dog OTTER fishing among the seaweed covered rocks and with some patient fieldcraft, we had absolutely magical close range views of the animal as it came out of the water onto some rocks right in front of us. A great way to end the day, topped off by another superb meal at the hotel. Wednesday 23 rd June A grey day with drizzle coming and going, though it didn t stop us enjoying some good birds. We headed down the Ross of Mull towards Fionnphort, calling in first at scenic Uisken Bay on the south side of the peninsula. A few trip ticks here included Stonechat, Linnet, Rock Pipit and Sedge Warbler, while thirty or so MANX SHEARWATERS moving offshore gave some nice views. Two ROCK DOVES dashed through and Common Buzzards were riding the updraughts over the heather clad hillside. Heading further down the peninsula, a WHOOPER

3 SWAN was seen by the side of the road on Loch Pottie before we took the minor road down to Fidden. Here Common Redshank, Common Shelduck, Common Eider, Atlantic Grey Seals and plenty of Northern Wheatears were seen, though the highlight was the stunning male HEN HARRIER which ghosted across the road carrying prey. After a coffee we wandered down to the pier to catch our boat out to the Treshnish Isles, embarking on a five hour trip which would land us on both Lunga and Staffa. The journey out through Iona Sound and past the Dutchman s Cap produced the first Common Guillemots, Razorbills, ATLANTIC PUFFINS, Kittiwake and ARCTIC TERNS of the trip, as well as some good sightings of MANX SHEARWATERS which seemed to be around in good numbers today from the nearby colony on Rhum in the Small Isles. Northern Gannets and Northern Fulmars cruised close past the boat and once we neared Lunga the water around us was seething with rafts of Puffins. Once landed we walked over the ancient lava flows and across the stony beach to the grassy cliffs where we sat and had lunch amongst the Puffin burrows. The birds were coming in with Sandeels and landing literally at our feet, though a GREAT SKUA which cruised low overhead reminded them they should be careful! The rocks at the far end of the island were packed with Common Guillemots, while Razorbills and European Shags nested at touching distance among the boulders. Two TWITE were among the few passerines seen, Northern Wheatear and Rock Pipit also being noted. Nearby Staffa offered the opportunity to visit Fingal s cave and marvel at the columnar basalt cliffs created after super-cooling of volcanic lava, and BLACK GUILLEMOTS were seen at close quarters. The journey back to Fionnphort produced little else and we returned to Pennyghael at around In the evening, an OTTER was fishing right outside the hotel and could be seen from the dinner table during coffee and cheese board! Thursday 24 th June Another day typified by showers but we seemed to manage to be in the minibus for most of them so stayed dry! Heading out around the Northern shore of Loch Scridain, we came across the dog OTTER again in almost exactly the same spot as Tuesday, and had some lovely views. Two COMMON CROSSBILLS flew over calling here also. Moving on around Glen Seilisdeir towards Loch na Keal, we stopped at Gribun Cliffs in the hope of catching up with the resident Peregrines, but there was no sign. A few ROCK DOVES were in the area and a Grey Wagtail was on the stream, with Northern Wheatears as ever ubiquitous as we continued down towards the lochshore. The drive along Loch na Keal was relatively uneventful, and we arrived at Killiechronan just after a heavy shower to find both adult WHITE-TAILED EAGLES perched above the nesting area. After a patient wait over coffee, one of the birds took flight and began fishing over the loch, a magnificent sight indeed. Moving a bit further down the road, we got very close views of both birds perched again and were able to get some photos. Moving on, we called in at Aros Bridge north of Salen and added a nice family of Bullfinches, with another Grey Wagtail seen briefly though there was no sign of any Dippers. Upstream, we had fantastic views of some of the speciality insects of the island with a superb male BEAUTIFUL DEMOISELLE alighting close to us and a female GOLDEN-RINGED DRAGONFLY looking for a suitable place to oviposit. With the sun now shining, Common Blue appeared on the wing and then two lovely SMALL PEARL-BORDERED FRITILLARY appeared and gave some good views. Continuing towards Dervaig, we had lunch by the reedbed where Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting were seen before taking a short walk to scan the sea loch. A female GOOSANDER was on the rocks here, four Red-breasted Mergansers were noted and Common Gulls were tending half grown chicks. Nearby along the track to Loch Frisa, a brief stop produced little other than plenty of Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroat in the scrub so we continued on to Tobermory where we had a 45 minute stop to look around. At Aros Park, our attempt at catching up with Wood Warbler were again unfruitful, though we did see Eurasian Siskins feeding young, COMMON REDPOLL, Bullfinch, Common Treecreeper and Coal Tit. Finally along Glen More on the way home, we saw a superb male HEN HARRIER quartering the grasslands from the three lochs viewpoint, and one of the GOLDEN EAGLE pair was seen briefly over the crags. Friday 25 th June A hot day today once the early cloud cleared, and combined with the light winds this made for the ideal conditions for our visit to Iona. The target species as ever here was the elusive CORNCRAKE and early signs did not look promising with no birds audible around the Abbey or in gardens around the village. Sedge Warbler, ARCTIC TERN, diving Northern Gannets, large numbers of European Shags and a couple of Common Terns were all we had noted so

4 far. Moving along to the Fire Station though, we could hear a CORNCRAKE crekking very close by and amazingly almost instantly got onto the bird, the classic head and shoulders view as it delivered its monotonous call from among the Flag Irises. A further four or five views followed including the bird posing briefly in the open and finally scurrying between patches of cover with its head pressed to the ground. A great result! We celebrated with an ice cream and then walked across the island to the secluded beach on the Western side. A Common Snipe was seen twice, ROCK DOVES passed by and Northern Wheatears were very common. While lunching at the beach, four BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS gave some good views close inshore and Common Eider were on the rocks. Heading back across the island we were actually flagging a bit in the heat, having taken far too many clothes with us! Back down at the village, we spent some time listening out for further calling Corncrake but amazingly the single calling male was to be out only record of the day. Back on dry land in Fionnophort, we had a welcome cup of coffee before heading back along the Ross of Mull. A roadside stop to scan Loch Scridain provided spectacular views of a male HEN HARRIER which circled right over our heads with a Common Buzzard before the two spiralled high on a thermal and almost out of sight. Back near Pennyghael, we walked the minor road towards Carsaig, and this produced a range of non-avian highlights such as DARK GREEN and SMALL PEARL-BORDERED FRITILLARIES, Small Heath, Common Spotted, Early Purple, Northern Marsh, Heath Spotted and Fragrant Orchids and day flying Chimney Sweeper Moths. A TREE PIPIT was perched in the top of a conifer by the roadside, and yet another male HEN HARRIER ghosted into view, this time joined by a female and the two engaged in an aerial tussle with both birds calling to each other. A magnificent sight indeed! Finally a COMMON CROSSBILL flew over and perched in a pine, revealing its orangey plumage which suggested an immature male. Two Grey Wagtails by the stream and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk overhead mobbed by Swallows rounded off another successful day on these magical islands. Saturday 26th June Another warm day though it was windy at times and we even had one heavy rain shower, a rarity on Mull this year! We started by heading up Glen More, stopping briefly at the three lochs viewpoint to scan for Short-eared owl without success, though noting instead a female HEN HARRIER floating over the pines by the roadside. Grasspoint was our first main stop with a drake Eurasian Wigeon on the river our first of the week and down at the point four Common Swifts were also new since crossing the border. A family of WHINCHATS here was a highlight and we had some great views of the male, while the walk down also featured many butterflies on the wing including Small Heath, Peacock, Meadow Brown, Dark Green and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. Blue-tailed and Large Red Damselfly, Keeled Skimmer and Golden-ringed Dragonfly were also noted, the latter a female ovipositing in spectacular fashion by frantically dipping her abdomen into the water. A WHITE-TAILED EAGLE perched on the rocks had been initially dismissed as an elaborate fence post, until the local Common Gulls started mobbing it! Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroats both had broods on the wing, and a Reed Bunting sang from the bracken. Back along the approach road, we checked the oak woodland for passerines and while the hoped for Wood Warbler did not appear, we had a nice TREE PIPIT and a pair of Spotted Flycatchers which showed really well. Bullfinch and Eurasian Siskin were also seen here, along with the ubiquitous Willow Warblers and a nice male Stonechat near the river. Heading around the coast via Salen, we stopped next at Knock where we made a quick check of the river and woodland before lunch. A COMMON CROSSBILL didn t linger and a few Coal Tits were in the pines. The walk down the shoreline of Loch Ba was punctuated constantly by calling Common Sandpipers, though the wind picked up considerably and meant small birds were difficult to come by. We did find our target bird though, with a family of COMMON REDSTARTS in the birches by the path consisting of a female with three recently fledged juveniles. Finally we returned to Pennyghael via Loch na Keal and Glen Seilisdeir, noting BLACK GUILLEMOT, plenty of Common Eiders, Northern Wheatears and yet another male HEN HARRIER quartering the shoreline. Sunday 27 th June Basically a travelling day as we said farewell to our hosts at Pennyghael and headed up Glen More towards Craignure for the 1055 ferry. A big bonus on the way up came in the form of a superb SHORT-EARED OWL near Inverlussa which was quartering the ground by the roadside and even chased off a Hooded Crow. We watched the bird disappear over the brow, feeling relieved that we had finally caught up with one this week! The 45 minute from

5 Craignure to Oban produced few birds, though we did have a GREAT SKUA fly across the wake of the ferry and BLACK GUILLEMOT on the water. The remainder of the long journey back to Norfolk was uneventful other than a nice Barn Owl which drifted across the road, and we arrived back in East Barsham at Systematic List 1. Red-throated Diver 2. Northern Fulmar 3. Manx Shearwater 4. Northern Gannet 5. Great Cormorant 6. European Shag 7. Grey Heron 8. Mute Swan 9. Whooper Swan 10. Greylag Goose 11. Canada Goose 12. Common Shelduck 13. Eurasian Wigeon 14. Mallard 15. Common Eider 16. Red-breasted Merganser 17. Goosander 18. European Sparrowhawk 19. Common Buzzard 20. Common Kestrel 21. Peregrine 22. Osprey 23. Golden Eagle 24. White-tailed Eagle 25. Hen Harrier 26. Corncrake 27. European Oystercatcher 28. Ringed Plover 29. Northern Lapwing 30. Common Snipe 31. Eurasian Curlew 32. Common Redshank 33. Common Sandpiper 34. Black-headed Gull 35. Common Gull 36. Herring Gull 37. Lesser Black-backed Gull 38. Great Black-backed Gull 39. Black-legged Kittiwake 40. Common Tern 41. Arctic Tern 42. Great Skua 43. Woodpigeon 44. Collared Dove 45. Rock Dove 46. Common Guillemot 47. Black Guillemot 48. Razorbill 49. Atlantic Puffin 50. Common Cuckoo 51. Short-eared Owl 52. Barn Owl 53. Common Swift 54. Great-spotted Woodpecker 55. Skylark

6 56. House Martin 57. Sand Martin 58. Barn Swallow 59. Tree Pipity 60. Meadow Pipit 61. Rock Pipit 62. Pied Wagtail 63. Grey Wagtail 64. Northern Wren 65. Dunnock 66. European Robin 67. Common Redstart 68. Stonechat 69. Whinchat 70. Northern Wheatear 71. Blackbird 72. Song Thrush 73. Sedge Warbler 74. Common Whitethroat 75. [Blackcap] 76. Willow Warbler 77. [Common Chiffchaff] 78. [Wood Warbler] 79. Spotted Flycatcher 80. Coal Tit 81. Blue Tit 82. Great Tit 83. Common Treecreeper 84. Eurasian Jay 85. Black-billed Magpie 86. Carrion Crow 87. Hooded Crow 88. Common Raven 89. Rook 90. Western Jackdaw 91. Common Starling 92. House Sparrow 93. Chaffinch 94. Greenfinch 95. Goldfinch 96. Linnet 97. Twite 98. Eurasian Siskin 99. Common Redpoll 100. Bullfinch 101. Common Crossbill 102. Reed Bunting

Mull. 23 rd - 30 th April 2011 Chris Barlow

Mull. 23 rd - 30 th April 2011 Chris Barlow Mull 23 rd - 30 th April 2011 Chris Barlow A long overdue birding holiday to Mull spending a week with the family based in a self catering cottage (Kellan Mill) on the shore of Loch Na Keal. Rain on the