Haliaeetus, Harrier, and Hairstreak

A great couple of days birding on Canna.

On Saturday 28th April:

On Sanday at Dun Mor, 69 Puffins now in rafts below the stacks, as well as a few Guillemots, Kittiwake, and Fulmars on the cliffs already. On the high-point of the seacliffs between Dun Mor and Dun Easubric we had a great view of a female Peregrine.

At least 10 Great Skuas on the moor around the eastern end of Sanday, and the first damselfly of the season on Thrift in the cliff tops (a single red).



Bonxie, or Great Skua on Sanday



Back home at MacIsaacs, 11 Linnets now feeding in front of our living room window, and these have been joined by 6 Twite, and 3 Greenfinches. Also a pair of Swallows flying round the house.

In Canna House Garden two very juvenile Blackbirds, clearly just out of the nest, with at least 6 Willow Warblers singing from the woods behind. I just love that song!

Today, Sunday 29th April 2012:

6 Red-breasted Mergansers outside our house, and now 21 Linnets feeding in the garden. No sign of the Twite today, although the Greenfinches are still around.

At dawn I went over to a dark geo (I've named it Cuddy Cove on account of the Eiders that like to feed and shelter there) on the south side of Sanday where I have a prawn creel. 4 Shore Crabs, and 4 unidentified red eel-like fish. Any ideas anyone? They are about 8-9 inches long, and an inch thick.



Unknown Fish - Help!

Up on Carn a' Ghaill in the afternoon had good views of 2 Golden Eagles, 1 White-tailed Eagle, and 1 Hen Harrier (the same male that was on Rum recently?).



White-tailed Eagle above Geug-sgorr



Also of note, 25 Green Hairstreak butterflies on the flanks of Carn a' Ghaill.

On the flora front, Common Spotted Orchids, Milkwort, Lousewort, Tormentil and Dwarf Willow are all flowering now, and Butterwort and Round-leaved Sundew are also through.



Rum from Carn a' Ghaill's summit - the high point of Canna

 On our return home, a pair of Common Sandpipers (the first for the season) were on the shore under the bridge between Canna and Sanday.