Well, it looks like those months and months of clear blue skies, temperatures pushing the high 20s, gorgeous sunsets, and dinners outside overlooking the harbour may be over. Today on Canna we have gale force winds, mist, and the high probability of more rain.
I had a quick walk out with Bertie to the Point House to see what's occurring.
Lots of eider families out there in the harbour, the adults keeping a watchful eye as their offspring brave the wavy elements. A red-head Merganser flew over, which is the first I've seen here for a month or so.
There are loads of Rock Pipit fledglings around too, some of them being ridiculously confiding, and good numbers of Wheatears too.
Swallows around Point House look like they think they should have moved on to sunnier climes last week, while a group of young Shags out on the Point itself were trying to work out how to dry their wings in the rain-soaked blast.
A Grey Heron flew up from beneath the Point, looking more than ever like it was never designed to fly, and a Grey Seal bottle-nosed out in the bay. Gannets have come in to the harbour to fish the less choppy waters (they struggle to see fish beneath the surface on wild days out at sea).
Now at home I've had to take bird feeders down for fear of them blowing away, but the Siskins and Greenfinches seem happier feeding from the ground anyway right now. Still got a couple of Collared Doves come in to feed here at MacIsaacs, and a pair of Rock Doves have started bringing along their one fledgling of the year for the free grain.
Bird ringing from Mid Wales and beyond
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Too Busy for Birds!
A very busy week on Canna. Had the seabird ringers here from the Highland Ringing Group, and although I had originally planned to take the full week off work to help them out, things just didn't really go to plan. I had my head of department down from NTS HQ for the first three days of the week, then we had the NTS cruise ship in on Wednesday with nearly 400 passengers on board. This was all great fun, but it did mean that the ringing had to be pretty much left to Bob Swann and his group.
Still, I did manage to get out with them onto the north side of Canna last Sunday, when we processed a few hundred Guillemot, Razorbill, and Shag, plus a few Puffin, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Herring Gull, and Lesser Black-backed Gull. A great day out - thanks Bob and the team!
On Saturday the ringing group left the island, with instructions for me to mop up any remaining gulls, and to see if I could find any Bonxie chicks that they'd missed.
Today (Sunday), started with a great view of a Peregrine being mobbed by a couple of Arctic Terns in Canna Harbour - viewed whilst having a morning cup of tea, in bed! Later in the morning, whilst walking Bertie, a female Sparrowhawk was a first for me on the island.
In the afternoon I had a walk around to the lighthouse on Sanday to see if I could find any of those Bonxies (Great Skuas). Lots of parental activity, but I only found 2 chicks which were far too young to ring, and a single egg still in the nest. Also found a few Herring Gull chicks, all but one of which had already been ringed by the HRG.
On the way home I almost stepped on a Short-eared Owl, another Canna first for me!
Back at home, I've now got the drop net set up below the feeders in my garden. Catching a few Greenfinches, one of which (TL42353) was originally ringed by Sean Morris on Rum in April. There's also a couple of Twite out there, but they seem to be avoiding the trap, and 6 Collared Doves, one of which is sporting a ring, but will they wander below the trap? Nope!
Still, I did manage to get out with them onto the north side of Canna last Sunday, when we processed a few hundred Guillemot, Razorbill, and Shag, plus a few Puffin, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Herring Gull, and Lesser Black-backed Gull. A great day out - thanks Bob and the team!
On Saturday the ringing group left the island, with instructions for me to mop up any remaining gulls, and to see if I could find any Bonxie chicks that they'd missed.
Today (Sunday), started with a great view of a Peregrine being mobbed by a couple of Arctic Terns in Canna Harbour - viewed whilst having a morning cup of tea, in bed! Later in the morning, whilst walking Bertie, a female Sparrowhawk was a first for me on the island.
In the afternoon I had a walk around to the lighthouse on Sanday to see if I could find any of those Bonxies (Great Skuas). Lots of parental activity, but I only found 2 chicks which were far too young to ring, and a single egg still in the nest. Also found a few Herring Gull chicks, all but one of which had already been ringed by the HRG.
On the way home I almost stepped on a Short-eared Owl, another Canna first for me!
Back at home, I've now got the drop net set up below the feeders in my garden. Catching a few Greenfinches, one of which (TL42353) was originally ringed by Sean Morris on Rum in April. There's also a couple of Twite out there, but they seem to be avoiding the trap, and 6 Collared Doves, one of which is sporting a ring, but will they wander below the trap? Nope!
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