A great day on Sanday today.
Confirmed breeding of 6 pairs of Bonxies (Great Skuas) on Sanday, with another pair I haven't checked out yet on Canna.
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| Adult Bonxie |
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Newly hatched Bonxie chick
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Also, found another 4 nests of Herring Gull, 2 with young chicks, plus 2 more nests of Great Black-backed Gulls, both with 3 chicks each. The adults of the 2nd pair were particularly keen to escort me off the premises!
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| Great Black-backed Gull with three chicks |
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| Mum telling me to sod off! |
This Puffin has obviously had better days!
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| Puffin remains |
Other seabirds are faring well though...
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| Fulmar |
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| Kittiwake, one of many nesting on Sanday |
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| Guillemots on Sanday, including a few 'bridled' individuals |
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| Razorbill on Dun Mor on Sanday |
And nice to see a good mix of wild flowers out now, including Mountain Everlasting, Bog Asphodel, Butterwort, Milkwort, Sea Campion, and Northern Marsh Orchid
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| Sea Campion |
A really great day. Of course, it all started with an hour's bird ringing in my own garden. 3 Linnet, 1 lovely male Twite, and a juvenile Greenfinch were caught, all new birds.
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| Male Twite |
Reckon you'd need a tin hat when photographing that Bonxie chick!
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