Today we have battened down in preparation for the storm coming in from the north west later tonight. We are already getting strong winds which are expected to reach gusts of 80 mph. So everything is tied down, there will be a high tide this evening. The garden birds have been very active on the feeders, funny how they seem to know that we are in for a spell of bad weather.
We had a great Bird Club meeting last night which included a light hearted photograph competition. Some brave members of the bird club have been on a field trip round Loch na Keal today.
After this weather pattern has moved through will be a good time to look out for any rarities that might have been storm bound and are taking refuge on the island. Caliach Point will be a good place to check out as the strong winds blow the gulls and other birds close inshore.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Waiting to hear what blows in.
ReplyDeleteWhat birds are regulars in your garden?
Mark: The usual garden birds, Coal, Blue, Great tit, occasional Long tailed tit, Greeenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, ccasional Brambling and Blackcap, Siskin, House Sparrow,Dunnock and Robin, Starling, Blackbird all at the bird table and others include Yellowhammmer, Goldcrest, Tree Creeper, Collard Dove, Common Buzzard, Sparrow Hawk and once a Jackdaw, Common and Herring Gulls take food from the bird table. Not in the garden but regularly a Sea Eagle or two fly accross the loch. We have Wigeon, Teal Red breasted Merganser, Goldeneye, Mallard and Little Grebe on the loch at the moment
ReplyDeleteFrom a survivor of the bird trip today! Met this morning at Killiechronan to be met by 4 white tailed sea eagles - 2 adults and 2 juveniles - great start to the day - some great sightings of great northern divers, rb mergansers, teal, goosander, hen harrier, kestrel, little grebe, stonechat, lapwing,golden eagle, barnacle geese plus the obliging otter and red deer - just made it back to The Kinloch Hotel for a well earned cuppa, warm by the fire just as the gales and rain moved in. Another great day!
ReplyDeleteAlan: A reasonably similar garden list to our own here in Wishaw, although we have not (as yet) been lucky enough to have Brambling, Blackcap, Yellowhammer or Treecreeper. We have had Reed Bunting and Redwing in addition to the species you mention.
ReplyDeletefrom Arthur Brown (Discover Mull Tours): Weather windy with sunshine and squally showers becoming gale force with torrential rain in late afternoon - Bird Club Field trip today began spectacularly with 4 White-tail Eagles at the meeting point, although very windy we saw 5 other raptors including 2 Golden Eagles, 3 Hen Harriers, 4 Kestrels numerous Buzzards and a hunting Sparrowhawk. Other birds of note were Great northern Divers, Slavonian Grebes, Black Guillimots, a Dipper but the best sighting of the day had to be the large flock of Barnacle Geese. As well as the birds 48 in total in the day we also saw Red Deer and an Otter rolling and playing in the sea weed.
ReplyDeleteGreat to read what's going on on the island. We've been following Dave S's blog on the eagles and chickens. My winter population on the garden feeders now includes long tailed tits and a nuthatch or two in addition to the usual suspects lurking about. A bright cock pheasant is gleaning the grass 8 ft away from me as I type. See you in May
ReplyDeleteHi Alan we went to Cailiach yesterday 17th and apart from Herring gulls and Oystercatchers GBB.Gulls Shags and a single Cormorant, a flock of 36 Starlings, no Rosy ones, Buzzards and Kestrels there was little else to see, There were however 20 Ringed Plover on Calgary beach.
ReplyDeleteArthur
Maybe as a result of the storm on the continent on Friday night, I was a little surprised to find a Kittiwake in the middle of England on Saturday morning. The bird looked absolutely exhausted.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.plusonestudios.org/WildBritishBirds.html
for pictures.
Mark