2021......a Tortoise in lockdown hibernation?

[Dave Williams]

After leaving Falkirk we headed north up the A9 to Inverness, the "capital of the highlands". Originally I had booked to stay at a camp site near Culloden, a famous battle ground where the Jacobite rebellion led by Bonnie Prince Charlie was totally crushed. Been there before, seen the visitor centre etc etc and decided I'd prefer to stay nearer to Channory Point, a 30 minute drive away. Channory is famed for being probably the most reliable spot in the UK to watch Bottlenose Dolphins from the shore. They follow the Salmon going up river to spawn and they arrive as the tide comes in. A check of the tides suggested it was going to be around breakfast time and into the evening during our stay. I decided better to be on site and chose a nearby camp site from which it was a 15 minute walk to the point of action. That fitted in with meal times etc and left the day time to search out some more birds.Armed with the excellent "Where to see birds in Scotland"  app and information given by a friend we easily found 107)Slavonian Grebe at Strathpeffer

The views were distant and I wasn't happy with the IQ but as I'd had superb opportunities in the past I wasn't too bothered.

The next day we headed to the Botanical gardens at Inverness ( Claire's interests have to be looked after too!) then off to Loch Ruthven where apparently much better views of the grebes were to be expected. Wrong! It was a long drive but quite scenic and although we saw some good birds including an Osprey catching a fish there were no new sightings and the Grebes were mere dots in the distance. Overall a disappointing day.

Our last big day out was to Loch Garten , famed for it's Ospreys which had decided not to nest there this year, not that I was bothered to be honest. Ospreys are two a penny in other parts of the world and get too much attention here in the UK when there are better projects to throw money at but that's another topic altogether! No, I was interested in seeing some of Scotland's specials that can't be seen elsewhere in the UK. Capercaille ( little chance at the best of times and certainly not for me) Ptarmigan ( You have to go higher than I was going so that wasn't going to happen either),Crested Tit..well we searched the Caledonian forest but unlike @TonyQwe failed miserably. The forest was all but dead to be honest , you heard the odd bird call but seeing them was a different matter altogether. Feeling a bit disheartened my spirit lifted when I spotted this distant 108)Scottish Crossbill sat on top of a tree. It wasn't calling so seeing it was pure luck.

 

The tree was on a little island and there was no way of getting closer but with the luck I'd been having compared to my expectations I was delighted with my find which I was then able to share with a few other disenchanted birders who like me had failed to find anything at all. Not the best shot but it was a lifer so that added a little extra to the find!

After Loch Garten we headed to Lochindorb, a good place to see the coveted Black-throated Diver but not this year it seems. Like Tony though we stopped to photograph 109) Common Gull of which there were several hundred, more than I had knowingly seen in a lifetime!

Common Gull   Larus canus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

After that it was back to Fortrose, at least I had another evening session with the Dolphins to look forward to as compensation for my lack of success elsewhere. From the shore at Channory point I did see my first Common Terns of the year and 110) male Eider Duck flying up river in formation. I did see some females much closer elsewhere but I rather liked this shot better!

 

Anyway, my shortfall in birds was compensated by my obsession with Dolphins. I spend four evening and three morning sessions all lasting several hours. The Dolphins can come within just a few metres of the shore where there is a deep trench. Best time to see then is apparently an hour after low tide up to an hour before high tide, basically a four hour window of possibilities but with no guarantee of course. Spending as much time as I did there I started to recognise and chat with the regulars. Some were locals, others on holiday like myself and the social side was an excellent way of passing the time waiting for any action. In a way the less attractive the time of day the better really because once the crowds appear it can get quite busy!

 

 

The action you are after are those iconic leaping out of the sea shots but believe me they are not easy to achieve by any means. More often than not the Dolphins hardly break the surface and you are delighted just to get a head shot, especially if it has a fish in it's mouth.Other times the action is really distant and more often or not by the time you have pointed the camera at it , it's already half submerged. This one is apparently a young male of 8 years old who is not yet breeding but busy showing off.That made life easier as he jumped out of the water eight or nine times in succession. Shame he was about half a mile away!

 

Still if you put the time in surely it will pay off in due course? Well maybe! For me my luck was in. In all the time I was there I witnessed two jumps close to the shore, neither were great leaps either. I missed one completely but the other, with a huge amount of luck, made my seven sessions worthwhile!

Bottlenose Dolphin by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Dave Williams

[Kitsafari]

On 7/6/2021 at 8:29 PM, Dave Williams said:

 

 

 

On the way to search for it I was more than delighted to spot a Brown Hare in the garden which gave me my best ever shots. ( That Hare gets everywhere I go, never see them at home but every time I go away I seem to find one watching me!)

Brown Hare by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

Brown Hare by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

 

 

Now what was it about the Hare and the Tortoise.....?

 

 

I'm very much enjoying a look at the wildlife-birdlife of Scotland through your images. I have fond memories of my time in Inverness in 1988, a distant past when we weren't into birds. we didn't get to see the monster in the loch (we weren't drunk enough I guess) but Scotland was just so beautiful.  

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by Kitsafari

[TonyQ]

Well done with the Crossbill @Dave Williams, we didn’t see or hear one on our trip.

Your persistence with the Dolphins really paid off - great photos 

[Zim Girl]

13 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Crested Tit..well we searched the Caledonian forest but unlike @TonyQwe failed miserably. The forest was all but dead to be honest , you heard the odd bird call but seeing them was a different matter altogether.

Agree with you Dave.  We called it the 'dead zone',  and we visited 5 times because we were staying so close.

 

Lovely Dolphin sequence, that last picture is stunning!

[PeterHG]

All that time you spent on dolphin watching certainly paid of with a superb jump shot!

[Dave Williams]

Thanks for the comments all.

I'd just got back from Scotland the day before when I read a mega rarity had landed on the North Wales coast. My birding pal offered me a lift and off we went. The light was poor but from a BY point of view it paid dividends.

I'd seen 111) Common Terns in Scotland but this was probably a better shot.

Common Tern Sterna hirundo by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The others were first for the year.Surprisingly I didn't see an 112)Arctic Tern in Scotland.

Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea by Dave Williams, on Flickr

I had seen some 113)Sandwich Terns at distance earlier in the year but without a camera to hand.

Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

I had intended a visit to Cemlyn Bay on the north coast of Anglesey but never expected to see an 114)Elegant Tern there.

Elegant Tern.  Thalasseus elegans by Dave Williams, on Flickr

This tern is usually to be found somewhere around the Gulf of Mexico so how it got to Wales is amazing. Only the 3rd for Wales and the 5th for the UK and of course, a first for me!

There was a 5th tern there too but I missed it. A good reason to go back next week I think! The Elegant tern appears to have settled in the colony of breeding terns, has a plentiful food supply as you can see from the other terns I photographed too. I think it may well be there for a while yet.

Edited July 12, 2021 by Dave Williams

[Dave Williams]

Back to our Scottish trip...after leaving Fortrose near Inverness we headed north to Tongue , our base for eight nights as Claire's brother is living up there and we wanted to catch up and spend some time with him. The single lane road from Lairg up to Tonge was relatively traffic free and a pleasure to drive the 37 mile route. From our base in Tongue we took trips eastwards along the rather uninspiring route to John O'Groats, and westwards as far as Handa Island.In the far north east of Scotland you'll find Duncansby head. Some dramatic sea cliffs and views over to the Orkney Islands which are just a short ferry ride away. In June they cliffs are teeming with nesting birds and the 115) Great Skuas where on the look out to steal a meal.

Great Skua.  Stercorarius skua by Dave Williams, on Flickr

116)Kittewakes 

Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla by Dave Williams, on Flickr

117)Common Guillemot

Common Guillemot Uria aalge by Dave Williams, on Flickr

118)Rock Dove

Rock Dove  Columba livia by Dave Williams, on Flickr

all added to my BY numbers but the views of most species were not as good as I could find here in North Wales however, having been spoilt by my visits to the Isle of May in past years I wasn't too bothered.

I was really looking forward to my planned trip to Handa Island but that had to wait until almost the last day for favourable weather to enable the ferry to sail the short hop across from the mainland.

Handa is more than a little bit special, it's a paradise if you want to see both Arctic and Great Skuas where there is a breeding population of both but they also have a few breeding 119)Red Grouse

Red Grouse  Lagopus lagopus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and to my delight a 120)Red-throated Diver that appeared to be sitting on a nest.

Red-throated Diver   Gavia stellata by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The views of 121) Common ....Razorbill

Razorbill Alca torda by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and 122)Atlantic Puffin were a bit better on Handa than at Duncansby Head

Puffin Fratercula arctica by Dave Williams, on Flickr

but the stars were without a doubt the Skuas. There are about 300 pairs of Great Skua, a bird I have seen a few times before, mainly when I have been on pelagic trips.Every rock on Handa seemed to have a Skua sat on it and they screamed at other passing Skuas and chased them away.

Great Skua  Stercorarius skua by Dave Williams, on Flickr

For me though the jewel in the crown where the 123)Arctic Skua which come in two forms.

Pale bellied

Arctic Skua  Stercorarius parasiticus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and Dark bellied

Arctic Skua  Stercorarius parasiticus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The Arctic Skua is an amazingly agile bird in flight and not averse to attacking any humans that wander too close to their territory either.

Arctic Skua  Stercorarius parasiticus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Other than Duncansby Head and Handa Island the only other place we visited besides my wanderings at Tongue was Dunnet Head, the northernmost headland in mainland UK. It's an RSPB reserve but in my opinion not worth the 10 mile detour off the main road if you have been to Duncansby.

Locally to Tongue my only addition was 124)Hooded Crow 

Hooded Crow   Corvus cornix by Dave Williams, on Flickr

I was constantly on the lookout for Otters on the seashore but failed, not only here but in all of Scotland!

Edited July 14, 2021 by Dave Williams

[Zim Girl]

Beautiful pictures of both species of Skua, and now I am jealous of your Red-throated Diver .

[TonyQ]

Superb Sku pictures @Dave Williams. Handa and Duncansby look like good sites

[Soukous]

Some wonderful sightings, and photographs Dave

[PeterHG]

Truly excellent photos of the Skuas, Razorbills and Puffin, Dave! Handa sounds like a great place to visit and you made good use of the opportunities. 

[Peter Connan]

Stunning stuff, as always!

[Dave Williams]

From Tongue in the far north of Scotland we worked our way south down the west coast. First Kinlochewe which is near Loch Maree, a breeding site for Black-throated Divers. I was informed by a local guide that numbers have declined in recent years and he no longer has a licence to photograph them on the nest..something I'm not particularly interested in anyway but, as far as he was aware, there were only two pairs breeding the loch this year. It's a huge loch and he was asking £85 for a couple of hours in his boat. With the weather looking iffy on the day he was free and the chances of finding one slim I declined to take him up on the offer. We did however try looking for an alternative site, a highland loch well off the beaten track which we'd visited 20 years ago.We set off in glorious but unexpected sunshine but soon found ourselves heading in the wrong direction and much higher up than we'd intended. I spotted a big bird heading our direction and stupidly opened the camera bag to get my binoculars out to check it wasn't a Buzzard. Nope, it was definitely an eagle, but by the time the camera was out and ready to shoot all I had left was the back end of a lifer, 125) Golden Eagle

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited July 13, 2021 by Dave Williams

[Dave Williams]

Moving on further we arrived at Morvich, near the Kyle of Lochalsh and the bridge over to the Isle of Skye. A couple of decent walks and a trip over to Skye gave us no new birds but we did get some sightings of Red Deer. Most were distant on the very tops of mountains but I was told that a few came down to a field just near out campsite each and every evening. I went to look the first of four nights we were there and got some shots.

Red Deer by Dave Williams, on Flickr

but never saw them there again.

Red Deer by Dave Williams, on Flickr

We all know that if you get a chance today...take it.... because tomorrow might be a whole different ball game!

Edited July 13, 2021 by Dave Williams

[Kitsafari]

brilliant shots as always, @Dave Williams of the seabirds! particularly of the skuas. 

 

is #121 a razorbill rather than common guillemot which you had at #117?

 

 

[Dave Williams]

7 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

brilliant shots as always, @Dave Williams of the seabirds! particularly of the skuas. 

 

is #121 a razorbill rather than common guillemot which you had at #117?

 

 

 

Thanks Kit, you are of course correct about the Razorbill which was correctly named on Flickr. I have these senior moments now and again, worryingly getting more frequent too!

[Dave Williams]

Our penultimate stop in Scotland was at Bunree, a caravan site just south of Fort William. I was more than getting used to living in a metal box now especially as for the last week we had some really good weather.

What about this for a loo with a view!

 

I had however virtually given up hope of any further birding additions except for one and that would involve a drive south to Oban, a bustling ferry port to the islands which has managed to make itself a tourist attraction too.

First though we had a trip over the water to pay a visit to @Galana who was staying in a cottage on the Ardamurchan peninsula. Not only was I looking forward to catching up with Fred and Elizabeth but having booked the cottage for myself and my birding pal in September I was curious to see the set up there. The cottage is certainly a bit remote. I asked Claire if she fancied coming along too and got an instant "NO!". It's a lovely cottage but a week photographing Pine Martens isn't her idea of entertainment although Fred was in his element. I declined his offer to stay long enough to see some during our visit..I want to keep that for September because I didn't want to take the shine from what will be my first ever encounter but we enjoyed some good company and a spot of lunch and the fact we had to take the ferry to get there made for an interesting journey too.

So, the last throw of the di was to be Oban then!

I parked the car and we walked down to the promenade where there were at least a dozen Black Guillemots. I hadn't seen anything quite like it as they were as confiding as the Herring Gulls we get at home. I shot back to the car to get my camera and took a few dozen photos.

Here I am...in my element, the 126) Black Guillemot just a few metres away!

and this is one of the shots I took!

Black Guillemot   Cepphus grylle by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Knowing Claire would get bored I then took a walk around town with her doing a bit of window shopping but constantly thinking about the Guillemots. Claire knows me well and eventually suggested I went back and she'd carry on browsing. Didn't take a second to make up my mind!!

The Guillemots were a tough challenge though. Black and white in brilliant sunshine is something I struggle with, especially as the sun was in the wrong place and if I were to put it behind me I'd be under water!

Anyway my best attempts were just a handful out of hundreds but it was certainly great entertainment trying!

Black Guillemot   Cepphus grylle by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Black Guillemot   Cepphus grylle by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and so it was time to return to Falkirk before the final journey home.

Scotland hadn't delivered as I'd hoped but I did manage two 'lifers" which in itself is a decent result I guess. Reading everyone else's comments it seems I'm not alone in my disappointment from an avian perspective, on the other hand the scenery and discovering new places was most enjoyable and I'd go back to Channory point and the Dolphins or Handa Island tomorrow if I could but alas I have other commitments too and as @Soukousobserved the crowds were getting bigger , particularly further south and we had timed our exit to perfection although our quieter period had not gifted us the best of weather for much of the time.On the other hand we didn't see much rain so at least we kept dry!

With the current situation re Covid we were just grateful to be able to get away anywhere to be honest and I fulfilled a long held ambition to get to the very far north of Scotland. Now I want to visit some of the islands too but with a bit of luck we can return to the places abroad I am desperate to go next year to but I'm not holding my breath, talking of which.... not having to mask up would in itself be a relief!

 

The Bo'ness  steam train made for a last day outing, thanks to our host in Falkirk, my old mate Robert..

Edited July 14, 2021 by Dave Williams

[TonyQ]

It looks like a great trip @Dave Williamsand you gave us some wonderful photos!

We were speculating that the long spell of very cold weather followed by a long spell of very wet weather had an impact on bird numbers.

 

[Dave Williams]

@TonyQBetween us all...and we still wait for @Galana to re-appear, we seem to have managed to tick nearly all my own targets with the exception of Merlin. 

[xelas]

Good ... but I prefer those without a window .

 

Looks like Scotland has delivered to everyone visiting it ,,, unfortunatelly only UK people could do it . Luckily birds and views will be there also next year  .

[Galana]

A good read. It was good to see you both and I can understand Claire's point on Pollock to some degree. So I will try and omit a certain precocious mustelline in my Big Year (birds) now in course but it is darn hard when on our drive out to Mallaig for the Skye Ferry we met a pair of Kits by the roadside near Strontian and another full grown Male posed for us 5km south of Mallaig having crossed the road a few yards ahead of our car. Whilst @Soukoussaw my pics of that, I have since lost them, but it was a through the windscreen shot so not the best. Sadly I have also lost the one where a 'resident' posed by my car on our last afternoon so you will be spared that too.

BUT I will have no alternative to sharing my pics of a family of Divers when their turn comes.

Edited July 14, 2021 by Galana

[TonyQ]

@GalanaDave might not want to see them, but the rest of us do

Just give a Spoiler Alert!

[Dave Williams]

Actually I did see one on our drive back to Falkirk. sadly it looked more like a fireside rug than the said critter.

[Zim Girl]

Lucky you for seeing the Black Guillemots at Oban harbour.  We looked for them on our return back from Mull but they were nowhere to be found.

[PeterHG]

Thanks for your write-up of the Scotland trip: quite enjoyable with great photos!