Mull weekend Day 1

Friday the 22nd and an early start with Mark, Paz and Darren for the first day of a long weekend trip to the Isle of Mull, we were booked on the six-o-clock ferry so we had plenty of time to do a bit of birding on the way up, we had thought of starting at Aberdeen for the Harlequin Duck as Paz still needed it but deemed it a bit ambitious in the end (just as well as it wasn’t seen over the weekend) and instead headed into Speyside and a site Darren had been given for a rogue Capercaillie, no sign though despite an extensive search, maybe a bit late in the season now, not a complete waste though because we nipped up to Avielochan and year ticked Slavonian Grebe. With the day brightening up we headed West for the first of our main target species, Chequered Skipper Butterfly, the site was Glasdrum Woods North of Oban although it had clouded up a bit when we got there, a few Speckled Yellow Moths were flying about which gave us hope and sure enough when the sun managed to break through a couple of the Skippers were found and showed well, a Butterfly tick for three of us, also Pearl Bordered Fritillary present and a scarce White Spotted Sable Moth. Happy with that success we carried on to Oban for the Ferry, we had been hoping to photograph the Black Guillemots but they remained distant, coming closer when we were due to board the Ferry, the sailing was largely uneventful but as it had turned into a lovely evening we dropped our stuff off at the digs in Salen and headed off to Loch na Keal for a couple of hours, a couple of Golden Eagles and a Raven were up over a nearby ridge, an impressive 16 Great Northern Divers, including a raft of 14, were on the Loch, most in full summer plumage and a few Hooded Crows lingered around.

view from Glasdrum Woods car park

nice waterfall

and eventually these little beauties

Black Guillemot at Oban

leaving Oban

a few little boats moored up

accompanied by Lesser Black Backs as usual

Golden Eagle being mobbed by a Kestrel

Great Northern in summer finery

Common birds up on the Moors

Friday the 15th, I made a little visit to Allerthorpe Common on my way home from work, it's always been a good site for Garden Warblers but they were evident from the outset this time, also a Willow Tit was showing well during the early part of the walk, further in a couple of Cuckoo’s were calling and two Tawny Owls seemed to be responding to their calls, all the usual stuff around the YWT Reserve, Whitethroats, Yellowhammers, Green Woodpecker etc, all in all a pleasant evenings stroll.

 

Garden warbler singing near the entrance gate, seems to be a good number this year

one of the Cuckoo's

hear the Lark ascending

Whitethroat keeping an eye on the Cuckoo

Sunday the 17th, I thought I'd have a day on the Moors starting at Sutton Bank again for another try for the showy Turtle Doves but despite hanging around for a couple of hours there was no sign this morning, a good selection of other stuff attending the feeders there though including both Marsh and Willow Tits. I then headed off to Bransdale and took a steady drive up and down, all the usual stuff present, Whinchats were in the usual spot, Spotted Flycatcher again at the site I discovered last year and a Buzzard at the top end, a Stoat had a pair of Wheatears on edge at the Ring Ouzel site but was too quick for me to get anything more than a head shot, further along the Redstarts unfortunately kept their distance this time, still always an enjoyable day up there. Late afternoon I headed back to Sutton Bank for another go, I got out of the car and two Turtle Doves flew into the tree in front of me, seems they are afternoon birds, at least four birds were present with two feeding underneath the feeders at one point, just a shame it had clouded over by this time so the light wasn't very good.

the Whitestone Cliffs

some yellow birds at the feeders

Early Purple Orchid

male Whinchat looking very smart

Spot Fly, always nice to see

it really is a lovely place

female Wheatear

keeping an eye on this fella

the male kept a discreet distance

didn't get close to any of these this time

back to Sutton Bank, got out of the car and there they were

the two under the feeders

A twitching we shall go

I was out with Mark Sunday morning and the original plan was to photograph the Dotterel at Danby Beacon then probably go on to Teesside, we had started at Sutton Bank car park as some Turtle Doves had been reported from there in the week, there was a lot of activity around the visitor centre including several showy Garden Warblers and eventually I heard a Turtle Dove start “purring” but I inadvertently flushed it as I tried to find where it was calling from, then Marks pager went off “MEGA” in Norfolk, a Citril Finch had been seen in Burnham Overy Dunes but it was being elusive with just mainly flight views, it seemed a long shot but we knew we would only regret it if we didn’t try, a couple of phone calls later and we were meeting up with Paz and Dave Ousey at Fairburn Ings, the twitch was on. It was a good drive down just a few caravans to contend with along the A17 but nothing major and pager reports became more positive, we parked up at Lady Anne’s Drive, Holkham and set out on the one and a half mile walk (or should I say route march) to the end of the Pines and the area of Dunes the bird was favouring, we timed it just right, after being missing a while it had just been relocated and showed really well for 40 mins or more as it fed in a little gulley totally unfazed by the mass of birders surrounding it, a superb adult male it looked really good, my first tick of the year. The walk back was a more leisurely affair and a few Butterflies were noted including Holly Blues and Green Hairstreaks plus a pair of Egyptian Geese were showing well near the car park. We then headed up the road to Choseley Drying Barns where we caught up with some Dotterel, not close enough to photograph though. We ended the day with a quick visit to Titchwell, it was fairly quiet but a summer plumaged Little Stint was nice, a Bittern boomed and we observed the Marsh Harriers making a food pass, an excellent day.

Willow Warbler at Sutton Bank

and Garden Warblers but even though they were showy it was still difficult to get a clear shot

what a little gem, well worth the trek South

Green Hairstreak on the way back

and a pair of Egyptian Geese near the car park

Monday 11th  

After not being able to go for the Derbyshire Red Throated Pipit last weekend it was quite ironic that another got found on Seaton Common, Teesside on Sunday afternoon where we would have probably been if we hadn’t gone to Norfolk, however the bird was still present today so I nipped up to see it this evening, another cracking Spring bird but distant and with it being dull and very windy I only managed a few poor record shots, also a drake Garganey on a nearby pool.