ORCHIDS OF TIREE & COLL

We are just in the process of starting a new Orchid Photography blog. Hope you enjoy the photos.

MACHAIR & TATTIE PLOTS

Went to Clabbach today, seeing many hundreds of orchids en route, including Early Marsh, Common Spotted, Heath Spotted and Hebridean Spotted, as well as a hybrid swarm of Common x Heath Spotteds.

Common Spotted Orchid

Common x Heath Spotted hybrid

At Grishipol we added Heath Fragrant and Lesser Butterfly Orchid to the list.

Heath Fragrant Orchid

Lesser Butterfly Orchid

Clabbach machair

The machair at Clabbach was covered in Kidney Vetch, Wild Thyme and Frog Orchids and was absolutely alive with Moss Carder Bees, probably over 50 in 100 square metres.

Moss Carder Bee

Kidney Vetch





Moss Carder Bee

Frog Orchid



The tattie plot at Clabbach was filled with arable weeds, dominated by Tall Ramping Fumitory and Henbit Dead-nettle as well as loads of Charlock and Sun Spurge. It was also filled with Red-tailed Bumblebees.




Tall Ramping Fumitory



Henbit Dead-nettle





Sun Spurge

A QUICK TRIP TO CHECK THE CATTLE...



Highland cattle



Pale Butterwort

Common Cow-wheat

It's amazing what you see in just an hour or so. This afternoon I went out over an area of wet heath to check the Highlanders. It's not a place I regularly visit in late June. There were loads of Round-leaved Sundew in flower, stacks of Common Cow-wheat and I discovered a new colony of 250+ Pale Butterworts. Breeding Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe were nice but 2 pairs of Dunlin were better. 



Dunlin



Dunlin



The drive home included great views of female Hen Harrier and a juvenile Grey Heron at the side of the road. Other highlights included good views of Grasshopper Warbler, Highland Darter, Moss Carder Bee and Heath Bumblebee.



juvenile Grey Heron



SPRING & AUTUMN BIRDING HOLIDAYS IN ISRAEL

See here for further details

Honey Buzzard

Lichtensteins's Sandgrouse



BLAST FROM THE PAST WAXWINGS ON COLL



October 2010

 


October 2010

 

October 2004 Tony Oliver



ORCHID EXTRAVAGANZA HOLIDAY 12TH-15TH JUNE

Frog Orchid

A phenomenal Day 1 of this holiday began with my two customers seeing a pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins from the ferry. The drive to Ballyhaugh as usual provided great views of Brown Hares and Highland Darters, as well as Heath Spotted Orchid, Early Marsh Orchid coccinea, Lesser Butterfly Orchid and both Common and Pale Butterwort. After checking into the accomodation we headed for Hogh Bay where we began looking at some of the machair wildflowers before having a picnic lunch. I found at least eight basking Sharks offshore, followed by two huge splashes which turned out to be a breaching Minke Whale. A couple of flyover Bonxies rounded off an amazing lunch-break. Totronald was next and more orchids were added to the day list (Pyramidal, Frog, Hebridean Spotted, Common Spotted, Heath Fragrant and Marsh Fragrant).

Common Lizard

Brief views of Corncrake followed and then superb views of a couple of Common Lizards basking in the afternoon sun. We saw Northern Marsh orchid, Merlin and Cuckoo near Acha on the way back to Arinagour for dinner at Island Cafe, and a newly fledged Grey Heron walking up the middle of the road.

juv Grey Heron

After dinner we had Red-throated Diver, Grasshopper Warbler, good views of Corncrake in flight, lots more Brown Hares and two more species of orchid (Early Purple and Common Twayblade) taking the total to 12 species for the day.  

We had three extra guests on Day 2 so we began with more Corncrakes and orchids after getting good views of Red-throated Diver. We also saw Moss Carder & Red-shanked Carder Bumblebees and had great views of Twite. A Basking Shark was off Cliad and then we had a pod of 120+ Common Dolphins off Arinagour. They were quite distant at first but soon moved close inshore as they rounded up a school of mackerel in a feeding frenzy.

Spotted Rock-rose petal

Next stop was Sorisdale where again a plethora of orchids were seen along with Spotted Rock-rose Tuberaria guttata at its only Scottish site. Found by myself in 2004, there are now 59 flowering plants at this site. Loads of Arctic Terns as well as a Red-throated Diver and several Common Seals were offshore. A female Hen Harrier was at Arnabost but the calling Corncrakes there eluded us. After lunch we headed back to the west end of the island where we drove along the beach to Crossapol. Three summer-plumaged Great Northern Divers were the highlights. The walk to Port-na-Luing brought us Great Yellow Bumblebee, Snow Geese with goslings and a probable female Ferruginous Duck. More Common Seals were offshore and three very late Whimbrel flew by calling

Pale Butterwort

Early Marsh x Common Spotted hybrid

Early Marsh Orchid spp incarnata

Lesser Butterfly Orchid and Pale Butterwort got Day 3 to a start. At Totronald and Lonban we again had brief views of Corncrake and great views of Twite as well as the nominate race of Early Marsh Orchid (significantly less common here than the bright red coccinea). We headed to Feall where we had lunch overlooking the white beach with malachite sea. At least four Basking Sharks were offshore and we observed nesting Shags and Fulmars as well as finding the dimintive Rue-leaved Saxifrage and Fairy Flax amongst Kidney Vetch and Wild Carrot.

Great Skua

The afternoon was spent in the uplands, where we found two Bonxie territories, had superb views of male Hen Harrier and two species of sundew as well as loads of Blaeberry and Water Lobelia. Large Red and Common Blue Damselflies were numerous as were Small Heath Butterflies.


For more photos see the Facebook photo album

ANOTHER GREAT DAY TOUR

Twite

A 2.5 hour session this afternoon included Red-throated Diver, Corncrake, male Hen Harrier and Twite as avian highlights, Red-shanked Carder and Moss Carder Bumblebees and Small Heath Butterfly.

Heath Fragrant Orchid

Marsh Fragrant Orchid

Orchids included Northern Marsh, Early Marsh coccinea, Heath Spotted, Common Spotted, Hebridean Spotted, Heath Fragrant and Marsh Fragrant.

Beryl MacNaughton photographing orchids on the machair

COMMON ROSEFINCH ON TIREE 9TH JUNE

Common Rosefinch by John Bowler

An immature male Common Rosefinch is at Balephuil on Tiree today

Common Rosefinch by John Bowler

WILDFLOWERS OF COLL & TIREE - THE BOOK

Follow this link to buy this wonderful book
http://www.visitcoll.co.uk/Coll.php?p=productitems&product=9

BIRDS OF TIREE & COLL - THE BOOK

MAIL ORDER
Send a cheque for £11.50 (including postage + packing)
made payable to 'TIREE & COLL BIRD BOOK' to:
Janet Hunter
Pairc na Coille
Balephuil
Isle of Tiree
Argyll
PA77 6UE

BLAST FROM THE PAST

The Gull-billed Tern at Crossapol, Tiree in September 2008

Chris Turner

Jim Dickson

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF AUTUMN 2008 ON TIREE

Red-eyed Vireo by Jim Dickson

Probably the most exciting find was a Red-eyed Vireo in a garden at Caoles (9th Oct). Other rare visitors from North America, included some 3-4 Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Middleton, Loch a’ Phuill, Vaul and Ruaig (1 Sep-5 Oct), a record 4 different American Golden Plovers at Greenhill, Balevullin, Sandaig and Loch a’ Phuill (5 Sep–8 Oct) and 2 Pectoral Sandpipers at Middleton (5 Oct) and Loch an Eilein (8 Oct). A Pacific Golden Plover at Barrapol (8 Oct) had presumably come from Siberia rather than via North America. A Gull-billed Tern that frequented Crossapol and Sorobaidh Bays (29 Sep-3 Oct) was an extremely unusual autumn record for western Scotland and it is possible that this bird also originated from North America rather than from continental Europe. Rare visitors from Europe included a Red-necked Grebe at Gott Bay (4-7 Sep). A large all-dark bird of prey being mobbed by Buzzards at Carnan Mor (6 Sep) proved to be Tiree’s first ever Honey Buzzard and was part of an invasion noted mostly down the east coast of Britain of these large raptors from Scandinavia. Almost as rare was a long-staying Hobby in the Salum/Vaul area at the start of September.

Scarcer garden birds included Yellow-browed Warblers at Hynish and Balemartine (2-3 Oct), a Pied Flycatcher at Balephuil (17 Sep, following another there on 31 Aug), Spotted Flycatchers at Kilkenneth and Vaul (23 Sep-11 Oct), a Lesser Whitethroat at Balemartine (2-3 Oct), a Whitethroat at Kilkenneth (16 Sep), a Common Redpoll at Balephuil (20 Sep), and big arrivals of commoner species such as Redwings and Fieldfares, plus the first Waxwings of the winter.

LATE NEWS FROM MAY

27th May 1 Long-tailed Skua, 5 Arctic Skuas and flock of 25+ Pomarine Skuas seen off Coll courtesy of http://www.mullbirds.com/index.html.

This fits well with other local sightings and of course there was a stunning Long-tailed off the Coll pier on 22nd. There was also a series of sightings of adult Sabine's Gulls, with four on Mull (23rd-24th), and singles on Tiree (23rd) and Coll (25th).

AUTUMN RARE & SCARE BIRDS HOLIDAYS ON TIREE

We are now taking bookings for our rare & scarce bird specials on Tiree this autumn. Tiree has developed an excellent reputation over the last few autumns. The Northern Parula in 2010 is but one example of its potential. Why not come and join us?

2011 DATES
Thursday 22nd - Tuesday 27th September
Thursday 29th Sept - Tuesday 4th October
Thursday 6th - Tuesday 11th October
Thursday 13th - Tuesday 18th October
Thursday 20th - Tuesday 25th October

Yellow-browed Warbler (Jim Dickson)

RARE & SCARCE BIRDS IN LAST FEW AUTUMNS
Great Shearwater, Cory’s Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Leach’s Petrel, White-tailed Eagle, Pomarine Skua, Long-tailed Skua, Sabine’s Gull, Gull-billed Tern, American Golden Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Pectoral Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Grey Phalarope, Red-backed Shrike, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Booted Warbler, Barred Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, Mealy Redpoll, Little Bunting

BEST BITS OF 2010

Firecrest (Jim Dickson)

October 2010 Best bird was the Firecrest (10th), the first for Tiree, but also good were a Bluethroat (5th),  Short-toed Lark (2nd-7th), Barred Warbler (7th-9th) and 3 Yellow-browed Warblers (11th-24th). Scarce waders included up to 4 Buff-breasted Sandpipers (3rd-8th), up to 3 Pectoral Sandpipers. Other scarcities included a Turtle Dove (1st-2nd), a Lesser Whitethroat (20th), up to 20 Common Redpolls, single Pied Flycatchers (11th and 24th), a Red Kite (10th) and up to 2 immature Golden Eagles (9th-14th).  There was an unprecedented influx of Waxwings with some 60 birds through (23rd-26th), whilst the Lapland Bunting influx involved a further 400 birds including a peak count of 160 (13th). Seabirds included 4 Sooty Shearwaters (to 18th), 2 Pomarine Skuas, and 14 Grey Phalaropes.

Northern Parula

September 2010 The highlight of the month was undoubtedly Britain’s 15th and Scotland’s first Northern Parula (25th-29th). Scarce migrants included Pied Flycatcher (2nd-11th), 10 Common Redpolls (from 25th), Common Rosefinch (28th), 6 Snow Buntings (26th) and an unprecedented influx of Lapland Buntings with over 200 through the month and a maximum of 48. It was the first blank autumn for American Golden Plover for years but the island still attracted up to 7 Buff-breasted Sandpipers (from 13th) and 2 Pectoral Sandpipers (13th-20th) as well as four Black Terns (8th-16th). Seabirds included 2 adult Sabine’s Gulls, 2 Long-tailed Skuas, 2 Pomarine Skuas and 56 Sooty Shearwaters (14th-16th).

HOLIDAYS IN JUNE & JULY

We still have places on our Orchid Extravaganza three day holidays on Coll

Hebridean Spotted Orchid

Sunday 12th - Tuesday 14th June
Thursday 16th - Saturday 18th June
Sunday 19th - Tuesday 21st June
Thursday 23rd - Saturday 25th June

Target species will be up to ten species of orchids and several rare / uncommon subspecies; an absolute bounty of wildflowers including specialities such as Pipewort and Spotted Rock-rose; and birds such as Corncrake, Hen Harrier, Red-throated Diver, skuas & terns, and breeding waders.

We are also taking bookings for three and five day wildlife holidays on Tiree.

THREE DAYS

Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd July
Friday 8th - Sunday 10th July
Friday 15th - Sunday 17th July
Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th July

FIVE DAYS

Tuesday 5th-Sunday 10th July
Tuesday 12th-Sunday 17th July
Tuesday 19th-Sunday 24th July
Tuesday 26th-Sunday 31st July

Expected highlights include Red-throated Diver, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, Shag, Greylag Goose, Eider, Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Merlin, Corncrake,  Short-eared Owl, Snipe, Lapwing, Redshank, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Arctic Tern, Arctic Skua, Great Skua, Guillemot, Black Guillemot, Puffin, Razorbill, Skylark, Twite, Basking Shark, Minke Whale, Harbour Porpoise, Common Dolphin, Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Otter, Grey Seal, Common Seal, wildflowers including up to eight species of orchids

ORCHIDFEST

A superb 3-hour orchid tour this afternoon (8th June) with eight species of orchid (plus a Hebridean sub-species) amongst a host of machair and species-rich grassland plants. Other highlights included Common & Pale Butterwort, Red-shanked Carder & Moss Carder Bumblebees and (of course) Corncrake.



Common x Heath Spotted hybrid



By the way, there are still places on the Orchid Extravaganza 3-day holidays running from mid-late June.

Lesser Butterfly Orchid

Common Twayblade

Early Marsh Orchid

Northern Marsh Orchid

Marsh Fragrant Orchid

Heath Fragrant Orchid

Heath Spotted Orchid

Common Spotted Orchid



THREE HOUR TOUR 6TH JUNE

Highlights today included awesome views of Corncrakes (including fantastic flight views), Hen Harrier and eight species of orchid including Coll's fifth record of Marsh Fragrant Orchid

Corncrake in flight - flies as well as a pair of wet socks!!!