8TH JUNE 2013

I had two Wild Tiree tours on Saturday, the first being a morning session with Corncrake as the target species. We started at 9.15 and had seen 4 Corncrakes well between Hynish and Mannal in the first hour. Other highlights of the morning were Little & Arctic Terns, Great Northern Divers, stacks of migrant and breeding waders in summer dress, lots of Oystercatcher and Lapwing broods, Grey & Common Seals, and a huge Basking Shark.

The afternoon was a more general wildlife tour. We began at Loch an Eilean where lots of young waders were seen as well as both forms of Early marsh-orchid, Heath spotted-orchid and loads of Butterwort in flower. We failed to see Corncrake in the heat of the afternoon but heard plenty. Arctic & Little Terns fished offshore at Hynish and later at a bumblebee-filled Balephetrish. In the dunes there we saw five species of bumblebee - Moss Carder, Garden, White-tailed, Red-shanked Carder and the rare Barbut's Cuckoo Bumblebee. The dunes are now turned yellow from the abundance of Bulbous Buttercups, Lady's Bedstraw and Bird's-foot Trefoil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EARLY JUNE 2013

Late evening sky at Hynish

Corncrake at Mannal

Corncrake at Mannal

One of 4 Basking Sharks off Hynish on 6th June

Midnight on 6th June at Hynish

MAY 2013

The weather in May was not much of an improvement on April on the whole. There were some lovely sunny days but always that cold northerly wind. The month was dominated by more migrant waders heading to Arctic breeding grounds. Huge numbers of Sanderling, Dunlin and Turnstone passed through, with Ringed Plovers and Whimbrel too. Corncrake numbers slowly picked up and offshore both Arctic & Little Terns fished the azure shallows. There were still loads of Great Northern Divers offshore, most in full breeding plumage, and on still nights their haunting calls could be heard accompanying the 'crex crex' of the Corncrakes and drumming of Snipe. Despite the weather the skies were filled with Skylark song and the island was awash with breeding waders - Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Redshank & Snipe.

Botanically the month was very slow. The only orchids were Early Purple and most of the areas that one would expect to be carpetted with wildflowers still looked as though it were winter. This obviously had a big impact on the numbers of bumblebees that were seen.

I did quite a few Wild Tiree tours during the month and although I felt somewhat disapointed, the customers certainly didn't. I maintained my 100% record of showing people Corncrakes, and with Little & Arctic Terns, thousands of waders, as well as Twite, Great Northern Divers, seals and orchids, there was always plenty to see.

Sanderling and Turnstone in breeding dress

A stunning male Twite

A sunny day at Hynish

 

Whimbrel
 

Great Northern Diver

Great Northern Diver



Dunlins & Turnstone

LATE APRIL 2013

The weather in April was generally pretty foul, with strong and cold northerly winds dominating. Many spring migrants were late arriving, but on the plus side many Arctic breeders were held up by the winds. This resulted in record counts of two species in particular. On the 29th April there were a phenomenal 11,520 Golden Plovers on the island, mostly in dapper breeding plumage, with one flock of over 7,000 on The Reef providing a particulalry spectacular sight. Black-tailed Godwits pass through in good numbers each spring. These are the brick-red islandica sub-species and look simply stunning in their breeding finery. This year the numbers were exceptional. John Bowler's count on 29th of 1,520 shattered all previous records. I counted over 850 on the 30th in West Tiree. Whimbrel too passed through in higher than usual numbers.

Golden Plovers

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwits

Black-tailed Godwits