Scotland June 2023

 16.06.23 and my first Blog from our holiday in Scotland (there will be more over time). The owner of one of the cottages (Lettoch Beag) we stay in is doing a rewilding project on his land and it is great to see so much wildlife already there. Hopefully we are still able to visit in years to come when I’m sure it will be even better. Our first day was spent around the cottage so this is some of the wildlife we saw.

Red Squirrel.

House Martin. These, along with Swallows, were nesting it the eves of the cottages.

Willow Warbler.

A Robin with some bait for its chicks.

The same Robin with even more bait.

Male House Sparrow.

Dunnock.

Pied Wagtail

Azure Damselfly.

Brown Hare hunkered down.

Local Barn Owl

 I went out looking for our local Barn Owls again a couple of weeks ago but I thought I was going to be out of luck. However just as I was about to head home, I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye, a Barn Owl hunting in the early evening sun. Unfortunately, it was flying away from me but I still managed to get some images.

Before I saw the Barn Owl this Roe Buck came over the fence into the field I was watching.

He then stood looking at me before wandering off.

Barn Owl out hunting.

It came back with a Vole.

Before I went out, I was sitting in the garden and this Buzzard flew over.

And this House Sparrow was gathering nesting material.

Garden Visitors

 While I was sitting in the conservatory a few days ago watching a Blackbird feed its chick I thought I would take some pictures of the other birds that come into our garden. Unfortunately, we don’t get the range of birds that we did Blue Tits, Great Tits, Greenfinch, and other small bird even Chaffinch are all absent. The images here were all shot through the double glazing so some are a bit soft.

This Sparrowhawk flew into the garden while I was watching a Blackbird feed its chick.

It put everything up for a while however they soon returned when it flew off.

The reason I was in the conservatory, Blackbird with lunch.

One of the Blackbird chicks.

Female House Sparrow.

Male House Sparrow showing off to a female.

One of the House Sparrow chicks.

The most prolific bird in the garden is the Starling.

There are dozens of them.

This chick can’t make its mind up as to what it has caught.

This one has caught a beetle while the adult looks on.

And then this happened. I have never seen a Starling sit like this before and it was sitting like this for a while. I don’t know if is some sort of threatening or defensive posture.

Chick begging for food.

I have captioned this “walk this way”

Collared Dove.

Jackdaws.

Take off.

Crow.

Magpie with dodgy eyes.

This Magpie seems to be ok.

Isle of Mull part five

 Back to Mull and once again some of the smaller birds from around the island. Most of these images are of juvenile birds of which, I’m pleased to say, there were many.

Whitethroat with lunch.

One of the juvenile Whitethroat the parent bird was about to feed.

This is one of its siblings.

This is another one.

Spotted Flycatcher.

Juvenile Wheatear.

Another Juvenile Wheatear this time on Iona.

Juvenile Robin.

Duck. Another juvenile Robin nearly takes out a House Sparrow.

Willow Warbler. I love the little white feather sticking up from its head.

Juvenile Stonechat.

Goldfinch with what looks like nesting material.

Song Thrush.

And another.

Wren singing its heart out from the top of a post.

Feeding time for the House Sparrows on Iona.

These two were on the shoreline by one of the lochs.

Redpoll.

Greenfinch another juvenile.

Before anyone says anything, I know it’s not a small bird but I had to include this Hedgehog that was wandering around in the garden of the cottage somewhere.