Isle of Mull part three

 04.07.22 Mull isn’t only about the big birds and mammals (although that’s why we went there) it’s also about the smaller birds, of which there were plenty however there are some larger birds in this Blog too. Unfortunately, my wife wasn’t feeling very well on this day so I stayed around the cottage. All of these images are taken from around there. The day started with drizzle but ended warm and dry and despite not going anywhere I had an enjoyable day which is more than can be said for my wife.  

Redpoll in the drizzle.

Pied Wagtail with loads of insects and if you look closely one of them is trying to escape.

It did.

Spotted Flycatcher one of two.

The second one.

Willow Warbler.

This one seems to have something wrong with its eye.

Sedge Warbler with bait.

Nearly every time it had finished feeding its chicks it flew onto the Foxglove.

Juvenile Greenfinch, I haven’t seen a Greenfinch for ages.

Juvenile Stonechat.

A second juvenile Stonechat.

Juvenile Linnet.

Male Linnet.

Juvenile Robin begging for food.

Meadow Pipit.

Blackbird with bait.

Male Siskin foraging for seeds.

Kestrel with what looks like a plump Vole.

It landed on the post to eat it. Unfortunately for me the heat haze has spoilt the image somewhat.

The same Kestrel also caught what looks like a Lizard.

The White-tailed Eagle took of from its tree. I didn’t know at the time but it was going fishing.

As it came back with what looks like a flat fish of some kind. If you look closely you will see the ring number 63 on it leg.

I nearly missed this male Hen Harrier as I was taking pictures of the Sedge Warbler sitting on the Foxglove at the time and just caught it out the corner of my eye.

Isle of Mull part two

 03.07.22 One of my target birds while on Mull was Hen Harrier and it was fantastic to find them on our second day on the island all be it at a bit of a distance. As I said in my earlier Blog the lane out side the cottage was a great place to find loads of wildlife.

Ringtail Hen Harrier.

If only this was sharp but as a Catherine Tate character would say “Am I bovvered” because I have never seen a Hen Harrier and a Curlew fly side by side before.

Ditto.

This juvenile was sitting on the post at some distance however I managed to get a few reasonable images.

It was great to watch this Sedge Warbler flying from Foxglove to Foxglove.

A couple of Red Deer in the field opposite the cottage.

If you have to go you have to go.

Isle of Mull part one

02.07.22 There’s probably going to be lots of parts but this is the first part on Mull. We were staying in a cottage not far from Duart Castle (it’s a great place from which to explore the island) and right across from the cottage were a pair of White-tailed Eagle. Unfortunately, they were a little too far away far any decent pictures but I still took far too many. The garden and the lane outside the cottage were great for spotting all manner of birds (more of them in later Blogs).

White-tailed Eagle on top of what I soon found out was its favourite tree.

However, this Hooded Crow did not like the Eagle being there and seems to be telling it to clear off.

And it did eventually chase it off.

But it came back.

The eagle got its eye onto something.

What exactly it was I’m not sure but it looked like a cat. It didn’t get it whatever it was.

The local Buzzard.

I found out that it would hunt the fields around the cottage every day. 

Redpoll.

Stonechat.

Bait for either the Buzzard or the Eagle?

 

Black Guillemots

 01.07.22 Just got back from a fortnights holiday on the Isle of Mull and as always when we go to Mull, we stay in or around Oban the day before we sail. And as always, I take far too many shots of the Black Guillemots oh and there is a shot of one of the Pigeons as well. I’m still going through all of the images from the rest of the fortnight (some I still have to transfer onto my desk top) so it might take some time to post more Blogs.

This is one of my favourite images of the day.

I was leaning over the railings to get these shots (using a 500mm lens so the birds weren’t disturbed).