Monday, 12 July
We've been staying not far from Dervaig. Each morning I have been walking on the moor near by with Tyse - and fortunately there are no sheep here so he can have a good run. I am as always completely baffled by the little brown birds. They behave pretty much like meadow pipits but are in slightly different habitat than when I have seen them before, and I'm not sure they look quite like meadow pipits.
We then did a walk from Tobemorry to an old lighthouse along the coast. Though it was only a shortish walk, it was a beautiful walk through woodland looking out across the bay. Just after starting the walk we saw a large bird of prey flying amongst seagulls which turned out to be an eagle, again!,with clear fingers on its wings and a longish tail. Howeer as we were viewig from below we could not tell whether it was a golden eagle or a sea eagle. I assumed perhaps a sea eagle as near the sea but was told that the goldern eagles fly on the coast too.
Into the walk we saw several other birds – a gannet; a family of our hooded crows sharing out a crab; greenfinches and several small brown birds. Onoe looked like a sparrow but had an orangey red head – so though I need to look this up I think this was a redpoll. (when I did look it up it didn't match the redpoll so am still not sure ) Later on saw a winchat by the sea on some meadow near Calgarry. Saw a greenfinch and again some very spotty birds – perhaps shore pipits as they were on the shore? and looked and behaved rather like meadow pipits. Days later in the heritage centre they had a rock pipit there - so i think this one could have been the same.
Day 3
Today I saw the little brown birds better – and I think some at least might have been reed buntings – and if so perhaps I should have recognised them given that we have them back at MK, in Newport Pagnell. Other birds around included chaffinch, on the moorland early moring work However the exciting sight this morning was a sea eagle – flying across the loch (Frisa) and although I didn't get to see it too closely I could see that it was an eagle from its flight and could also see the white tail patch, so probably a sea eagle as they are nesting near the loch– in fact I saw it more clearly than when we visited the reserve. (Though, of course immature golden eagles also have a white patch - why do birds make it so hard for us?)
Today I saw the little brown birds better – and I think some at least might have been reed buntings – and if so perhaps I should have recognised them given that we have them back at MK, in Newport Pagnell. Other birds around included chaffinch, on the moorland early moring work However the exciting sight this morning was a sea eagle – flying across the loch (Frisa) and although I didn't get to see it too closely I could see that it was an eagle from its flight and could also see the white tail patch, so probably a sea eagle as they are nesting near the loch– in fact I saw it more clearly than when we visited the reserve. (Though, of course immature golden eagles also have a white patch - why do birds make it so hard for us?)
We then did a walk from Tobemorry to an old lighthouse along the coast. Though it was only a shortish walk, it was a beautiful walk through woodland looking out across the bay. Just after starting the walk we saw a large bird of prey flying amongst seagulls which turned out to be an eagle, again!,with clear fingers on its wings and a longish tail. Howeer as we were viewig from below we could not tell whether it was a golden eagle or a sea eagle. I assumed perhaps a sea eagle as near the sea but was told that the goldern eagles fly on the coast too.
Into the walk we saw several other birds – a gannet; a family of our hooded crows sharing out a crab; greenfinches and several small brown birds. Onoe looked like a sparrow but had an orangey red head – so though I need to look this up I think this was a redpoll. (when I did look it up it didn't match the redpoll so am still not sure ) Later on saw a winchat by the sea on some meadow near Calgarry. Saw a greenfinch and again some very spotty birds – perhaps shore pipits as they were on the shore? and looked and behaved rather like meadow pipits. Days later in the heritage centre they had a rock pipit there - so i think this one could have been the same.
The gulls were taken from the ferry. At the time I thought most were herring gulls - but looking now it is not lclear whether the legs are pink or yellow...though that could be the light?
So pretty good day!
So pretty good day!
No comments:
Post a Comment