14th July
Wednesday
A much more bleak rainy srart to the day. On my walk with Tyson i did not even try to identify the little brown birds today as it was a short walk, knowing we were going on the whalewatch later. The attached photo is what the moorland walk is like in the rain..... I did hear what I thought might be curlew but not the full call so perhaps lapwing? and I did sme recording. Coming back I saw a bird of prey with a really long tail, Bigger – much bigger than sparrowhawk or kestrel – but not a buzzard or eagle and as it flew saw a distinct white patch on its rump (the rest was grey). I hadn't a clue what this might be and looking it up in the book, I think hen harrier. Having seen a marsh harrier it did fly rather like it and I also saw something that I thought might have been a harrier in Connell. I need to check whether they are around here. I was later told there were a pair of hen harrier on the moor. Yes!!!
Then, on the way home tonght I saw what initially looked like a large gull and then it dived into the loch after flying around and hovering – this was around buzzaard size but not a buzzard – brown coloured but not only brown – it had some white on so osprey perhaps? And yes, there is a pair of osprey on this loch. (Where else would I see eagle, osprey and hen harrier in the same day? It's amazing)
Whale watch trip
OK no whales! But lots of birds: gannet and young; manx shearwater (but would I recognise again if no-one to tell me?) ; fulmars and kittiwakes – which apparently have just the tips of the wings dark as though dipped into paint – I have seen them before but was not sure of recognition. Also guillemots and black guillemots; puffins (not so many); cormorant and shag (though i can't tell the difference), and great auk!
Also common seals and basking shark – and as I added to the previous entry it seems that the two fins seen yesterday was indeed basking shark – the fin and the tail of the same animal – apparently loads around yesterday which was a beautiful day. This morning was pretty wet by comparison. We did see sea eagles: one perched on a rock near its nest - but it was not that close.
Porpoises seen today but not by me
Then flychatcher in garden – very like sparrow in many ways but with fly in mouth and kind of hovering to catch them. Also got glimpse of snipe, I think.
A much more bleak rainy srart to the day. On my walk with Tyson i did not even try to identify the little brown birds today as it was a short walk, knowing we were going on the whalewatch later. The attached photo is what the moorland walk is like in the rain..... I did hear what I thought might be curlew but not the full call so perhaps lapwing? and I did sme recording. Coming back I saw a bird of prey with a really long tail, Bigger – much bigger than sparrowhawk or kestrel – but not a buzzard or eagle and as it flew saw a distinct white patch on its rump (the rest was grey). I hadn't a clue what this might be and looking it up in the book, I think hen harrier. Having seen a marsh harrier it did fly rather like it and I also saw something that I thought might have been a harrier in Connell. I need to check whether they are around here. I was later told there were a pair of hen harrier on the moor. Yes!!!
Then, on the way home tonght I saw what initially looked like a large gull and then it dived into the loch after flying around and hovering – this was around buzzaard size but not a buzzard – brown coloured but not only brown – it had some white on so osprey perhaps? And yes, there is a pair of osprey on this loch. (Where else would I see eagle, osprey and hen harrier in the same day? It's amazing)
Whale watch trip
OK no whales! But lots of birds: gannet and young; manx shearwater (but would I recognise again if no-one to tell me?) ; fulmars and kittiwakes – which apparently have just the tips of the wings dark as though dipped into paint – I have seen them before but was not sure of recognition. Also guillemots and black guillemots; puffins (not so many); cormorant and shag (though i can't tell the difference), and great auk!
Also common seals and basking shark – and as I added to the previous entry it seems that the two fins seen yesterday was indeed basking shark – the fin and the tail of the same animal – apparently loads around yesterday which was a beautiful day. This morning was pretty wet by comparison. We did see sea eagles: one perched on a rock near its nest - but it was not that close.
Porpoises seen today but not by me
Then flychatcher in garden – very like sparrow in many ways but with fly in mouth and kind of hovering to catch them. Also got glimpse of snipe, I think.
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