Way west

There's been no updates for while because I've been west, way west, in fact at one point as far west as you can get in mainland Britain - Ardnamurchan Point. We were staying on the Morvern Peninsula for a week but traveled around Sunart, Adrnamurchan and over to Mull a couple of times. It's a beautiful area but it is a lot wetter than here in the east and we got wet a few times.

Doirlinn

Heading for Sanna Bay

It was nice to get back to Druridge and stand on the dune and have the north on my left where it belongs. I've been down to the patch everyday since I back. 

Janet and I had brief wander on Saturday after our long drive south. Offshore the Scoter flock numbered 400-450 and there were six Red-throated Divers with them. This ship - the Normand Clipper has taken up residence in the Bay, seemingly it is to do with the new connector cable to Norway. 

The Normand Clipper

On Sunday afternoon,  it was quite warm with sunny spells, Chris Barlow let me know he'd seen a new hover for the patch so I went looking. I didn't see it but saw some other species and a couple of interesting other beasties. 45 plus Goldfinch rattled around me whilst I was hunkered down with the macro lens and a whimbrel flew south. 

Hoverfly Eristalis intricaria (worn female)

Female Helophilus pendulus

Eupeodes latifasciatis (f)

I think this might be one of the Lauxaniid Marsh Flies?

22-Spot Ladybird

When the sun went, I had a look offshore and three Sooty Shearwaters went north and the Red-throated Diver count was up to ten. 

On Monday evening Janet and I had a walk through up to the north of the patch and back by the beach. Our first bird was colossal female Sparrowhawk coming off the dunes. Further north we had Buzzards and a juvenile Marsh Harrier. 

This morning, my pre-work wander didn't get me far as there was some good vizmig going on. First birds heard were a small flock of Siskin going south. As I walked along the road, good number of Meadow Pipits, Sand Martins and House Martins flew south. A single Tree Pipit went south, calling and by the Dunbar burn there were two Wheatears and a juvenile Whinchat with a gang of resting Meadow Pipits and Linnets. 

A few Herring Gull loafed just offshore and this second winter bird gave good views in nice light and I found what I think is a dead Manx Shearwater on the beach. 

Second-winter Herring Gull

Dead Manx Shearwater

I estimated the following counts in my 45 minutes or so of counting

75 Sand Martin

57 House Martin

86 Meadow Pipits

32 Siskin (in three groups)

17 Swallow

1 Tree Pipit

This evening, I had a quick look on the sea, there wasn't much to report but this Chinook Helicopter gave good views as it passed low over the dunes. 

Chinook

Sanderlings on the beach this evening - adult and juvenile

Juvvies

There's been no blogging for while as I have been away to the Scottish Highlands for a few days. We stayed in a cottage in Glen Cassley - about as remote as it gets! No wifi, no mobile phone signal and no TV but there were greenshanks nesting at the end of the garden, dunlin and snipe displaying and an osprey pair just up the glen.

Being a coastal type, I was spoilt for choice with Handa Island, Lochinver and the Coigach to the west and the Dornoch firth and Loch Fleet to the east. We didn't make it north to the Kyle of Tongue, but did spend a couple of hours in Thurso which was long enough. Unfortunately my camera refused to read or write to any memory cards after day two so I don't have many photos.

The view up the glen to Ben More Assynt

Home for the week - the neighbours popped by to say hello! 

Bonxie

Another Bonxie on Handa Island

Pale Arctic Skua on Handa

Him'n'her - Arctic Skuas on Handa

Back to Druridge this morning and a bit of ringing. I caught mostly juvenile birds including family parties of wren, willow warbler and great tit and a few young robins.

The great tit family was interesting, there were 10 birds in the net, nine juveniles and an adult - the whole brood and dad! The adult male was a retrap. I first caught him in July 2010 when he was fresh juvenile himself - he hasn't gone far in six years, but is obviously doing well. I've only caught him on two other occasions - in October 2011 and June 2013.

We also caught an adult stonechat today. Although stonechat is a common species at Druridge, we rarely catch many as they tend to stick to the dunes, any we do catch are usually wandering juveniles.

2nd year male stonechat

You can see from this photo that this is a second-year bird, the fringing on some of the crown feathers is the give-away here.

There seems to be a few more lapwing on the Budge fields now. I presume that these are returning birds that have failed to raise chicks - which is the story on the Budge fields this year, despite many sitting birds, there are hardly any chicks. The cold and wet spell a couple of weeks ago did for many ground nesters.

The swallows in the hides aren't faring any better with only one occupied nest.