Monday 10 May 2010

Mon 10th May

A late entry came through last night from Carl. " There were grey seals in Portnahaven Harbour this afternoon. Common seals are more usual there. A few Arctic terns, a flock of a dozen Eider- and a Ringed plover desperately feigning injury to the human intruders and furiously attacking wandering Herring gulls. A steady passage of Gannets flying both north and south past MacKenzie island. Good numbers of Fulmar too. Greylag geese were on the island as were an indeterminate number of Whimbrel that could be heard calling. 6 Whitethroat, 2 Stonechat and 2 Reed bunting were heard singing between Port Charlotte and Portnahaven this afternoon. A buzzard was being mobbed by 2 ravens, and we found a long dead kestrel at Lorgba. The starlings in the Portnahaven whisky barrel have 3 young- you can see them through a wee hole in the top of the cask!"
Carl today had done a count of the Rookery in Port Charlotte with 40 nests being present, ten years ago there were only 14. James figures for the reserve at Gruinart were up by 20 nests on the year.
Today, coming back from Bowmore, and at "smelly corner" there were quite a few Shelduck around, could they be drakes with the females on the nest, certainly most of them appeared to be drakes when we had a quick scan through them.

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