Mull Re-Visited
After last years visit to Mull especially to film Sea Eagles we decided to return this year for a less intense filming week. Along with other Hebridean islands this year the cold spring has had an adverse effect on the breeding Eagles with the Golden Eagles having almost failed completely. Fortunately the Sea Eagles have […]
Whitethroats and Summer Flowers
With the extremely warm weather of last week flowers have produced rapid growth enabling Whitethroats to finally get down to nesting. Most of my local Whitethroats build their nests around the stalks of such plants as Rosebay Willow Herb and various umbellicas and only now are they able to do this. In the last few […]
Filming Satisfaction
At long last after years and years sat out on the Pennine moors at dusk I finally have some acceptable photos of a male Long Eared Owl hunting. There are so many variables that come into play before success is achieved. Firstly it has to be a good year for voles so that the Owls […]
Shorties Do Well
One species to have benefitted from the dry and sunny spring has been the Short Eared Owl. I have now found broods of three young and two young and have heard of another pair that have fledged seven young which is exceptional. The abundance of voles has also been productive for Kestrels and Long Eared […]
Summer At Last
Our last week on Islay brought days of glorious sunshine if still a little cold. It did mean that we were able to do some of the annual walks that until now had been held in abeyance. Golden Eagles were seen regularly including one on a sheep carcass. The sight of hunting male Hen Harriers […]
Hen Harrier Magic
While people flock to Mull to see its Eagles how long will it be before the Hen harriers of Islay attract hordes of birdwatchers? Their plight in England is now quite desperate with illegal persecution rife on our grouse moors. On Islay that has never been a problem and where else can you go in […]
Waiting For Summer
A second week on Islay and a maximum temperature of only 15 °C on one day! Whilst we have been waiting for warmer weather so have Islay’s Corncrakes. The benefits from our point of view is that the lack of summer vegetation makes filming Corncrake easier. The photos in this weeks gallery are all different […]
Arctic Gem
When you have a week on Islay in late May most of the high Arctic waders have already left on their long journey north. This week, with cool northerly winds, there have been small numbers of Sanderling waiting for more favourable conditions before heading north. Amongst these birds was one that had already moulted into […]
Waders Benefit
The cold and wet weather this month has benefitted all the wading birds on the Pennine moors. The increased number of peaty pools has produced the best feeding conditions for birds like Dunlin. It has been a pleasure to see and hear Dunlin displaying and pairing off in places where they have not been […]
Owling Success
After last years spectacular success Barn Owls this season are having a much quieter time. In contrast Long Eared Owls are having their best season for years with most pairs now busy feeding young, both in the nest and some already fledged. This weeks photo is from a nest I filmed nearly twenty years […]