The Goatsucker
One of the most elusive and mysterious of all our Summer visitors is the Nightjar. In medieval times because of its crepuscular and nocturnal nature and its habits of feeding around goats (because they disturb flying insects on which it feeds) it acquired the name of Goatsucker. This name was further enforced by its […]
Heads Down
With the approach of the 12th these Red Grouse had better keep their head’s down if they want to survive to next years breeding season. Along with most other birds this year Red Grouse have had their most successful breeding season for decades. The purple heather is now full of family parties of grouse […]
Copulation – At Last
After more than forty years in waiting this year I finally filmed Kingfishers copulating. As shown in my blog of 29th June first he passed a fish to the female. He then rises into the air over a foot before landing on her back and balancing in final position for seven to eight seconds. To […]
Reflections On Mull
Whilst most people who go to Mull go to see Sea Eagles some also go to look for Otters. After the Shetlands Mull is probably the second best place in Britain to see Otters so last week I naturally spent time surveying the coastline. With losing two days to bad weather I was left with […]
Sea Eagles
For more than twenty years I have heard about White Tailed Sea Eagles following fishing boats in Skye and Mull to scavenge fish thrown from the boats. Last week I finally visited Mull to film this incredible spectacle of the world’s fourth largest eagle taking fish thrown from specially licensed boats. As the boat sails […]
Wader Success
The pattern of this Spring and Summer’s rainfall has ensured that the Pennine moorlands have never dried out. This has benefitted the moorland waders, especially after their eggs have hatched,ensuring that their young are able to find food at that crucial time of their development. On some moors Lapwings have returned to breed after […]
Long Eared Owl Success
Having mentioned in last week’s blog about the successful breeding of some raptors this year, due to the abundance of voles, I was not surprised to find three more recently fledged Long Eared Owls this week, one with a missing ear tuft! The gallery shows them in the pines plus some of the other birds […]
Fancy A Fish?
After more than forty years and hundreds of hours in my hide I have finally filmed the male Kingfisher offering the female a fish. It lasts only a couple of seconds and her acceptance of the fish binds the pair together ready for breeding. Copulation usually follows and it did but I am saving those photos […]
Skydancer
Islay is in the top three places in Britain to see breeding Hen Harriers. The display flight of the male is called skydancing and consists of undulating flights, rising and falling and is difficult to film as it usually performed some distance away. The female on the other hand is much more active around the […]
Islay’s Seabirds
Not many people visit Islay in Summer to watch seabirds. However, the Islay coastline is home to many different species of seabirds and during the last three weeks I have been filming many of them. Click here. During our last week on Islay there was a huge emergence of Marsh Fritillary butterflies with up to […]