Friday 31 July 2009

Lewis Outer Hebrides species report

We've just had a good 11 day family holiday on Lewis, Outer Hebrides, staying for a week at Port Nis (Ness) near the Butt of Lewis, and then camping for the remainder at Cnip campsite near Valtos/Riof/Uig.

Our arrival was delayed as the Isle of Lewis ferry had suffered mechanical difficulties the previous day. CalMac got it fixed during the Saturday and we finally got away at 1:30am on the Sunday. We were slightly surprised to be filmed and waved at when we arrived at 4:30am, but this was the day of the first scheduled Sunday sailing from Stornoway; going by the TV news later, this seemed to be be widely welcomed with only a few dissenting souls.

We had been on the look out for dolphins, propoises and whales all week, but only saw a few seals and possible hint of an otter. Apart that is, from the dead pilot whale calf washed up at Europie beach. On the way back from Stornoway to Ullapool, we were pleasantly surprised to find that there was a wildlife watching event on board, various helpers from SNH, MCS, RSPB etc looking for dolphins, propoises, whales and birds. A useful new SNH booklet was launched: Marine Life from Boat and Coast: a sightings guide for North-west Scotland. I saw Manx shearwater and Puffin, and a floating deceased cetacean. It would have been helpful if all the helpers had prominent badges on so we could identify them. We did not see any publicity for the event at Ullapool or Stornoway terminals, nor on the CalMac web site when we booked. It was good to chat to someone from the MCS about our plastic bag free campaigns.

[Later: more suggestions for wildlife watching event. This is a great idea, even though it will be very hard to point things out to people as everything whizzes by very fast on a ferry - and things are usually at a distance. For the same reason, there might not be many occasions when it is possible to announce something to spot over the tannoy, except when near port. So, tell people to shout quickly to one of the observers if they spot something. Have a waterproof white board on deck to list all things spotted - this will act as a focal point. Talking to punters and having spare binoculars to help spot more common occurrences such as birds was good. Have wildlife posters up permanently inside would be good, eg the Lewis&Harris SNH poster. I'd suggest setting up watch stations on land on good view points with telescopes, eg run by volunteers, would be useful and would raise awareness (we didn't go to Tiumpan Head - what's there?) Ideally there should always be someone on longer summer ferry crossing (during day time) to spot wildlife, with permanent telescopes fixed onto the deck; I know that the ferry to North Spain over the Bay of Biscay is used for special whale watching trips, with special access to high decks. ]

The gannets were amazing, visible from our cottage windows fishing at Port Nis and all along the coast. Plenty of arctic terns said hello - Caz here seemed to want to be attacked. The machair on the west coast was amazing. Elsewhere there was lots of horsetail around. Hearing my first corncrakes was great, as well as seeing a red throated diver family on an inland lochan, with one parent bringing in a fish. The hare bells at Cnip were the largest we've ever seen, three headed monsters.

Birds: Gannet, Fulmar, Razorbill, Arctic Tern, Shag, Cormorant, Herring gull, Pied wagtail, Oyster catcher, Greylag goose, Arctic skua (pale+dark morphs), Black Guillemot, Guillemot, Kittiwake, Great black-backed gull, Rock dove, Blackbird, Great skua, Rock pipit, Black headed gull, House sparrow, Ringed plover, Raven, Lesser black-backed gull, Corncrake, Curlew, Starling, Buzzard, Mute swan, Eider, Dunlin, Shelduck, Redshank, Hooded crow, Sanderling, Meadow pipit, Wren, Golden plover, Snipe, Stonechat, Red throated diver, Common gull, Lapwing and Gray heron.

Flowers: Bog asphodel, Sundew, Birds foot trefoil, Butterwort, Lousewort, Eyebright, Ragged robin, Meadow Cranesbill, Heath spotted-orchid, Horsetail, Bog pimpernel, Red clover, Ragwort, White clover, Field gentian, Sea mayweed, Tufted vetch, Sea sandwort, Thrift, Red bartsia, Brooklime, Self-heal, Crowberry, Marsh marigold, Yellow rattle, Milkwort, Wild carrot, Devil's bit scabious, Kidney vetch, Sea campion, Yarrow, Bistort, Silverweed, Primrose, Knapweed, Lesser meadow-rue, Spearwort, Bogbean, Scots lovage, Cross-leaved heath, Ling, Bell heather, Hare bell, Rose root, Hawksbeard, Stone crop and Moss campion.

There were probably more types of orchid, but we aren't experts on their id. There was possibly another sort of gentian.

We also saw several butterflies (painted lady, tortoiseshell and meadow brown), moths (antler, dark arches, northern rustic) and lots of rabbits (several very black coloured).

Sunday 12 July 2009

Golden eagle viewpoint 11 July 2009

Caz, Angela and Phil were the volunteers on duty at the RSPB Haweswater golden eagle viewpoint yesterday.

Eagle spotted at lunchtime on lower Short Stile near crag-fast sheep. Flew to top nest crag and perched for a couple of hours, in a rocky alcove to the right of nest, barely visible. At 2:30pm, flew towards middle nest and perched on a tree very close to the nest. Clearly visible - preening loose feathers - mobbed by a male ring ouzel which bravely perched on the same tree for a while. Eagle flew again at 3:30pm and was lost to sight.

One of the visitors thought that it was incredible they'd gone for a short stroll and seen two rare birds in one go - on the same branch!

Weather: clear and bright, clouding over after lunch. Visitors: 20

Friday 10 July 2009

Moths in trap on 9 July 2009

Here's the moths found in our Skinner trap last night - light only on for about an hour. Some ids still needed.

Snout x 4
Flame-shouldered x 2
Silver-ground carpet x 1
Large yellow underwing x 1
Muslin footman x 1
The Flame x 2
Brimstone x 1
Green carpet x 1
Barred yellow x 1
Barred straw x 2
Double square spot x 1
Unknown Common Carpet x 1
Unknown x 1
Ghost moth - female x 1
Silver Y x 1
Unknown Coronet x 1
Flame carpet x 1
Unknown x 1
Unknown (?Chrysoteuchia culmella) x 1
Antler x 1
Unknown (?Ingrailed Clay) x 1
Dark arches x 2
Unknown x 1

Thursday 9 July 2009

Buzzard tried to pirate Peregrine's prey

Peregrine on tree after losing prey

This is an old sighting, from 2007, but as it was a rather special event, I think it's worth reporting now - written by DS who was running our RSPB Haweswater volunteer working party of four, accompanied by my photos.

A failed attempt by a Buzzard to pirate a Peregrine's prey

On 11th December 2007 at 10.30 am on the northwest side of Haweswater Reservoir our group were alerted to a peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus kill above us by a dull thud! We were unable to identify the prey item but believe it to have been either a Wood Pigeon or a male kestrel. A second peregrine was in the vicinity and the kill may have been the result of co-operative hunting. The bird carrying the prey attempted to head east across the reservoir but the item appeared to be too heavy and the peregrine got progressively lower. We also became aware that a common buzzard Buteo buteo was following the falcon about 20 metres behind. When level with the surface of the water the peregrine dropped its kill and the buzzard alighted on the water presumably in an attempt to retrieve the food! Both peregrines circled the buzzard briefly in agitated fashion and were extremely vocal. One came and briefly landed in a dead tree within 20 metres of us and close to the original kill site. Following this, attention switched to the buzzard and subsequent behaviour by the peregrines was not noted though they took no further interest in the buzzard or prey.

The buzzard was floundering in the water a good 200 metres from the shore. For the next 30 minutes, during which time it was briefly circled over by an inquisitive grey heron Ardea cinerea, it flapped its way in short burst to the safety of the shore. Disappointingly, it did not have the prey item in its possession! Having made dry land it stood bedraggled for several minutes next to large boulder. At this point we left, but the bird was no longer in the same position when we returned about an hour later. A Buzzard, possibly the same bird, was however flying from tree to tree adjacent to the shore in the same vicinity.

Luckily I had my camera out, and caught some of the action, even though it was quite far away:

Peregrine with prey:

Buzzard swimming to shore:

Buzzard reaching shore:

Bedraggled buzzard drying off:

Moths in trap on 27 May 2009

Let's start by listing the moths found in our Skinner moth trap on the night of 27 May 2009 at our house. The trap has an 80W mercury vapour blub. The trap was just on late in the evening - not overnight. If you can identify any unknowns, or think our ids are wrong, let me know - very possible.

Clouded silver x 1

Spectacle x 1

Brown silver-line x 1

Flame shoulder x 1

Flame carpet? x 1