Islay birding | FindPenguins

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14 maart 2024
Islay birding Reiziger
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Dag 1
donderdag 14 maart 2024 om 16:39
🌧 8 °C
Hoogte: 4 m
Schotland Kennacraig 55.806381, -5.48261355°48’23” N 5°28’57” W
Queuing at Kennacraig
14 maart 2024, Schotland ⋅ 🌧 8 °C
A drive with the caravan from near Stirling. Pretty wet and pelting with rain as we wait for the ferry, the timing of which has been put back and put back several times. Due to land on Islay around 8pm and then a bit of a drive to the booked site. Will be no fun setting up in the dark and the rain and then eating probably as late as 10:30.
Footnote: I was quite right about setting up in the dark and the rain. Absolutely black and we’d forgotten head torches. Using the light on the phones meant we did jobs one handed. Hey ho, tomorrow may provide us with a Red-breasted Goose amongst all the Barnacle Geese at Loch Gruinart.Meer informatie
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ReizigerHope you have a great time Rick despite the weather. Take carex
14-03-2024ReagerenVertalen
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Islay birding Reiziger
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Dag 2
vrijdag 15 maart 2024 om 16:41
🌬 8 °C
Hoogte: 9 m
Schotland Port Charlotte 55.732964, -6.38493855°43’59” N 6°23’6” W
Loch Gruinart
15 maart 2024, Schotland ⋅ 🌬 8 °C
A windy but sunny day in the Loch Gruinart area. Barnacle Geese in their hundreds and also many lovely Greater White-fronted Geese of the Greenland subspecies feeding in the rougher grasslands. A not too thorough search along the roadsides for the Red-breasted Goose amongst the Barbie’s but it was not found. Maybe tomorrow. A female Hen Harrier was nice to see and some of the party saw a White-tailed Eagle and a dozen Choughs at Ardnave Point.
Lunch at the Oyster Shed on the east side of the loch was a nice break from the windy birding.Meer informatie
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Michael and Helen CookI had forgotten you were birding on this trip. Hope you see lots
15-03-2024ReagerenVertalen
ReizigerThank you. Yes, it’s an SOC trip combined with family break. Really want to see the Red-breasted Goose but must persevere.
15-03-2024ReagerenVertalen
ReizigerMust be a marvellous spectacle seeing Hundreds of Geese up there! No doubt you’ll see Eagles, Divers and other goodies during your stay. I have just got home from working all day and find out the Bills passed away. All the best to you all.
15-03-2024ReagerenVertalen
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Dag 4
zondag 17 maart 2024 om 07:58
☁️ 9 °C
Hoogte: 9 m
Schotland Port Charlotte 55.732966, -6.38499855°43’59” N 6°23’6” W
A wet and windy one
17 maart 2024, Schotland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
Very little birding done because of the weather. Best Cullen Skink ever in a bistro in Port Ellen though. No photos.
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Michael and Helen Cooksorry, I need photos!
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Dag 5
maandag 18 maart 2024 om 08:25
⛅ 8 °C
Hoogte: 5 m
Schotland Port Charlotte 55.732914, -6.38498355°43’58” N 6°23’6” W
A day on the Oa
18 maart 2024, Schotland ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
A party of five drove to the Oa - a cliffs bulbous peninsular, good for raptor species. Fog was a problem for much of the time and no eagles performed for us. We did see a female Hen Harrier and had a very brief view of a probable Merlin from the vehicle on the way. The fog cleared occasionally to give glimpses of impressive cliffs.
Birdy highlight was about 20 Twite, some males sporting lovely pink rumps and several birds also sporting a mixture of colour rings on their tarsi. Good, distinctive calls as well.
More Cullen skink in Port Ellen followed and then a scenic drive north checking bays for divers etc. Must have seen a total of 15 Great Northerns and some views of very smart foraging Red-breasted Mergansers. Rock Doves gave good views - really lovely birds in comparison with their feral relatives and we watched a relaxed foraging otter diving amongst the rocks and seaweed.Meer informatie
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ReizigerWhat's Cullen Skink?
18-03-2024ReagerenVertalen
ReizigerCreamy smoked fish, potato soup with bay leaf and little else. Not a lizard!
18-03-2024ReagerenVertalen
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Islay birding Reiziger
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Dag 5
maandag 18 maart 2024 om 18:12
🌧 9 °C
Hoogte: 5 m
Schotland Port Charlotte 55.73288, -6.38495355°43’58” N 6°23’6” W
Ardnave Point for Choughs
18 maart 2024, Schotland ⋅ 🌧 9 °C
After a fine walk to the west on Machir beach and a highly recommended visit for coffee, lunch and the purchase of some very fine whisky at the Kilchoman distillery for an upcoming ‘brothers long weekend’ on Skye, three of us drove to Ardnave Point in the hope of finding Choughs - those crow relatives with red feet and red downcurved bills. A wonderful male Hen Harrier performed for us on the way.
A longish walk in heavier and heavier rain and increasing wind did not reduce the pleasure of seeing 24 Choughs probing the soil for invertebrates and showing off their glossy blue-black plumage. Many sported multiple colour rings - no doubt for valuable research reasons but it made them look a bit ‘manhandled’. I took a phone photo but not worth it really.
Huge numbers of Grey Seals hauled out on Nave Island opposite the headland. Then back to the caravan and snug warmth.Meer informatie
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Michael and Helen CookYou must be chuffed
18-03-2024ReagerenVertalen
ReizigerToo right! First I’d seen for many years.
18-03-2024ReagerenVertalen
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Dag 6
dinsdag 19 maart 2024 om 17:47
☁️ 9 °C
Hoogte: 9 m
Schotland Port Charlotte 55.732925, -6.38490455°43’59” N 6°23’6” W
Too much whisky
19 maart 2024, Schotland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
Not a birding day in spite of the best weather yet. A tour of the Bruichladdich distillery was much more engaging than I expected and at daughter’s long-distance insistence I spent more on a bottle of whisky than I ever had before - probably because my judgement was clouded by the tasting session. Anyway, nice to have a full unopened bottle to look forward to.
Two more leg-ringed Choughs seen feeding in a cattle field were the Birdy highlight of the day. I’ve gone the whole week without seeing an eagle, which is a bit frustrating.Meer informatie
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ReizigerYes, blame me for one of the best whiskies you will ever taste 😂
21-03-2024ReagerenVertalen
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Dag 7
woensdag 20 maart 2024 om 18:19
☁️ 8 °C
Hoogte: 29 m
Schotland Ardoch Burn 56.18824, -4.04847356°11’18” N 4°2’55” W
Homeward bound
20 maart 2024, Schotland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
A two hour “navigation”, as they’d call it in Galapagos, from Port Ellen to Kennacraig. Flat calm and parties of auks feeding all over the place relatively close to Islay. Also more divers than I’ve ever seen, with probably tens of Great Northerns and Red-throateds, and a handful of Black-throateds. Most of them in Loch Tarbert. Watched a Hen Harrier making its way to Islay some time after we left harbour but still no White-tailed Eagles in spite of perfect eagle conditions.Meer informatie
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ReizigerSo unlucky with no Eagles Rick! Still you had a great time with lots of other nice birds. Always great to see Hen Harriers, divers etc.👍
20-03-2024ReagerenVertalen
Michael and Helen CookShame about the eagles. Doesn’t look like you are “sitting in a railway station” tho
20-03-2024ReagerenVertalen
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Het einde van de reis
20 maart 2024