Sunday 21 October 2012

Blonde Birders

Blondes with Bins

Its been an odd week or so here, I've barely been on my wee island. First of all I've been playing in Glasgow - planning my trip to Mexico, learning about new analytical techniques, and fiddling with the FT-IR spectrometer (I still can't believe they let me loose with it) - and on my off days I've been birding with an old friend.

By now I should have learned not neglect my friends for long periods, it leads to silliness. So when I suggested that Tom - a uni friend that I've not seen for 2 years - join me for some birding during his first visit to Scotland, I should have expected something manic.

This took the form of a lightning rattle around the country, hitting some cracking birding sites, glancing at the scenery as we tried to spot migrants from the car, and eyeing up likely lochs for ducks and divers. FYI, camping gear, scope, bins, rucksack, food, and camera gumpf = incredibly heavy. We saw some cracking birds and were treated by sights of harbour porpoise surfacing behind longtailled duck, and a feeding otter.

In total we racked up 95 species. Here are some of the highlights...


Great Northern Diver


Fulmar 

Treecreeper


Redstart


Blackcap


Mallard and a Stripey faced female (Thanks Nick!)

Lesser Spotted 1

Lesser Spotted 2

Slavonian Grebe
Trip List:
  1. Longtailled Tit
  2. Great Tit
  3. Blue Tit
  4. Coal Tit
  5. House Sparrow
  6. Dunnock
  7. Shetland Wren
  8. Wren
  9. Chaffinch
  10. Brambling
  11. Twite
  12. Lesser Redpoll
  13. Siskin
  14. Goldfinch
  15. Greenfinch
  16. Goldcrest
  17. Reed Bunting
  18. Blackcap
  19. Chiffchaff
  20. Redstart
  21. Wheatear
  22. Swallow
  23. Treecreeper
  24. Song Thrush
  25. Black Bird
  26. Redwing
  27. Fieldfare
  28. Starling
  29. Collared Dove
  30. Rock Dove
  31. Wood pigeon
  32. Jackdaw
  33. Rook
  34. Raven
  35. Carrion Crow
  36. Hooded Crow
  37. Magpie
  38. Kestrel
  39. Merlin
  40. Sparrowhawk
  41. Buzzard
  42. Rock Pippit
  43. Meadow Pippit
  44. Herring Gull
  45. Common Gull
  46. Kittiwake
  47. Lesser Black Back
  48. Greater Black Back
  49. Black Headed Gull
  50. Bonxie
  51. Fulmar
  52. Gannet
  53. Guillemot
  54. Black Guillemot
  55. Shag
  56. Comorant
  57. Grey Heron
  58. Mallard
  59. Teal
  60. Wigeon
  61. Pochard
  62. Tufted Duck
  63. Goldeneye
  64. Scaup
  65. Eider
  66. Gadwall
  67. Longtailled Duck
  68. Pintail
  69. Shoveller
  70. Moorhen
  71. Merganser
  72. Goosander
  73. Great Crested Grebe
  74. Slavonian Grebe
  75. Great Northern Diver
  76. Greylag Goose
  77. Pink Footed Goose
  78. Canada Goose
  79. Mute Swan
  80. Whooper Swan
  81. Greater Spotted Woodpecker
  82. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
  83. Turnstone
  84. Redshank
  85. Golden Plover
  86. Ringed plover
  87. Lapwing
  88. Dunlin
  89. Sanderling
  90. Curlew
  91. Snipe
  92. Oystercatcher
  93. Pheasant

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