This week was viva week for the MSc students, much drinking done by all; or
so I assume. I decided it was a good idea to get out of the final week chaos,
first to Glasgow for a couple of day's work, and then to Tiree. Ridiculously early in the morning Kathy and I hopped on a ferry from Oban, and set up an office in a little
cottage in Vaul. Best. Idea. Ever.
Not only did I manage to get a tonne of loose ends tied up (not to mention
a mass or reading and writing done), but I got some wonderful walks and birding
in. On the ferry we had sightings of feeding otter and common dolphins, as well
as plenty of gannets and kittiwakes, and a great northern diver on the way into
Gott Bay.
Once on the island we were greeted by fields of lapwing, starling and
golden plover; and as we pulled up to the cottage two ravens were mobbing a
buzzard over the cliff. A good start. We took a trip over to Loch a Phuill; Kathy
went running, I went to the hide. After an hour I'd had a few whoopers, wigeon,
tufties, mallards teal and pintail. Then the wildfowlers arrived and everything
left. So we carried on round to Hynish (male hen harrier, mippits, wheatear,
starling, pied and alba wags, barwits, sanderling, raven, hooded crow,
cormorant and shag).
On the way back to the cottage I spotted sanderling huddling behind seaweed
on the beach at Vaul. So off I went again. An hour lying on rocks at the beach
as the tide came in gave me sanderling, ringed plover, redshank, turnstone,
curlew and little stint.
Next morning the wind had dropped and I took the van around to Loch a
Phuill again. More golden plover, lapwing, ducks, swans, greylags, alba wags...
then something landed beside the hide. Another alba wag, but, no black bib.
Funny looking grey wag? No yellow rump, and big wing bars. A citrine wagtail!!!
I'm not often so conflicted, I'd found a great bird, but I had no phone signal,
and I had no one with me to confirm my ID. Camera out I snapped as many pictures
as I could, then headed for the cottage.
As soon as I got in, I tried to ring a few of my birding mates, and showed
my pictures and the Collins guide to Kathy to get someone else's opinion. No
reply on the phones, I tried the RSPB on Coll... No answer.
Kathy decided she was going to go snorkelling and, too excited to work, I
pick up my camera and followed her to the beach. Half way across we came across
a stranded guillemot, and as I herded it down the beach I spotted a figure with
camera and binoculars climbing over a gate... A BIRDER!
Ditching Kathy I went over, ditched any idea of feeling foolish, and asked
if he'd check my identification photos. Well, I was greeted with very polite
disbelief, it would be a first for the county - apparently the first person I'd
run into was Jim, the rare bird recorder for the region. I pressed on, offering
a coffee in exchange for 5 minutes of his time. 20 minutes exciting minutes
later, my ID was confirmed, phone calls had been made, and we were on our way
back to look for my bird. Which was gone. But, phone numbers, bird pictures, and email addresses were
swapped, and we went our separate ways.
30 minutes later, Jim was on the phone. Buff bellied pippit on
the way to Caoles, another county first! I hopped into the van again. Luckily
the bird remained until both John and myself made it the the scene, before
vanishing over a fence. Still, a fab little bird. And a great day. In the
evening Jim was on the phone again, my bird had been relocated at the edge of
the loch; Kathy and I celebrated with wine and chess, and I went to bed happy!
I made a pact with myself to confine activities to the cottage as much as
possible to work. However, I did spend an hour on the beach Friday morning, sea
watching whilst Kathy snorkelled in the Gunna sound. More gannets, shags, and
eider, a big Grey Seal and - as I stood to take pictures of Kathy - I flushed a
female hen harrier. And a quick trip to Loch a Phuill on Friday evening saw me
run into both Jim and my wagtail again, true to form, the little bird was
sticking to the reedy beck that led to the beach.
There wasn't much action for the rest of the stay, and I was so cream crackered that I didn't step outside whilst on the ferry back, but it really was a great trip! You can look at the pictures now...
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| Base Camp |
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| Citrine Wag |
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| Stranded |
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| Kathy in the Gunna Sound |
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| Mobile Office |
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| Pip |
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| Sanderling at Vaul |
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| Little Stint |
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| Scap view |
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| Passing Mull |
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| Sands at Hynish |
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| Wheatear at Hynish |
