May 2008

May 1
White-tailed Eagle: 1 adult at 19.55 with white prey flying over Ensay in Loch Frisa direction
Greylag Goose: 3 below Treshnish House
Great Skua: 3 from below Treshnish House
Common Whitethroat: 1 below Treshnish House near boathouse (first of the year)
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 near Treshnish graveyard
May 2
Twite: 3 at Haunn cottage
Water Avens: flowering
May 3
Twite: 1 at Toechtamhor cottage
Linnet: 1 at Toechtamhor cottage
May 4
Sand Martin: 1 at Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Whinchat: 1 below Toechtamhor cottage (first of the year)
Sedge Warbler: 1 below Toechtamhor cottage (first of the year)
Reed Bunting: 1 male and 1 female below Toechtamhor cottage
Linnet: 3 at Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Twite: 1 near Treshnish cow-barn
Goldfinch: 2 at Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
May 5
Great Northern Diver: 2 from Ensay Burn mouth
Greylag Goose: 2 below Treshnish House
Grey Heron: 2 near Treshnish boathouse
Sand Martin: 3 by Treshnish House
Common Whitethroat: 1 by Treshnish House
Dolphin species: 1+ about 1km west of Caliach Point
Green-veined White butterfly: 3 by Treshnish wood
Peacock butterfly: 1 by graveyard Treshnish wood
Green Hair-streak butterfly: 1 by Treshnish wood
Wood-sorrel: flowering in Treshnish wood
May 6
Red-throated Diver: 6 seen ¾ way across Calgary Bay mouth
Great Northern Diver: 1 from Ensay Burn mouth
Cuckooflower: flowering by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Wild Strawberry: flowering in Treshnish wood
Eyebright: flowering below Treshnish House
Early-purple Orchid: (N.B. no spots on leaves at Treshnish) flowering at Ensay Burn mouth
May 7
Golden Eagle: 1 on Cruachan Treshnish
Puffin: 3 ½-¾ way across bay mouth between 300m west of Treshnish boathouse towards Caliach Point
Short-eared Owl: 1 in daytime in field to west of Treshnish boathouse
Sand Martin: 7 by Treshnish House, 2 inland from Treshnish boathouse
House Martin: 2 inland from Treshnish boathouse
Common Whitethroat: 1 at Treshnish boathouse
Common Sandpiper: 1 at Treshnish boathouse
Otter: 1 about 300m west of Treshnish boathouse
Mountain Hare: 3 inland from Treshnish boathouse
Large Red Damselfly: 1 about 300m west of Treshnish boathouse
Green-veined White butterfly halfway between Treshnish and Haunn cottages, 2 near cow-barn
Green Hair-streak: 2 mating about 300m west of Treshnish boathouse
Lousewort: flowering at Treshnish boathouse
Tormentil: flowering at Treshnish boathouse
May 8
Yellow Pimpernel: common and flowering by at Kilninian
Grey Wagtail: 2 in suitable habitat for breeding by road at Ensay Burn (second bridge inland)
Linnet: 2 at Duill cottage
Sand Martin: 2 at Duill cottage
May 9
Sand Martin: 2 at Duill cottage
Twite: 4 by Treshnish House
May 10
Fulmar: 1 from below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Golden Eagle: 3 (2 adults, 1 juvenile) near Haunn, 1 from Shian cottage (JE & JE)
Peregrine Falcon: 2 from Shian cottage (JE & JE)
Common Ringed Plover: 1 near Port Haunn (JE & JE)
Cuckoo: 1 near Haunn (JE & JE)
Whinchat: 1 male at Shian cottage (JE & JE)
Spotted Flycatcher: 1 below Shian cottage, first of the year (JE & JE)
Linnet: 2 near Haunn (JE & JE)
Goldfinch: 2 at Shian cottage (JE & JE)
May 11
Great Northern Diver: 2 in summer plumage from below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Golden Eagle: 2 ‘on walk to Treshnish’ (JE & JE), 1 on Cruachan Treshnish and 2 on Ensay (Prasad)
White-tailed Eagle; 1 at 17.10 flying from the sea (NE) heading towards Treshnish Point. 30min later flew over Shian cottage with prey item flying to east (JE & JE)
Greylag Goose: 1 flying over shore below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Mallard: 1 male below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Unidentified Skua: 1 from below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Short-eared Owl: 2 near second stone bridge on road between Ensay and Reudle Schoolhouse. I was performing an aerial display similar to a snipe. Diving and holding wings close to the body and fluttering them NM34T. Later 2 were seen flying north over the road summit coming from the south. Could there be 2 pairs?
Snipe: drumming near second stone bridge on road between Ensay and Reudle Schoolhouse NM34T
Lapwing: 2 on Ensay
Common Sandpiper: 2 inland on Ensay Burn between the two stone bridges
House Martin: 2 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Grey Wagtail: 1 on Ensay Burn between the two stone bridges
Dipper: 1 on Ensay Burn near first stone bridge
Stonechat: pair obviously near nest near second stone bridge on road between Ensay and Reudle Schoolhouse NM34T
Whinchat: 1 ‘on walk to Treshnish’ (JE & JE)
Dunnock: 1 from Shian cottage (JE & JE)
Greenfinch: 2 below Treshnish House - first for the year (JE & JE)
Otter: 2 below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Angle Shades moth: Pupa emerged of caterpillar reared since 2nd April (entered pupal stage on night of 13-14 April)
Green-veined White butterfly: 5 on Ensay NM3648, NM3748, 4 at Treshnish wood
Green Hair-streak butterfly: 1 at Ensay Burn NM3647
Medium-flowered Winter-cress: has been flowering in cattle grid by Ensay Burn
May 12
Red-throated Diver: a pair at Beinn an Lochan
Golden Eagle: 1 along road from Ensay to Calgary -Creag a´ Chaisteil (JE & JE), 1 on Carn Mòr
Hen Harrier: 1 female near Cruachan Odhar, 1 female on Carn Mòr, 1 female near Ensay-Burg road summit M34T
Kestrel: 1 with prey flying from Ensay-Burg road summit M34T over Ard Dubh Bhurg NM34S
Red Grouse: 2 near Cruachan Odhar
Golden Plover: 2 on Beinn an Lochan, 1 on Carn Mòr
Common Sandpiper: a pair below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Short-eared Owl: 1 between Reudle Schoolhouse and the Reudle house turnoff (near top of ‘pass’) NM34T
Whinchat: 2 at top of Ensay Burn
Common Whitethroat: a pair below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Grey Wagtail: 1 at Ensay Burn/Treshnish wood
Harbour Porpoise: 1 seen from Shian cottage (JE & JE)
Otter: 1 below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Unidentified mammal: an alarmed wren alerted me to a predator amongst a pile of rocks at NM379466. I only caught brief glimpses as it slinked under boulders but it was small and had a stripe or stripes somewhere or other. I half expected a kitten to emerge but nothing did. Perhaps the stripe was the mask of a Polecat. Are there wildcats on Mull?
Unidentified large yellow dragonfly at NM3847
Highland Darter dragonfly: 1 near Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly: 1 at Ensay Burn/Treshnish wood
Green Hair-streak butterfly: 3 near Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Bright-line Brown-eye: moth emerged from pupae. This was reared from 4 Oct when it was found on spinach leaf in garden as a caterpillar. Entered soil to pupate on 10 October.
Bogbean: flowering at Cruachan Odhar NM3846 and other similar habitats between there and Beinne an Lochain and Carn Mòr
Heath Spotted-orchid: flowering on Carn Mòr NM3948
Common Twayblade: flower opening in Treshnish wood (4 plants outside deer fence near burn)
Common Butterwort: flowering near Carn Mòr NM3948
Cranesbill sp.: probably Herb-Robert flowering sw of Glac Airigh-pholl NM3848
May 13
Great Northern Diver: 1 from below Treshnish House (JE & JE), 1 from below Crackaig
Grey Heron: 1 flying over below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Fulmar: 1 from below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Golden Eagle: 1 on Cruachan Treshnish (JE & JE)
Greylag Goose: 3 below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Common Sandpiper: a pair below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Short-eared Owl: 1 at 10.45 perched on post in front of Shian cottage (JE & JE), 2 around Reudle Schoolhouse
Whinchat: 1 near Reudle Schoolhouse
Chiffchaff: 1 near Treshnish House - rare at Treshnish; first of the year. This species is usually only seen or heard once per year (JE & JE)
Basking Shark: 1 from below Treshnish house 16.15 – 20.00 at least (JE & JE), 1 at 9.30 near shore below Crackaig (Prasad)
Otter: 1 below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Yarrow: flowering below Crackaig
Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly: 1 by summit and track to Reudle House
Green Hair-streak butterfly: 1 to west of Beinn Reudle
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 at Reudle House, 1 by road junction
Fritillary butterfly: possible Small Pearl-bordered below Crackaig
May 14
Grey Heron: 1 from below Treshnish house (JE & JE)
Shag: 10+ from below Treshnish house (JE & JE), 6+ sitting on nests at Starling roost cave
Cormorant: 1 possible at nest on next cliff to south of Starling roost cave
White-tailed Eagle: 1 at 16.15 at 17.10 flying from the sea (NE) around Treshnish Point. Seen again at 17.20 flying in Loch Frisa direction (JE & JE)
Golden Eagle: 1 adult chasing a juvenile towards NE: from below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Greylag Goose: 3 below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Fulmar: no fulmars on east side of Treshnish Point, hopefully another of their ‘vacations’ before true nesting starts. There was however one pair sitting on a ledge near the starling roost cave
Short-eared Owl: 1 on hills behind Shian cottage (JE & JE)
Wood Pigeon: 1 from below Treshnish house (JE & JE)
Rock Dove: 2 from below Treshnish house (JE & JE)
Starling: 35+ entering roost cave just before sunset
Sedge Warbler: 1 in wet area beyond far corner of field below Haunn cottages
Harbour Porpoise: 1 from below Treshnish house (JE & JE)
Otter: 1 from below Treshnish house (JE & JE)
Basking Shark: 1 from below Treshnish house 09.30 – 17.00 (JE & JE)
Green Hair-streak butterfly: 1 at Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Common Twayblade: 3 plants emerging north of waterfall in Treshnish wood
Roseroot: flowering at Ensay Burn mouth
Red Campion: flowering at Ensay Burn mouth
May 15
Great Northern Diver: 1 from below Treshnish house (JE & JE)
Red-throated Diver: 1 from below Treshnish house (JE & JE)
Cormorant: 1 from below Treshnish house (JE & JE)
Grey Heron: 1 from below Treshnish house (JE & JE)
Shag: 33 quite close to shore below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Hen Harrrier: 1 female below Treshnish House (JE & JE)
Golden Eagle: 1 on Cruachan Treshnish (JE & JE)
Short-eared Owl: 1 at 10.35 perched on post in front of Shian cottage (JE & JE)
Tawny Owl: 1 between Treshnish Old Schoolhouse and Treshnish House at about 10.00
Greenfinch: 1 female collecting nest material (JE & JE)
Basking Shark: 1 at 09.00 from below Treshnish house (JE & JE)
May 18
Lesser Redpoll: 5 by Treshnish wood/Ensay Burn
Small Heath butterfly: 1 by Treshnish wood/Ensay Burn
Dark green Fritillary larva: 1 at Ensay Burn
Mountain Hare: 2 near Treshnish boathouse
Green-veined white butterfly: 1 by Treshnish wood/Ensay Burn
Yellow Iris: flowering 1 by Treshnish wood/Ensay Burn
Ground-ivy: flowering in Treshnish wood at NM356486, (rare on Mull with only 6 other records in Mull Flora)
May 19
Grey Heron: 1 at Ensay Burn mouth
Red-throated Diver: 2 flying around Treshnish Point
Great Northern Diver: 1 from below Treshnish House
Manx Shearwater: 3 in short sea-watching session from below Treshnish House
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 4 from below Treshnish House (first of the year)
Kittiwake: 2 in short sea-watching session from below Treshnish House
Common Tern: 7 flying around Treshnish Point
Puffin: 3 flying around Treshnish Point
Siskin: 2 by Ensay Burn by waterfall at farm track
Redpoll: 2 by Ensay Burn by waterfall at farm track
Linnet: 1 at Haunn
Spotted Flycatcher: 2 in Treshnish wood, 1 by Treshnish House (my first of the year)
Blackcap: 1 in Treshnish wood near Treshnish House (heard only – first of the year)
Sedge Warbler: 1 in low-lying area below Toechtamhor
Mink: 1 on Ensay Burn by waterfall at farm track
Otter: 1 at Treshnish boathouse
Mountain Hare: 2 at Treshnish boathouse
Killer Whale: 3+ at 11.30 about 5 miles northwest of Treshnish Point
Small Heath butterfly: 2 to west of Treshnish boathouse
Bell Heather: flowering near Haunn
Wild Thyme: flowering at Port Haunn
English Stonecrop: flowering at Port Haunn
Bush Vetch: flowering at Ensay Burn mouth
May 20
Greylag Goose: 2 flying at Haunn
Common Tern: 7 near Cairn na Burgh Beg, Treshnish Isles
Fulmar: 4 on ledges near Port Haunn, 8 on ledges to east of Treshnish Point, 7 on ledges to west (the middle was not checked)
Manx Shearwater: 4 in short sea-watching session from Treshnish Point
Shag with nest material near Treshnish Point
Hen Harrier: 1 female seen twice around Haunn
Kittiwake: 10 from Treshnish Point
Puffin: 1 from Treshnish Point
Common Ringed Plover: 2 at Haunn fort, 2 at Port Haunn, 2 further south
House Martin: 2 at Haunn
House Martin: at Haunn cottages (LE)
Whinchat: 2 at Haunn
Sedge Warbler: 5 below Haunn
Twite: 4 below Toechtamhor, 1 south of Port Haunn
Linnet: 1 at Haunn
May 21
Eider: pair in Tobermory Harbour NM55C
Kestrel: 1 at Creag a´ Chaisteil NM34U
Raven: nest at Creag a´ Chaisteil NM34U
May 22
Twite: 3 in fields below Toechtamhor
Puss Moth: 6 eggs hatched which laid inside the light trap on 9 May. They are being reared on Willow leaves
May 23
Grey Heron: 1 at Ensay Burn mouth
Yellow-rattle: flowering below Treshnish House
Silverweed: flowering at Treshnish boathouse
Red Clover: flowering at Treshnish boathouse
Woodruff: flowering in Treshnish wood
Common Valerian: about to flower near Ensay Burn mouth
Narrow-leaved Helleborine: 1 plant emerging near Treshnish Old Schoolhouse. The flourishing community below Calgary Hotel has outdone last years total of about 100 and is now apparently ‘uncountable’ (JR)
May 24
Greylag Goose: 2 below Treshnish House
Canada Goose: 1 below Treshnish House (a first for Treshnish farm)
Blackcap: 1 male between Treshnish House and Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Small Heath butterfly: 1 between Treshnish and Haunn cottages
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 between Treshnish and Haunn cottages
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Large Red Damselfly: 1 at Treshnish House
[Kidney Vetch: flowering at Haunn cottages]
May 25
Common Gull: 15+ in breeding colony around Treshnish lochan
Short-eared Owl: 1 around second stone bridge between Ensay and Reudle Schoolhouse and later seen dive bombing a Golden eagle near Reudle Schoolhouse
Green-veined White butterfly: 20+ by main farm-road beside Treshnish wood
Small Heath butterfly: 7+ by main farm-road beside Treshnish wood
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary: 5+ by main farm-road beside Treshnish wood
Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly: 1 by pond above Treshnish lochan
Tutsan: about to flower by main farm-road beside Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Honeysuckle: about to flower by main farm-road beside Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Smooth Lady’s-mantle: flowering in Treshnish wood
Sea Campion: flowering below Crackaig
Hemp-agrimony: flowering below Crackaig
May 26
Golden Eagle: 1 over Cruachan Treshnish
Small Heath butterfly: 10+ on path from road summit to Reudle shore
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly: 5+ on path from road summit to Reudle shore
May 27
Red-throated Diver: 2 in Calgary Bay near the beach NM35Q
Fulmar: 19 sitting on ledges on eastern side of Treshnish Point NM34J viewed from Rubha nan Oirean (northern mouth of Calgary Bay). From this view there are more nests visible than from nearby Treshnish Point itself. Also 9 sitting on ledges at Rubha nan Oirean NM35K
Shag: 2+ nesting at Rubha nan Oirean NM35K
White-tailed Eagle: 1 sub-adult flying over Rubha nan Oirean (northern mouth of Calgary Bay) from the sea coming from direction of Tiree, flying towards Calgary.
Lapwing: 1 giving territorial display to east of Port nam Partan NM35L
Herring Gull: 50+ on nest-ledges at Rubha nan Oirean NM35K
Black Guillemot: 6 at Rubha nan Oirean NM35K
Great Skua: 1 off Treshnish Point
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 near Calgary beach
Common Blue butterfly: 1 near Calgary beach
May 28
Red-breasted Merganser: 1 at Loch Frisa fish farm NM45Q
Redshank: 1 at Dervaig NM45F
Woodcock: 5 at Loch Frisa fish farm NM45Q
Kestrel: 1 at Loch Frisa fish farm NM45Q
Common Blue butterfly: 1 at Loch Frisa NM4849
Small Heath butterfly: 1 at Loch Frisa NM4651
May 29
White-tailed Eagle: 1 adult with a light blue wing-tag on its right wing flying from the direction of Calgary Bay and after soaring over Treshnish farm, flying to southeast
Slender St John's-wort: flowering by Treshnish wood
Common Twayblade: a new patch of 5+ discovered at the bottom of Ensay Burn just above the old sluice on south side. They are flowering as are the ones in the wood
Small Heath butterfly: many around Treshnish farm
Green-veined White butterfly: a few around Treshnish farm
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
May 30
Peregrine Falcon: 1 flying over Treshnish Old Schoolhouse into Calgary Bay
Feathered Thorn moth: larva found inside Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Small Heath butterfly: 2+ Haunn, 2+ by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse, 2+Treshnish boathouse
Foxglove: flowering (probably for a few days)
Marsh Lousewort: flowering Treshnish boathouse
May 31
White-tailed Eagle: 1 in Calgary Bay (A family)
Minke Whale: Swimming east close to the shore around Treshnish Point. It was re-located further to the west in the direction of Tiree. There may have been more than one.
White-tailed Eagle: 1 in Calgary Bay (guests in The Studio)
Large Red Damselfly: 1 at Treshnish boathouse