July 2008

July 1
Common Sandpiper: 1 alarmed at Treshnish boathouse
Common Ringed Plover: 1 at Treshnish boathouse
Reed Bunting: 1 below Haunn cottages
Goldfinch: fledglings near Toechtamhor
Common Whitethroat: fledglings at Haunn and just west of cow-barn
July 2
Golden Eagle: 1 at Beinn Bhuidhe
Red-throated Diver: 2 at Beinn an Lochain (NM34Y)
White-tailed Eagle: 1 at Beinn an Lochain (NM34Y)
Hen Harrier: 1 flushed from prey at Beinn an Lochain (NM34Y)
Red Grouse: 1 between Beinn an Lochain and Carn Mòr (NM34Z)
Common Sandpiper: adult with fledgling by second bridge up towards Reudle schoolhouse (NM34T)
Short-eared Owl: 1 fledgling E of Cruachan Odhar (NM34Y)
Skylark: fledglings Cruachan Odhar (NM34Y)
Wren: adult with food Ensay (NM34U)
Small Heath butterfly: 2 E of Cruachan Odhar
Dark Green Fritillary butterfly: 2 E of Cruachan Odhar, 1 at Beinn an Lochain
Wild Angelica: flowering by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
July 3
White-tailed Eagle: 1 at 9pm ‘flying from Haunn over water – East’ (Mr & Mrs R)
Sparrowhawk: 1 above Treshnish lochan being chased by Common Gulls into the wood
Lapwing: 3 alarmed adults which obviously have unfledged young at Ensay (NM34U)
Curlew: 1 alarmed adult which obviously has unfledged young at Ensay (NM34U)
Song Thrush: fledglings by Treshnish cow-barn (NM34P)
Spotted Flycatcher: fledglings by farm tack by Treshnish wood (NM34P)
Dipper: 1 by waterfall at first bridge up towards Reudle schoolhouse (NM34U)
Skylark: adults & recently fledged young by Ensay (NM34U)
Meadow Brown butterfly: 4 by second bridge up towards Reudle schoolhouse
Dark Green Fritillary: 3 by second bridge up towards Reudle schoolhouse
Large Heath butterfly: 2 by second bridge up towards Reudle schoolhouse
Puss Moth: One of the three caterpillars raised from eggs created turned purple and looked thinner and very active as iof searching for something. I looked in my books and found it needed bark in order to start weaving its pupal case. When I gave it some bark. It immediately started chewing and within a very short time had created a muddy looking case around itself in between two layers of bark. I called up Andy Mortley who I gave two caterpillars to, to inform him and he told me his had already entered pupation, one with bark and the other apparently without.
July 4
Swift: 2 flying west from near cow-barn to Haunn (scarce on Mull)
Blackbird: adult with food flying to gully near dogs kennels
Spotted Flycatcher: 1 near Ensay Burn cattle-grid
Common Blue butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Small Heath butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Common Twayblade orchid: 2 on steep path in Treshnish wood (inside deer-fence), 18 just above old site near the river (outside deer-fence) and 2 just outside deer-fence by gap in fence by gully
Common Spotted-orchid: several in woodland near the burn
Broad-leaved Willowherb: flowering in Treshnish wood with broadly lanceolata leaves and upright flowers
Hogweed: flowering by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Meadow Brown butterfly: 1 by Ensay Burn mouth, 1 below Treshnish House
Dark Green Fritillary butterfly: 2 below Treshnish House
Puss Moth: the two remaining caterpillars created their pupal cases (see above)
Basking Shark: 1 offshore from below Treshnish House
July 5
Linnet: 1 cold egg in nest at Middle cottage (NM34I)
July 6
Shag: adult with young on nest on east side of Treshnish Point (NM34P) and 11 adults with 8 visible young at Starling roost cave (NM34J). 32 adults and 7 immatures roosting on the rocks
Fulmar: 10 sitting on nests at Treshnish Point (NM3348=NM34J)
Oystercatcher: adult with two newly fledged young at Treshnish Point (NM34J)
Black Guillemot: 10 adults including 1 taking food to a nest at Treshnish Point (NM34J)
Herring Gull: pair of adults defending a nest at Treshnish Point (NM34J)
Sparrowhawk: 1 below Haunn cottage (NM34I)
Rock Pipit: adult with fledged young at Haunn (NM34I)
Linnet: fledged young near Toechtamhor cottage (NM34N), adult with nest material near Toechtamhor cottage (NM34N)
Twite: 2 adults with 2 newly fledged young near Toechtamhor cottage (NM34N)
Goldfinch: fledged young near Toechtamhor cottage (NM34N)
Common Whitethroat: adult with food near Toechtamhor cottage (NM34N)
Sedge Warbler: agitated male and adult with food below Haunn cottages NM34I and male obviously near a nest below Toechtamhor cottage (NM34N)
Common Blue butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse, 1 at Skoma medieval village, 1 between Treshnish and Haunn cottages
Dark Green Fritillary butterfly: 15 between Treshnish and Haunn cottages, 2 at Skoma medieval village
Meadow Brown butterfly: 4 between Treshnish and Haunn cottages, 3 at Skoma medieval village
Small Heath butterfly: 1 near Toechtamhor cottage
Ling: flowering by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Sneezewort: flowering by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Field Gentian: none in Skoma field (will try later in year)
July 8
Short-eared Owl: 1 adult with food at saddle to east of summit on Ensay-Burg road and later family of 5 at this spot, 2 on Cruachan Odhar
Kestrel: 1 adult with food and 3 juveniles at saddle to east of summit on Ensay-Burg
Hen Harrier: pair on Beinn an Lochain
Meadow Pipit: adult with food on Beinn an Lochain
Dolphin species: about 6 below Treshnish House heading to Treshnish Point in morning (Leena and HB & PS) and in the evening (guests in Sheiling cottage)
Baking Shark: 2 below Treshnish House (guests in Sheiling cottage and HB & PS)
Dark Green Fritillary butterfly: 3 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse, 1 by first stone bridge south of Ensay (NM3648), 3 at saddle to east of summit on Ensay-Burg road (NM3746, NM3846), 3 on Beinn an Lochain (NM3947)
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Meadow Brown butterfly: 1 by first stone bridge south of Ensay (NM3648), 2 near saddle to east of summit on Ensay-Burg road (NM3746, NM3846)
Small Heath butterfly: 2 near saddle to east of summit on Ensay-Burg road (NM3746, NM3846)
Large Heath butterfly: 1 on Cruachan Odhar (NM3846)
July 9
Sparrowhawk: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Wood Pigeon: 1 near Ensay Burn cattle-grid
Robin: adult feeding fledgling
Dipper: 2 just to east of second stone bridge south of Ensay
Golden Eagle: 1 on Cruachan Treshnish (HB & PS)
Otter: 1 in Calgary Bay (HB & PS)
Bottle-nosed Dolphin: about 4 south of Caliach Point (Leena)
Baking Shark: 1 off Ensay Burn mouth (guests in Sheiling cottage and HB & PS)
Grass-of-Parnassus: flowering on slope of Treshnish Point (HB & PS)
Primrose: flowering Ensay Burn mouth and north slope Treshnish Point (HB & PS)
Carline Thistle: about to flower by first stone bridge south of Ensay
July 10
Speckled Wood butterfly: 3 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Dark Green Fritillary butterfly: 3 below Treshnish House
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 by Treshnish graveyard
Meadow Brown butterfly: 1 below Treshnish House
Common Hawker dragonfly: 1 by Treshnish graveyard
Peacock butterfly larva: all black with small white dots and reddish-brown prolegs
Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage: flowering on Beinne na Orise (HB & PS)
July 11
Sparrowhawk: 1 between Treshnish and Haunn cottages
Dolphin species: 2+ at 5.30pm off Port Haunn (HB & PS)
Baking Shark: 1 off Treshnish Point (guests in Sheiling cottage and HB & PS)
Bog Pimpernel: between Port Haunn & Crackaig (HB & PS)
Speckled Wood butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Common Blue butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
July 12
Tawny Owl: adult with at least 2 fledglings by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Meadow Brown butterfly: 1 at Skoma medieval village
Emperor Moth larva: 1 on seaweed by Treshnish boathouse!
Grass-of-Parnassus: flowering at Treshnish boathouse
Devil’s-bit Scabious: flowering at Treshnish boathouse
Bell Heather: flowering at Treshnish boathouse
Lesser Burdock: fruiting half way between Treshnish and Haunn cottages
July 15
Wood Pigeon: 3 over Ensay Burn south of cattle-grid
Song Thrush: fledged young at Ensay (NM34U)
Lapwing: 1 adult with fledged young on Ensay (NM34U)
Curlew: young on nest (NM34U)
July 16
Short-eared Owl: 1 at summit of Ensay-Burg road
Large White butterfly: 1 near second bridge on Ensay-Reudle road
Meadow Brown butterfly: 1 near second bridge on Ensay-Reudle road
Common Hawker dragonfly: 1 at Mishnish (NM481527)
July 17
Large Red Damselfly: 1 at Mishnish Lochs (NM481527)
Common Blue Damselfly: 3 at Mishnish Lochs (NM481527)
Highland Darter: 2 at Mishnish Lochs (NM481527)
July 19
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 at Haunn, 1 between Treshnish and Haunn cottages
Dark Green Fritillary butterfly: 2 between Treshnish and Haunn cottages
July 20
Dipper: 1 near second bridge on Ensay-Reudle road
Hen Harrier: 1 immature male near second bridge on Ensay-Reudle road
July 21
Short-eared Owl: 2 NE of summit road between Ensay and Burg
Hen Harrier: 1 female south of Beinn an Lochain NM3947Y
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
Dark Green Fritillary butterfly: 1 at summit road between Ensay and Burg
Meadow Brown butterfly: 1 west of Cruachan Odhar, 1 at Ensay
July 23
Short-eared Owl: 2 at summit of Ensay- Burg road
Common Hawker dragonfly: 1 by first bridge Ensay to Reudle
Meadow Brown butterfly: 1 by first bridge Ensay to Reudle
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
July 25
Pheasant: 4+ chicks with adult female to east of Toechtamhor cottage
Spotted Flycatcher: 3 by Treshnish House
Basking Shark: 1 off from below Treshnish House
Meadow Brown butterfly: 1 by Treshnish House
Scotch Argus butterfly: 1 by Treshnish wood cattle-grid
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 by Treshnish House
July 26
Hen Harrier: 1 female below Toechtamhor cottage
Twite: 3 at Haunn cottages, 4 by Toechtamhor cottage
Scotch Argus butterfly: 1+ by Toechtamhor cottage, 1+ at Haunn cottages
Green-veined White butterfly: 1+ at Haunn, 1+ at Toechtamhor, 1+ at Treshnish house
July 27
Hen Harrier: 1 female at NM3848Z
Short-eared Owl: 1 at NM3846Y, 1 at Reudle track end NM34T, 1 Reudle schoolhouse NM34T
Red Grouse: 1 at NM3814466Y
Golden Plover: heard north of Beinn an Lochain NM34Z
Scotch Argus butterfly: 1 west of Cruachan Odhar, 2 west of Beinn an Lochain
Green-veined White butterfly: 1 west of Cruachan Odhar
Meadow Brown butterfly: 1 west of Beinn an Lochain, 1 on Beinn an Lochain, 1 on Carn Mòr
Dark Green Fritillary butterfly: 1 west of Beinn an Lochain
Common Blue butterfly: 1 on Carn Mòr
Basking Shark: 4 in Calgary Bay near road (Leena)
July 28
Great Skua: 1 flying between Treshnish Point and Treshnish Isles NM34J
Arctic Skua: 1 flying from between Treshnish Isles and Port Haunn towards Treshnish Point and back and landed north of Treshnish Isles NM34I
Common Sandpiper: 1 newly fledged young at Treshnish Point NM34I
Sedge Warbler: 2 in low-lying area below Toechtamhor
Scotch Argus butterfly: 2 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse, 1 below Haunn cottages
Green-veined White butterfly: 2 by Treshnish Old Schoolhouse, 2 at Treshnish House, 2 between Treshnish and Haunn cottages NM3448, 8 below Toechtamhor, 2 to west, 1 at Port Haunn
Meadow Brown: 1 west of Treshnish cow-barn NM3548, 2 between Treshnish and Haunn cottages NM3448, 1 below Haunn cottages
Dark Green Fritillary butterfly: 2 below Toechtamhor
Grayling butterfly: 3 on rock outcrops just to south-west of west cottage, Haunn, 1 to west
Basking Shark: 1 between Treshnish Isles and Port Haunn