30th: Pair of Mountain Hares in our garden, the first time we have seen a pair in our garden this year although carolyne has been seeing a pair regularly recently.
25th: 1 Peregrine over Treshnish House, 2 Wheatears near gate into Haunn field (my first of the year).
We are still seeing a Mountain Hare in or garden on about 3 or 4 times a week.
23rd: North wind brought at least 2 Golden Eagles on hill behind Ensay farmhouse (1 was a juvenile) and another at Treshnish wood (I'm not sure but I think it is the female).
Leena spotted a high flying eagle which turned out to be an immature White-tailed Eagle over the lochan area.
1 Merlin flashed over Treshnish wood (I had the focal point too small so only caught one shot as it flew away).
21st: Saw my first Gannet today in mouth of Calgary bay.
20th: 2 fleeting views of a Merlin over Treshnish Old Schoolhouse, 1 adult White-tailed Eagle over Ensay Burn and Beinn Bhuidhe
has what looks like the remains of tag connectors
and 8 minutes later a juvenile White-tailed Eagle flying from the Calgary direction over Treshnish wood.
Carolyne and co. saw the first Gannet for Treshnish off the Boathouse - Point area and 1 male Goosander at Mishnish.
The 4 White-ramping Fumitory plants transplanted at our house are starting to grow again after surviving a very mild winter (2 plants were eaten). These are annuals and I wasn't at all sure they would survive the winter. They were so late in emerging last year that they didn't have time to produce much seed but now I am hoping they will have the chance to make up for it as I already see the flower buds on at least one plant (this is one of the plants which produced a few flowers last year). In fact some of the plants still had flowers in the first week of December which is well past their given flowering times in my books (2 plants didn't flower at all. I notice one of the clumps transplanted near The Studio has also survived the winter although the transplanted clump by the dogs kennels has been completely eaten. I haven't had the chance to look at the original plants in Treshnish veggie garden.
18th: 1 Hen Harrier over Treshnish wood.
17th: 1 immature White-tailed Eagle over Ensay Burn and hills behind Ensay farmhouse, 1 Hen Harrier behind Treshnish Old Schoolhouse.
14th: One adult White-tailed Eagle to west of Crannich (on the glen road). In the evening returning to Treshnish, I noticed the wind turbines had turned to the north (first north wind for weeks) so I checked the conifers in Treshnish wood for Golden Eagles but didn't see anything. But just as I got to our back door the male Golden Eagle swooped down low and before flushing a pair of Buzzards landed in a conifer right next to the farm road near our house. The Buzzards kept dive bombing the eagle so I crept close and got good views but the light was too dark for decent photos.
12th: 2 Barnacle Geese flew from below Treshnish wood, over the wood and south up Ensay Burn.
1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker and at least 1 Greenfinch in Treshnish wood.
11th: 1 Golden Eagle (possibly a juvenile) on Beinn Bhuidhe, 1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker (no breeding records known for Treshnish) and at least 1 Greenfinch in Treshnish wood (breeding confirmed for the first time last year).
10th: At least 4 White-tailed Eagles in the Ensay Burn area including the hills behind Ensay farmhouse and the sitheans behind Treshnish Old Schoolhouse. There were juveniles, sub-adults and adult yellow tagged C.
They were around at least all afternoon and there were at least 3 bouts of calling.
There was also a fair amount of aggressive behaviour. I haven't heard calling White-tailed Eagles at Treshnish although I have heard them calling near breeding territories.
They didn't come close enough for decent photos.
1 ring-tailed Hen Harrier on Ensay.
7th: 1 White-tailed Eagle flying southwest over Treshnish lochan.
5th: 1 ring-tailed Hen Harrier over Treshnish wood.
4th: Goosander pair at Salen bay.
3rd: Ring-tailed Hen Harrier over Treshnish apple orchard, 1 male Golden Eagle between Treshnish Old Schoolhouse and Treshnish and about the same time 2 eagles seen by others at Treshnish House. Heron seen again flying into last years nest area in Treshnish wood.
1 Mountain Hare in our garden.
