Islay

We arrived on Islay a week late after re-arranging our accommodation and ferry. The crossing was still a bit rocky, just glad we got there. We were based in Bowmore and despite many reports of divers, grebes and ducks seen from the harbour we saw very little, just some Red-breasted Merganser, our kitchen window overlooked Loch Indaal, seeing plenty of Gulls, the odd Oystercatcher and some Red-breasted Merganser.

We travelled the island thoroughly and saw 63 species in the week, we looked in all the places that 'people' were saying they had seen things, but none of the rarities were found. (Cackling Goose and Green-winged Teal) Scoter and Slavonian Grebe of which there were almost daily sightings also eluded us. Eben the famous Otter at the Bunnahabain Distillery failed us, although we went a few times when the tides are allegedly most favourable.

Here's a few snaps of some of the things that dained to show themselves:
White-fronted Geese at Loch Gruinart,

 Barnacle Geese at Loch Gruinart,

 Stonechat,

 Two White-tailed Eagles at the Oa,

 Hooded Crow,

 Starlings,

 Ringed Plover at Loch Indaal,

 Greenshank at Loch Gruinart,

 Lapwing at Loch Gruinart,

 Little Egret at Loch Gruinart,

 Lapwings,

 Believe it or not that's a female Hen Harrier at Loch Gruinart,

 Chough at Ardnave Point,

 King of the Sheep,

 Rock Pipit at Loch Indaal,

 Red Deer on Jura,

 Great Northern Diver at Bunnahabain,

 Common Seal on its perch,

 Eider om Loch Indaal,

 Part of a flock of 30+ Chough at Ardnave,

 Whooper Swans on Loch Ardnave,

 Pintail at Loch Gruinart,

 Roe Deer at Loch Gruinart,

Scaup on Loch Indaal,

and Brown Hare at Loch Gruinart Hide Car Park

We still had a great time though, we can't all be on Shetland for the Tengmalm's Owl! Other birds of note without photos, were a group of Snipe on the rocks at Bruichladdich on Loch Indaal, a couple of Brent Geese seen near the same place a couple of days later, Sparrowhawk over our back garden in Bowmore, a White-tailed Eagle taking a Teal at Loch Gruinart (awesome) it all happened to quickly to get a picture or any video, a Peregrine trying the same the day after and failing! Black-guillemot in various places around the island, a Red-throated Diver off Jura.

We finished with a small pod of Common Dolphin from the ferry back to the mainland. All in all a great couple of weeks with 82 species seen in all.

Lochaber area - West Coast of Scotland

We had a two week stay in Scotland the first week should have been on Islay, but due to the high winds we couldn't get on the island, so after lots of phone calls and gnashing of teeth we managed to swap our two weeks around.

So we started at Glenuig on the west coast, the main objective here as last year were the Pine Martens in the Cottage Garden. This is a video from one of the camera traps we put up, I have loads on the video camera too, but decided most were too big to put up on the blog.

Another regular visitor was a Badger, again here's a bit of camera trap footage:

So apart from this we went out most days, these are some of the highlights:
A mean looking Buzzard giving us the eye!

 Golden Eagles over Glenmoidart,

 Oystercatcher at Glenuig,

 Otter, one of three seen, all at a distance from the Wildlife Hide on Loch Sunart,

 Common Seal - Loch Sunart,

Not quite Monarch of the Glen,

 Grey Heron - Loch Sunart,

 Goosander - Loch Aline,

 Golden Eagle - near Loch Linnhe,

 Goldeneye - Loch nan Ceall, Arsaig

 Red-breasted Merganser - Loch nan Ceall, Arsaig

 Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Cottage.