NW Scotland Balnakeil Bay - Oyster Catchers

Photos of Oyster Catchers on the beach at Balnakeil Bay near Durness this June...

 

 ....that took to the air.

NW Scotland Balnakiel Bay Durness - Dog & Walker on the Beach

Dog jumping on the sea edge after a ball this June.

 

Scotland Faraid Point Durness - Puffins June 2016

My post of 5th March 2016 posted photos I had taken of Puffins in 2015 & 1974 at Faraid Point, Durness in the far NW corner of Scotland. This post prompted the comment that in May there were no Puffins at Faraid Point, apparently all cleared by stoats. 

 

So with concern that I would see any Puffins, I returned this June, going back to the same spot as in 2015, and to my relief there were Puffins, and took these photos.  Aided by being closer (I braved a ridge to a closer observation point - last year the ground was wet & slippery) and by having a mono-pod, I was able to get clearer shots.

 

The numbers of puffins on this little outcrop seemed higher than last year, with potentially 50+ birds.  

What I did not make clear in my earlier post was that the 2015 photos were not taken actually on the Point, but more at the Eastern entrance to the North cliffs of the Point.  Perhaps this would explain why the person who commented did not find any Puffins, as he would have been looking at the grassy slopes nearer the actual Point where my photos in 1974 were taken,



Wilstone Reservoir Tring - Drangonlfy and Darter

Photos taken over the last two weeks at Wilstone Reservoir last week.

 

Emperor Dragonflies mating...

 

....and a single in flight.

 

Red Darter at rest....

 

....detail crop....

 

.....resting outside the hide.

Wilstone Reservoir Tring - Hobby with Dragonfly Wings

Sitting in the hide at Wilstone Reservoir this week, the birds on the spit (mainly Lapwings, and Teal) went up and looking around I saw the cause, a Hobby flying away from me.  Not great photos as the distance was at least 150 yards away, and more into the light, so bird mainly in shadow.

 

However, when I looked at the blown up photos, interestingly I realised I had captured photos of the Hobby pulling the wings off a Dragon Fly (There were plenty of Emperors that morning - I will post some photos of them, including mating, in the next week). Click on the photo to see the detail.

 

Dragon Fly wings intact....

 

....Pulling them off....

 ...Leaving a trail of gossamer wings.

 

I waited an hour with the hope of getting a closer shot, but the Hobby never returned.

North West Scotland - Fish Jumping Out of the Sea at Night

Arrived back after a day trip to our chalet near Ullapool in June as the sun went down at just after 10in the evening, only to hear splashing in the sea 60 yds away.  Putting on my midge net I stood on the veranda with my telephoto, and pointed towards where I thought I could see a disturbance in the sea in the gathering gloom.  Was it otters or perhaps a seal playing with a fish?

 

Certainly there were plenty of ripples.  After taking lots of photos I got this shot, which later when I downloaded it onto the computer was completely black.  But with photoshop I got this fish shape appear.

 

I did also get a couple of shots of fish jumping (also greatly photoshopped)

 

I am not really sure what species they were (Salmon or Sea Trout - probably Sea Trout), nor why they were jumping.  The weather had been very dry this summer and the rivers were very low, so the returning fish could not enter the river mouths, so perhaps they were hanging around waiting for rain.