Bird News

Just before midday today, this eagle flew lazily along the coastline from the direction of Mingary Castle, across the Tobermory-bound Raasay which was just departing from the CalMac pier, and out to sea in the direction of Mull.  It was difficult to be sure whether it was a golden or sea eagle, but its tail suggested the former.

The eagle's passing put up a number of birds, including this grey heron, a small flight of mallard, a buzzard, and an excited flock of small birds, probably goldfinches.

With winter coming on fast, the curlews are gathering in flocks of half-a-dozen or more and working the fields as much as the seashore, even when, at midday, with a low spring tide, there was lots of muddy coastline exposed.

Ever since the invading Scandinavian redwings and fieldfares cleaned out the rowan berries and then moved on leaving the trees bare, the local thrushes have been steadily returning to the grain we put out.  Our bird feeding area is covered with wire not to deter the small birds, but to keep greedy pheasants off.

The blackbirds are also back.  For a time, we had some black-beaked male blackbirds which we assumed were part of the Scandinavian invasion but they, too, seem to have gone.  This male blackbird has taken an intense dislike to a female who visits us, chasing her off whenever she disturbs his meal.

On the subject of Scandinavian incomers, the first waxwings are reported in Lochaber at the Wild Lochaber website - keep an eye open for them.

Third place in the test to identify the most intelligent of our garden birds has gone to the great tits, who have taken a remarkably long time to discover that there are top-quality, husked sunflower seeds in this old vitamin container.  First place, as reported here, went to the coal tits, who won by a mile, second to the blue tits.

Fourth place went to a female chaffinch, who was followed by other female chaffinches.  The chaffinch menfolk are a bit.... slow.