minke whale off the small isles; puffin; common dolphins; sea eagle; seal

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This is a list of 96 birds seen during one of two 5 day Inner Hebridean Cruises (76 and 82 species seen respectively). Many thanks to the Hepburn brothers for collating the lists. If you hold your mouse pointer over the small squares by the names you can read the group's comments on that particular bird. 

Kittiwake flying over Boreray at St Kilda by Sarah BarryArctic Skua

Arctic tern Came across several "colonies" usually on small rocky offshore islands. Surprisingly the only tern species seen.

Blackbird

Blackcap One recorded on the Loch Spelve - Loch Buie walk (Mull).

Black headed gull Surprisingly uncommon. Not added to the list until Wednesday (day four).

Black guillemot

Blue tit

Bullfinch

Buzzard Seen regularly and always appreciated. We didn't try to turn many into eagles this year which must show our ID skills are improving.

Chaffinch

Chiff chaff Surprisingly only one record, seen in a small copse on Eigg.

Coal tit

Collared dove

Common gull

Common tern

Cormorant Only one confirmed sighting but probably overlooked.

Corncrake (heard calling)

Crossbill Surprised to come across a small flock in a belt of pines on Eigg. Frustratingly they flew off as we approached closer to get a better view.

Cuckoo

Curlew

Dipper

Dunlin

Dunnock

Eider Regularly seen in the more sheltered bays. The drakes always admired.

Fulmar

Gannet Regularly seen from boat. One group seen "plunge diving" some distance from the boat before entering Loch Spelve.

Goldcrest

Golden eagle Some stunning close up views of a golden eagle occupying the cliffs at Canna. Charles was virtually eyeball to eyeball with it. Several other sightings and we were very pleased to see the pair nesting successfully again near Loch Spelve.

Golden plover

Goosander

Great black-backed gull

Great crested grebe

Great northern diver

Great tit

Greenfinch

Grey heron Several seen, particularly near the fish farms.

Greylag goose

Grey wagtail

Guillemot Seen regularly and in reasonable numbers once the boat was away from the shore. However didn't seem to be as many as last year. Also seen nesting on the cliffs at Canna.

Herring gull

Hooded crow All the crows in this area were "hoodies". No carrion crows seen.

House martin

House sparrow

Jackdaw

Kestrel

Kittiwake Usually seen once the boat was well away from the shore. Would often follow the boat hoping for snacks.

Lapwing

Lesser black-backed gull

Magpie

Mallard

Manx shearwater

Meadow pipit The most common bird in fields and on moors.

Merlin Despite fierce interogation Charles stuck firmly to his claim to have seen one on Canna. One other definite sighting plus Peter thought he saw on one Oronsay.

Mistle thrush

Mute swan

Oystercatcher The most common wader seen.

Peregrine falcon Five sightings. A couple provoked some interesting discussion on how to distinguish them from kestrels.

Pheasant

Pied wagtail

Puffin

Razorbill

Raven Seen frequently in the more remote areas, we were often alerted by their deep croaking calls and entertained by their great flying skills, particularly when skirmishing with each other or a buzzard.

Red-breasted merganser

Redstart

Ringed plover A few seen on most days.

Robin

Rock dove

Rock pipit

Sandpiper

Sedge warbler One heard singing in a reed bed at Kinlochspelve (Mull).

Shag

Shelduck A few seen, including ducklings along the shoreline.

Shoveler

Siskin

Skylark

Snipe Seen several times, usually after being disturbed whilst walking over the boggy moors. Amazing sight of motionless tiny fluffy chick on Canna (nearly squashed by Tony's boot which had flushed a parent bird).

Song thrush Seems to be thriving in this area. Many heard in full song and frequent sightings in suitable habitat.

Sparrowhawk

Starling

Stonechat

Swallow Seen around farms and fields although not particularly abundant.

Tawny owl

Teal One seen by the "early morning watch" in Loch Spelve (Mull).

Tree pipit

Tufted duck

Turnstone

Twite

Wheatear Often seen on the higher, rockier areas.

Whimbrel

White-tailed (sea) eagle Two sightings, both on Canna. One was particularly spectacular when, in a clear blue sky, we watched an adult being mobbed by a "small" bird of prey. We were able to fully appreciate the huge size of the eagle when we finally realised the "small" bird was in fact a buzzard!

Willow warbler

Woodcock Seen above Loch Buie, we were bewildered by a largish brown bird squealing and crashing into shrubs and trees...realised we had witnessed a classic distraction display by a woodcock who thought we were a danger to its young chick. We saw the chick, which (unlike the motionless snipe) was rushing around frantically.

Wood pigeon Some seen but wood pigeons do not seem to flourish in this part of the world.

Wood warbler

Wren Heard more often than seen.

Yellowhammer

 

 

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gallery: birds

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gallery: puffins

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cetaceans

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"Seeing the puffins

and other birds at

the Treshnish

Isles...excellent."

JM, London

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Northern Light Charters, Achnacraig, Achindarroch, Duror of Appin, Argyll PA38 4BS | Tel: +44 (0)1631 740595

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