Velvet delight...

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE...

After visiting so many places around the country in the last few weeks i'm finally back home in Yorkshire and ready for Christmas.

Here are some sweet Velvet Scoter digiscoped from near Musselburgh tuther day. 

Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca

Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca

Arran update!

Here is a small selection of pictures from my short time working on Arran...

Up in't hills

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos

Heath or Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris

Wren in the glen! Troglodytes troglodytes

Dunnock Prunella modularis

Coal tit Periparus ater

Heron Ardea cinerea

Arran in the autumn

So I’ve been drafted in to work as a Ranger on Arran for the next month or two.

Arran has an amazing variety of wildlife, hopefully these pictures will give you a taste.

Enjoy…

Mum

Dad (plus Claonaig ferry)

Baby

 I have to confess that hours of stalking were not required to get any of the above photos. The deer at Lochranza are about as tame as cows. They often cause havoc on the golf course… niceee.

Common seals (taken just in front of my accom) Common seals actuaully are the most common seal found here)

Christmas cards sorted then!

One of the many ridges

Arran really does seem to have everything… scenery, wildlife and the locals keep giving me scones… could it get any better?

New Island, New Job…

Just after settling back onto the Farne Islands for some autumn birding I got a phone call asking if I would like to work on Arran. A few days later and having skipped across the country I’m now on a slightly bigger island on the west side. As I moved from east to west the weather took a turn for the worst and changed from clear sunny days in the east to drizzle and typical Scottish weather here on Arran. 

Anyway after a slightly dormant period for the blog I’ll make an effort to keep it up to date now.

On with the photo’s…

Firstly a few from my short stay on the Farnes last week…

Lighthouse Merlin

Turtle Dove... check out the plumage!

Turnstone

Seal

My new home...

Brodick in the trees

Southern Hawker (female) i think.

quick pic update

Spotted Flycatcher

Swallow

Young Mute swan

St Abbs lighthouse