monthly reports for June




Latest sightings for June 2020
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Latest sightings for June 2019

26th-27th  3 Curlew along Torosay - Craignure coast, also male Redpoll, Greenfinch and Bullfinch family in my Java garden. Tawny Owl seen and heard on 28th. Nancy Somerville.
28th a Swift at Treshnish, Prasad. (we have had very few reports of Swift ths year so far)
 27th Summer plumage Great Northern Diver on sea North of Iona, seen from Staffa boat, and one 'bridled' guillemot Iona; one corncrake calling briefly approx 3 pm, meadow next to Iona Pods.visitor Mark Brandon 
27th Moorhen on Loch Assapol visitor Mark Brandon
 23rd - 27th June: Iona. Mega Rare Great Spotted Cuckoo still showing well today, feeding on caterpillars. 
Great Spotted Cuckoo - Iona photographs by Jim Dickson and Bryan Raines

25th  Spotted Flycatcher on roadside fence near Killiemore House. Scoor ; Cuckoo, 2 Common Swift   near Abbey pair of whinchat, female siskin feeding juvenile, 2 sedge warbler, little grebe. Another Little grebe feeding young.  Mark Brandon
24th Croggan. 7 manx shearwater, displaying snipe. Loch Buie Pair of red-throated diver close to shore. Male hen harrier seen hunting on several dates over grassland around NM540 294. a ringtail hen harrier fly over Loch Spelve when we were walking along the track at Croggon 23th Greenshank on the bay outside our cottage (The Dorran)  NM490 285 + crossbill on fly overs. Mark Brandon
25th a Common Swift flying over Lunga today. Twite and Corncrake also present on the island David & Janet Franklin
23rd June: Iona. Mega Rare Great Spotted Cuckoo  On my visit to Iona today (coming up from the NW beach and walking towards the Iona hostel) I photographed a bird which flew passed. It was only a  6 second fly by. Looking at the photo (I managed to get 4 sharp ones), it is an imature Great Spotted Cuckoo.  visitor Rudolf  Hummel
  This is the first record for Mull of Greater Spotted Cuckoo and only the second  for Scotland, previous record was in 1959
his first record for Mull of a Great Spotted Cuckoo, only the second  for Scotland, previous in 1959.
22nd:Java garden - male bullfinch, male redpoll. Scallastle forest path - whitethroat. Peregrine over Craignure. Nancy Somerville
21st: My Java garden - male bullfinch, male redpoll, greenfinch. Lochbuie - approx 8 wheatear (adults and juveniles), 4 ravens, approx 30 starlings(adults and juveniles), cuckoo calling, great northern diver, eider duck with 2 ducklings, lots of greylag geese with goslings. Black guillemot on sea off  Croggan. Curlew on moorland near Kinlochspelve, lapwing on shore.

Curlew busy feeding by Loch na Keal 20th June 2019 - Alan Spellman
19th: Java garden - male and female redpoll, pair bullfinches, greenfinch. Scallastle Bay - female & eclipse male eider, eclipse male red-breasted merganser, 30 common and artctic terns, three gannets diving in the bay,  Fishnish - crossbill, curlew, five herons.Nancy Somerville
20th 1 Quail heard at Haunn, Treshnish today (NM342479) and only now do i find out my girlfriend heard it in the same spot (she imitated the call and it was obviously a quail) on 17th at about 9am and the farmer heard it at the same spot on the 18th but didn't realise it was a quail.prasad
18th Ross of Mull. a Swift was recorded near Loch Asapol today. the first record of the year. David Holden
Greater Scaup Aythya marila  A scarce winter visitor and passage migrant.
2009: September 33 birds on Loch Scridain - Bryan Rains. 2011: October five birds were in Ardtun Bay. 2013: October a female at the Knockfishfarm. - Dave Sexton. 2014: February a drake with Tufted Ducks on Loch Pottie. 2019 18th June Fishnish a drake briefly on a garden pond. Carl Gray
18th  Greater Scaup at Fishnish, a drake b. Carl Gray          18th Loch Cuin. SandwichTern, loch Cuin . Moira Ovens
18th Loch Cuin. One lonely SandwichTern on a rock in front of our home Taken through scope through glass, Moira Owers
17th: In my Java garden - male bullfinch, male lesser redpoll, greenfinch, plus lots of fledgling sparrows, siskins and goldfinches. Garmony: two pairs common sandpipers, eider duck with two ducklings, immature eider drake.
6th: Craignure/Java - great northern diver, pair common sandpipers,   oystercatchers mating. My Java garden - male bullfinch.
14th: After seeing a sole very shy male bullfinch in my Java back garden for the past ten days or so, this evening I had a pair in my back garden and   another pair in my front garden (at the same time!) Also, in the front garden today, a female redpoll and a juvenile greenfinch. 12th: Garmony - immature  eider drake. Nancy Somerville
 13th Linnet: Lochbuie - an obviously established population in shrubbery between Lochbuie House and beach 7th, one individual bird on track from Lochdon to Gorten 6th. visitor Simon Waters
12th Reed Bunting - one conspicuous in the sporadic hazel shrubbery in the sheltered south-facing bay at the mouth of Loch Don, immediately south of  Gorten Frarm, and a second (female?) calling in the young oaks lining the upper edge of the bay. visitor.Simon Waters.
13th Long-eared Owl (photo by Andy Tait), undisclosed area. Curlew and Lapwing breeding in numerous sites. Great Northern  Diver and 4 Dunlin,  Gribun. Ewan Miles
11th  returning on the ferry from Oban. Approximately 30 Manx Shearwaters. Ron Corderio
10th  a male hen harrier hunting  outside our holiday cottage 2 miles outside fionnphort he made several passes before diving he caught something but  couldn’t make out what. also  a great skua  on staffa. Phillip Mackie
9th On my walk around Ulva I saw Cuckoo and Male hen harrier which was carrying prey in its talons. On walk upto the old byre from Dervaig saw a  Male  whinchat near house on the left just before reaching the byre.  David Gaffney
8th Salen. Turtle Dove in a local garden at Salen this morning. Geoff Pain
 8th Grasspoint. A  Hobby, showing well & hunting dragon flies in fields near Grasspoint. Steve Milton.
 8th On my tour today, we had a Garden warbler at Bridge Cottage, adjacent to Knock Bridge.Also a full summer plumaged Great Northern Diver opposite Inch Kenneth.  Pete and Jan Hall  
6th: Craignure/Java - 3 common sandpipers. Scallastle Bay - pair red-breasted mergansers, eider duck. Garmony - 3 curlew, separate groups of eider   (2  pairs, female with 2 chicks on the water, 4 drakes) Nancy Somerville
 6th An Osprey, seen today flying up loch na Keal, inland at 12:15 .Craig Lewis (visiting from birder from Bristol)
 6th West Ardhu. a Spotted Flycatcher, (seem scarce this year) also Arthur has had Bullfinch in the garden. Arthur Brown

Osprey in the highlands at Lossiemouth.  by Alan Spellman
6th: Craignure/Java - Osprey flying over, 2 common sandpipers, lots of fledgling starlings and siskins about. In my Java garden -
5th Craignure Golf course.  a pair of red throated divers outside the golf course. Lizzy Grieve ( Mull eagle hide Ranger)  4th: Craignure/Java - 2 common sandpipers, male blackbird feeding fledgling. Scallastle forest path - cuckoo seen, and heard calling 3rd: Craignure/Java - willow warbler, grey wagtail, 2 common sandpipers.- male bullfinch, pair and 5 fledgling goldfinches
5th  May Whimbrel - Staffa, Twite x 2 - Staffa, Wood Warbler - Corran View woods, 6th Whinchat - Loch Spelve shore GR 681275 and Glen More,  Golden  Plover x 5 - Pennyghael, Cuckoo - Leachan Dubha wood, Corncrake - Iona Abbey, Twite x 2 - Iona.
2nd Great Northern Diver - off Grass Point. Cuckoo - Loch Spelve shore, 3rd Corncrake - Iona fire station, Rock Dove x 14 - Iona garden, 4th Twite x 2 -   Staffa, Great Skua - Staffa, Raven x 2 - Lunga, Corncrake - Lunga, 5th Whinchat. Christopher Hall.
Mull staying at Burnside June 15th onwards.
some records: There seemed to be good numbers of whinchat with family groups in many places including up the road to Gorten.  Sand martin colony up there doing well and an overflow site off the track overlooking Grasspoint.. A cuckoo above Laggan Farm on the 18th and a bonxie around Lochbuie on the same day.  There were many family groups of wheatear around the Laggan dunes. A grasshopper warbler was heard below Auchnacraig on 20th. On 21st a pair of redstarts with 4 young near Croggan Farm. A ringtail hen harrier was hunting below Ardnadrochit on 23rd and 24th, but this was the only sighting.A great N diver off Garmony on 24th.on 27th June 7 red throated divers were gathered in the centre of Lochbuie, they were very vocal. On same day a family group of spotted flycatchers were off the Glenbyre track.These were the highlight, no sightings of Hen Harrrier up the Glen Road, sea eagles showing well at Kilpatrick.We then moved round to Colonsay and had lots of corncrakes, and a  Hen Harrier and a sea eagle.   Chris & Tony Johnson (regular visitors)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Latest sightings for June 2018
30th Little Gull - a mull first for me, first-summer feeding in the tidal race off Grasspoint with Common & BHGulls and Kittiwakes. Bird has a partial hood. Likes resting on the rocks off there with the other gulls.  Also there fledged juv Tree Pipit and Redstart and family of Whinchats with at least one young.
30th Jay - one flew across road into conifers just west of Lochbuie turn off. Ashley Saunders. Oriole Birding Tours
30th Slav Grebe - one in full plumage in Loch na Keal, close to the sea eagle lay-by on north side beyond Killiechronan campsite
27th Swift - single over Caliach Point , one over Pennyghael 29th  Ashley Saunders. Oriole Birding Tours
30th Redstart - pair feeding young in nest box in oak woods at croggan
30th Black-throated Diver - a second calendar year bird (non breeding plumage) is in Loch Scridain off Pennyghael hotel, present same spot every day
26th June:  Java/Craignure Bay - Single Eider Duck, Fishnish - Whitethroat  Nancy Somerville
29th: Craignure Bay - single black guillemot
30th: Craignure/Torosay coast - Male Hen Harrier carrying prey (photos on Facebook); 15 Canada geese.  Garmony: 2 Mallards. juveniles, I think. Nancy Somerville28th Great Northern Diver - one in full plumage in bay on west coast of Iona.  Ashley Saunders. Oriole Birding Tours
30th: Treshnish, Corncrake still calling at Haunn (first heard on 23rd May). Several reports of 2 being heard, prasad
27th - Aros Park. A male Wood Warbler was still singing here this afternoon.. Stuart Gibson
28th Ardura oak woodland. a pair of Redstart busy feeding young. Alan
25th - Croig. Two Great Northern Divers (one immature) in outer Loch Cuin.
25th - Tobermory. The 1st Summer immature Iceland Gull is still frequenting the loafing area viewed from car park). Stuart Gibson
23rd Saw a bird land on the back of a cuckoo to feed it. Might have been a meadow pipit, it was not near enough to tell. Colin Moody21st Quite a few Long-Tailed Tits along the Java - Craignure path. Grey wagtail at Java beach. Pair of Canada Geese with about three goslings at Garmony. Two pairs of Greylag geese with around seven goslings at Aros.
afternoon, Tobermory: Greenfinch just beside the car park, where the rivers comes out. with House Sparrows and Goldfinch.  
evening, Garmony: Flock of seven Redpolls. Five immature Eider drakes, Four Eider ducks with about ten ducklings, Juvenile Dipper. Nancy Sommerville.
19th - Tobermory. The 1st S imm. Iceland Gull was seen a 12.30pm and again at 8.15pm (the evening sighting was at the new sandy beach, on which this gull was completely camouflaged!) Stuart Gibson.
18th Loch na Keal.  a Slavonian grebe in partial summer plumage at the head of the loch. Also had a white fronted goose in Salen bay. Wasn’t sure if that had been reported before. visitor Sally Nowell
18th - Tobermory. A 1st Summer immature Iceland Gull  in Tobermory harbour this early afternoon. Stuart Gibson
18th - Fishnish. Six Crossbills over forest this afternoon. Stuart Gibson
18th Craignure. For the first time ever we have just had a beautiful Jay on our feeders in the garden. Pete and Jan.  
17th Salen Bay 4 great northern divers together at Salen Bay. Andrew Blagden on holiday.
17th Loch na Keal. a Slavonian Grebe in full summer plumage still on the loch. (usually only winter here)

White tailed Eagles from a trip on 'Lady Jayne' with Martin & Alex (Mull Charters)  today 17th June 2018
8th - Tobermory. The Glaucous Gull is still in the harbour and looking very much at home. Stuart Gibson
7th Ross of Mull (undisclosed site) an adult Rose coloured starling briefly here. Alan (sorry but I cant be more specific)
6th - Tobermory. 1st S immature Glaucous Gull still around today. Stuart Gibson
6th Dark phase Arctic Skua and 60 plus Storm Petrels in waters between Mull and Coll. Corncrake on Lunga. Otter hunting Greylag goslings on the river Aros outflow. Latest seabird census counts from NM Mull discovered occupied Fulmar sites and at least 6  incubating Razorbills. Still seabird coverage needed for some sites on Mull, get in touch if of interest. Ewan
5th - Tobermory. The 1st S imm. Iceland Gull was in the harbour at 10.00 am this morning, while the 1st S Glaucous Gull was there at 6.00 pm.      Stuart Gibson
5th We went down to Croggan today, and on the way four young Woodcock crossed over the road in front of our car. We were about half way down the hill, going towards Loch Spelve, in Ardura Woods. Too quick to get a photo unfortunat  Andrew Oldacre
4th We saw a male whinchat on a walk through Knockvologan nature reserve, singing and flitting about on Monday 4th June, and another male whinchat at Grass Point on Tuesday 5th June afternoon. Helen Lumley, visitor to Mull
6th Loch na Keal: a trip round the loch produced three Golden Eagles and four white tailed Eagles plus a real prize being a Slavonian Grebe in full summer plumage at the head of the Loch. Alan, Anna Carey, Ewan Mile and his group. 
4th - Tobermory. Somewhat ironical that in our current heatwave Tobermory should play host to two Winter visitors : Glaucous Gull and Iceland Gull. Like the immature Iceland previously, this Glaucous Gull appears to be a 1st Summer immature (it was an egg this time last year!)
1st Summer immature Glaucous Gull present in Tobermory harbour this afternoon (4th) Stuart Gibson
3rd  we saw a male hen harrier fly overhead this morning carrying food, at a beach (Traig na Margaidh)  a female and later a male hen harrier  plus a spotted flycatcher at Camas Tuath. Helen Lumley, visitor to Mull.
1st Loch na Keal.  Summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe on Loch Na Keal at Kellan viewpoint. Andy Beevers (Visitor)
1st - Tobermory. 1st Summer immature Iceland Gull again at confluence of Tobermory river and bay. Striking and unmissable bird!. Stuart Gibson
1st we had a pair of Red Throated Divers from Craignure Golf Course. Pete and Jan
   This is the web site of Alan Spellman Maridon Lochdon Isle of Mull PA64   6AP