Wildlife Sightings
Every week we log sightings which are of interest or which have caused excitment. To avoid disturbance, locations are generally not disclosed. If you spot something of interest on the estate, please let us know and we'll post your observations here.
We have marked those sightings which we are particularly excited about
with this symbol.
April - July 2010
5th July As the summer moves in for real the countryside is looking good, there are many sightings being reported, we have Shelducks with young in Kilchoan bay, all the small birds are flying about with their newly fledged young, we had a common lizard running about in the tearoom last week it must have came in to get out of the heat. I also found a fine specimen of a female slow worm last week in the lane. The loch is alive with basking sharks, there have been many reports so far this year and yesterday, a very stormy day I was watching two of them feeding just to the east of Mingary castle there were also five or six gannets diving, see photo of the month. Also in the ravine of the Corrie Mhuilinn (pronounced vullin) I spotted a dipper working the swollen river and a small flock of grey wagtails deep down in the ravine, also many Goldfinches living quite happily in the surrounding woodlands.
3rd June The deer are now in the middle of calving, and we have little bambies bouncing all over the hillsides at the moment.
25th April Heard my first cuckoo of the year in the trees just above the house. Also in the skys of an evening are the male snipe, drumming with their tail feathers on the lookout for a mate, this is one of the more unusual noises that is heard in the sky and catches many on unsuspecting traveller out.
13th April Spotted the first house martin flying around the steadings. By the end off the week, more have joined this lone traveller, and by 19th April the swallows had began to appear in the skys above the office. Now 27th April, much larger numbers of swallows and martins have returned to Kilchoan.
8th April A sparrowhawk doing his own style shopping outside the Ferry Stores, chasing the sparrows in and out of the hedges; I think he went without this time.
7th April A quick look out of the office window at lunch time and there flirting around the gorse bushes was the first Swallow of the year, a sure sign that summer is on its way to Ardnamurchan. He looks a bit lonely at the moment but it wont be long before his pals arrive to keep him company throughout the summer.
4th April A Peacock butterfly flirting about in the lane at Mingary, the first sighting of the year.
Image of the Month
February 2012
(click image to enlarge)