Sorry for the lack of new posts here lately.
The news is, we're leaving Canna in mid October.
Very frustrated with the management of the island, and upset to be leaving behind such a wonderful place, and some truly lovely people.
Thanks to all our new friends on Canna for making the summer so special: to Aart and Amanda, Magda and Joaquin, Gerry, Murdo and Caroline, Winnie, and Nora, you're all great people, made us so welcome, and helped us to fit in with island life. Thanks also to all those visitors who have made Canna so memorable. We'll miss you all!
Not suited to island life? Not at all. We're off to Shetland!
No jobs to go to as of yet, but we'll find something soon, and in the meantime we're looking into various small business ideas.
I'll be setting up a new blog once we get to Shetland, and will post details here and on Twitter, so watch this space!
All for now,
Graham Uney
This blog has been set up to document my wildlife sightings and bird ringing on the Isles of Canna and Sanday, in the Small Isles, Scotland
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Monday, 13 August 2012
A Blustery Canna
Just back on Canna after a week away. Had a quick walk around Sanday just now. The skies are very grey out there, rain is threatening, and the wind's blowing hard from the south-east.
There's a good sized mixed flock of finches coming and going in our garden. About 60 birds in total, with Linnet, Twite, Greenfinch, and Siskin making up the bulk of the birds, plus a few Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail joining in the fun.
Out along the track to Point House half a dozen Wheatears are looking like they think they should head south (three of them sporting nice new rings - probably mine).
Out in the harbour entrance 9 Grey Seals are snoozing away, while 12 Shags are adorning the rocks below the harbour light.
Eiders seem to be everywhere, many of them obviously males just coming out of their eclipse plumage.
If this wind dies away I'll have a go at ringing some waders later, but it's not looking promising.
There's a good sized mixed flock of finches coming and going in our garden. About 60 birds in total, with Linnet, Twite, Greenfinch, and Siskin making up the bulk of the birds, plus a few Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail joining in the fun.
Out along the track to Point House half a dozen Wheatears are looking like they think they should head south (three of them sporting nice new rings - probably mine).
Out in the harbour entrance 9 Grey Seals are snoozing away, while 12 Shags are adorning the rocks below the harbour light.
Eiders seem to be everywhere, many of them obviously males just coming out of their eclipse plumage.
If this wind dies away I'll have a go at ringing some waders later, but it's not looking promising.
Saturday, 4 August 2012
Wheatears, Stormies, and Swifts
Not had a lot of time recently to update this blog, so here's a bit of a run-down of what's been going on here on Canna and Sanday in the last few days.
Bob Swann was here for the final one of his week-long visits of the summer. This one was with his family, and we had a great night out on the headland below Tallabric catching Storm Petrels with him and his son Rob. I think we got 12 birds in total, with no retraps, and though I think Bob and Rob were a little disappointed with the numbers, it was the first time I'd handled these fabulous little seabirds, so I was very pleased with the night's efforts.
Waders seem to be really piling in here now, with good-sized flocks of Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Ringed Plover, and Oystercatcher present. I've finally taken delivery of a new wader net from NHBS, so I'll be looking at suitable catching sites for them in the next few days. Also, on Sanday, there's been a nice flock of 22 Golden Plover, with a mix of adult and juvenile birds among them.
Also of note at the moment are the Swifts that are now feeding above the trees below Tighard. Swifts don't breed on Canna, so they're obviously just passing through, but these are the first ones of the year for me, so it's good to see them.
The bog behind Winnie's house is now starting to attract reasonable sized roosts of Swallow, Pied Wagtail, and Meadow Pipit, so there'll be a roost catch there sooner or later, and I do want to get in there early one morning for some juvenile Sedge Warblers before they start on their migration south.
The numbers of Wheatears on Canna and Sanday have been incredible this year. Bob Swann tells me that they've been doing particularly well here since the rat eradication. I've spent a bit of time out on Compass Hill with a couple of Moudry Spring Traps, and this morning went out to the crags at Greod on Sanday. In total I've ringed 15 birds, plus 5 pulli this season.
Bob Swann was here for the final one of his week-long visits of the summer. This one was with his family, and we had a great night out on the headland below Tallabric catching Storm Petrels with him and his son Rob. I think we got 12 birds in total, with no retraps, and though I think Bob and Rob were a little disappointed with the numbers, it was the first time I'd handled these fabulous little seabirds, so I was very pleased with the night's efforts.
Waders seem to be really piling in here now, with good-sized flocks of Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Ringed Plover, and Oystercatcher present. I've finally taken delivery of a new wader net from NHBS, so I'll be looking at suitable catching sites for them in the next few days. Also, on Sanday, there's been a nice flock of 22 Golden Plover, with a mix of adult and juvenile birds among them.
Also of note at the moment are the Swifts that are now feeding above the trees below Tighard. Swifts don't breed on Canna, so they're obviously just passing through, but these are the first ones of the year for me, so it's good to see them.
The bog behind Winnie's house is now starting to attract reasonable sized roosts of Swallow, Pied Wagtail, and Meadow Pipit, so there'll be a roost catch there sooner or later, and I do want to get in there early one morning for some juvenile Sedge Warblers before they start on their migration south.
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| Juvenile Wheatear |
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| Female Wheatear |
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Hebridean Heatwave Hell!
Well, it looks like those months and months of clear blue skies, temperatures pushing the high 20s, gorgeous sunsets, and dinners outside overlooking the harbour may be over. Today on Canna we have gale force winds, mist, and the high probability of more rain.
I had a quick walk out with Bertie to the Point House to see what's occurring.
Lots of eider families out there in the harbour, the adults keeping a watchful eye as their offspring brave the wavy elements. A red-head Merganser flew over, which is the first I've seen here for a month or so.
There are loads of Rock Pipit fledglings around too, some of them being ridiculously confiding, and good numbers of Wheatears too.
Swallows around Point House look like they think they should have moved on to sunnier climes last week, while a group of young Shags out on the Point itself were trying to work out how to dry their wings in the rain-soaked blast.
A Grey Heron flew up from beneath the Point, looking more than ever like it was never designed to fly, and a Grey Seal bottle-nosed out in the bay. Gannets have come in to the harbour to fish the less choppy waters (they struggle to see fish beneath the surface on wild days out at sea).
Now at home I've had to take bird feeders down for fear of them blowing away, but the Siskins and Greenfinches seem happier feeding from the ground anyway right now. Still got a couple of Collared Doves come in to feed here at MacIsaacs, and a pair of Rock Doves have started bringing along their one fledgling of the year for the free grain.
I had a quick walk out with Bertie to the Point House to see what's occurring.
Lots of eider families out there in the harbour, the adults keeping a watchful eye as their offspring brave the wavy elements. A red-head Merganser flew over, which is the first I've seen here for a month or so.
There are loads of Rock Pipit fledglings around too, some of them being ridiculously confiding, and good numbers of Wheatears too.
Swallows around Point House look like they think they should have moved on to sunnier climes last week, while a group of young Shags out on the Point itself were trying to work out how to dry their wings in the rain-soaked blast.
A Grey Heron flew up from beneath the Point, looking more than ever like it was never designed to fly, and a Grey Seal bottle-nosed out in the bay. Gannets have come in to the harbour to fish the less choppy waters (they struggle to see fish beneath the surface on wild days out at sea).
Now at home I've had to take bird feeders down for fear of them blowing away, but the Siskins and Greenfinches seem happier feeding from the ground anyway right now. Still got a couple of Collared Doves come in to feed here at MacIsaacs, and a pair of Rock Doves have started bringing along their one fledgling of the year for the free grain.
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Too Busy for Birds!
A very busy week on Canna. Had the seabird ringers here from the Highland Ringing Group, and although I had originally planned to take the full week off work to help them out, things just didn't really go to plan. I had my head of department down from NTS HQ for the first three days of the week, then we had the NTS cruise ship in on Wednesday with nearly 400 passengers on board. This was all great fun, but it did mean that the ringing had to be pretty much left to Bob Swann and his group.
Still, I did manage to get out with them onto the north side of Canna last Sunday, when we processed a few hundred Guillemot, Razorbill, and Shag, plus a few Puffin, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Herring Gull, and Lesser Black-backed Gull. A great day out - thanks Bob and the team!
On Saturday the ringing group left the island, with instructions for me to mop up any remaining gulls, and to see if I could find any Bonxie chicks that they'd missed.
Today (Sunday), started with a great view of a Peregrine being mobbed by a couple of Arctic Terns in Canna Harbour - viewed whilst having a morning cup of tea, in bed! Later in the morning, whilst walking Bertie, a female Sparrowhawk was a first for me on the island.
In the afternoon I had a walk around to the lighthouse on Sanday to see if I could find any of those Bonxies (Great Skuas). Lots of parental activity, but I only found 2 chicks which were far too young to ring, and a single egg still in the nest. Also found a few Herring Gull chicks, all but one of which had already been ringed by the HRG.
On the way home I almost stepped on a Short-eared Owl, another Canna first for me!
Back at home, I've now got the drop net set up below the feeders in my garden. Catching a few Greenfinches, one of which (TL42353) was originally ringed by Sean Morris on Rum in April. There's also a couple of Twite out there, but they seem to be avoiding the trap, and 6 Collared Doves, one of which is sporting a ring, but will they wander below the trap? Nope!
Still, I did manage to get out with them onto the north side of Canna last Sunday, when we processed a few hundred Guillemot, Razorbill, and Shag, plus a few Puffin, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Herring Gull, and Lesser Black-backed Gull. A great day out - thanks Bob and the team!
On Saturday the ringing group left the island, with instructions for me to mop up any remaining gulls, and to see if I could find any Bonxie chicks that they'd missed.
Today (Sunday), started with a great view of a Peregrine being mobbed by a couple of Arctic Terns in Canna Harbour - viewed whilst having a morning cup of tea, in bed! Later in the morning, whilst walking Bertie, a female Sparrowhawk was a first for me on the island.
In the afternoon I had a walk around to the lighthouse on Sanday to see if I could find any of those Bonxies (Great Skuas). Lots of parental activity, but I only found 2 chicks which were far too young to ring, and a single egg still in the nest. Also found a few Herring Gull chicks, all but one of which had already been ringed by the HRG.
On the way home I almost stepped on a Short-eared Owl, another Canna first for me!
Back at home, I've now got the drop net set up below the feeders in my garden. Catching a few Greenfinches, one of which (TL42353) was originally ringed by Sean Morris on Rum in April. There's also a couple of Twite out there, but they seem to be avoiding the trap, and 6 Collared Doves, one of which is sporting a ring, but will they wander below the trap? Nope!
Monday, 18 June 2012
Eagles
A great day out on Canna yesterday. Back up onto the central ridge for some eagle photography.
Good views of both White-tailed and Goldies.
More pictures to follow!
Good views of both White-tailed and Goldies.
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| White-tailed Eagle |
More pictures to follow!
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Canna House Garden ringing
A bit of garden ringing before work this morning.
Best bird was a possible control Swallow - a female with a brood patch, so nesting somewhere near by, but at the moment I'm not sure if she was ringed on Canna, or possible on one of the other nearby islands (Rum, Eigg, or Muck). Ring number X955972.
Totals for the hour's ringing were:
Swallow 1 (1)
Robin 1
Blackbird 1
Whitethroat 1
Willow Warbler 3
Chaffinch 4
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch 1
I also found out just now that three Greenfinches I've caught here in the last few days were originally ringed on the island of Rum.
Best bird was a possible control Swallow - a female with a brood patch, so nesting somewhere near by, but at the moment I'm not sure if she was ringed on Canna, or possible on one of the other nearby islands (Rum, Eigg, or Muck). Ring number X955972.
Totals for the hour's ringing were:
Swallow 1 (1)
Robin 1
Blackbird 1
Whitethroat 1
Willow Warbler 3
Chaffinch 4
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch 1
I also found out just now that three Greenfinches I've caught here in the last few days were originally ringed on the island of Rum.
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