Harrier kind of Day!

 After yesterday was pretty much  rained off, we were hoping for a better kind of day, the weather was looking better and as I was having breakfast, idly looking out the window a Hen Harrier went past!!😲 It was still windy so it was going like the clappers but I rushed out and got a couple of pics before it disappeared around the corner!!

Hen Harrier

We decided that today we would head down and explore the area around Craignure, we started at Salen, Mute Swans, Wigeon, Curlew, Red-breasted Merganser, Shags and Greylag Geese, a White-tailed Eagle flew in off the sea, but I missed the picture as it happened while we were moving the car from one viewpoint to the next😢 typical!!! There are a couple of rotting boats there that Margie wanted to have a look at!

Bit of a fixer upper

Several kinds of seaweed here

Nature taking back control

We continued on, the weather was windy with a mixture of sunshine and showers, which produced a rainbow or two

We got past Craignure, there are several smaller roads off the main route, we explored a couple of em, cracking scenery as usual, but even better our second Harrier of the day and even better a male!!

Hen Harrier

Think I got most angles of the Harrier covered😂 could of done with being a bit closer and a bit of sun would have helped, but it is what it is. Superb views of one of my favourite birds, some nice scenery in this area as well!!! Margie got a few pics of it!!

Rain never far away

Thinking I'm perfecting the silhouette pic now, Common Buzzard 😏

Hooded Crow

We carried on the road taking us into the highlands of  Mull, some Red Deer seen, but the mountains are the stars here!

Red Deer

Didn't see the third one to start with

We continued around to Loch Scridain, stopping every now and again, avoiding the odd shower. At one stop I noticed a large flock of Chaffinch feeding at the edge of the woodland, one of the highlights of our trip has been the big flocks of Chaffinch that we had run into, this one was the biggest with well over 50 birds, I felt there had to be a Brambling in with em and began scanning intently. The birds were very tame and by moving slowly I was able to get right in with em, the geography of the area, lots of banks, meant that some of the birds were at eye level!

Shag on the Loch

Turnstone on the foreshore, was one of  a flock of about 25

Male Chaffinch

Female Chaffinch

Me in action, lens may bit over the top considering, probably could have got a s good pics on me phone!

So, I'm standing there full on Brambling hunting, when suddenly all the Chaffinches take off, looking up, I see a Hen Harrier heading straight for my head!!!! Panic ensued as I try an get the camera on it!! With mixed results!!😁

What a fantastic thirty seconds!!!!!😂 

Within seconds I was surrounded by a blizzard of Chaffinches as they returned to the feeding frenzy, couldn't find a Brambling but not that disappointed!!

Very enjoyable 20 minutes or so. We continued around to Loch Na Keal, another Hen Harrier along the route, but the pics are not worth sharing. With the wind, spotting birds on the Lochs was difficult but one Great Northern Diver showed well enough.

Great Northern Diver

Plenty along the shore of the lake, Curlew and Hooded Crow of note. I was able to get quite close using the car as a hide, it also kept us out of the wind!!

Hooded Crow, possibly the bird I'll miss most now we are home!

Hooded Crow

Common Buzzard

Curlew

We were just thinking that things were dropping off a bit when a White-tailed Eagle flew along the road, all casual like!!

White-tailed Eagle

They are awesome birds!

We ended up back at Salen, as I was scanning the coast and sea in the distance. A  movement next to the car caught my eye and a Dipper walked by!! Pics taken from car!!

Dipper

Having a dip!

Pretty good end to the day's activities, we had brief views of another Harrier on the way back making it five for the day! With the  weather improving, our last full day tomorrow can we get a big finish?! Let's hope so!!!