A big day out

It's traditional on our family holidays, if I pretend to be enjoying myself convincingly enough visiting shops, playgrounds, tea rooms etc, for me to be granted a day to myself to indulge in some wildlife watching and photography by way of a reward. And so it was last week in Scotland when I decided to try my luck on the rugged Morvern peninsula. The area enjoys high concentrations of both White-tailed and Golden Eagle, and there is also a good chance of Otter on the sea lochs.

Ringed Plover, Loch Sunart

Their presence given away by gentle, piping calls

Wheatear had been arriving in Dorset shortly before we left for Scotland - this one had done well to make it this far north

Having just caught the third Corran Ferry of the morning, my first stop was on the Ardgour side to check out the Black Guillemot colony in the rusty piers by the ferry slipway. I had seen plenty already in Oban but you can't have too much of a good thing and they did not disappoint.

Black Guillemot, Ardgour

A colony breeds on the rusty piers. Ten individuals are visible in this shot.

And when I say breed...

After Ardgour it was across familiar but still breathtaking territory to Strontian, stopping occasionally for photos of Great Northern Divers in Loch Linnhe from the roadside. From there I broadly followed an itinerary in Gordon Hamlett's Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands, along the southern shore of Loch Sunart for a chance of Otters and Eagles. I saw neither, but a close encounter with a pair of Ringed Plover and a fresh-in Wheatear were some reward.

Great Northern Diver moulting into breeding plumage on Loch Linnhe

Drake Goldeneye, Loch Arienas

Female Goosander, Loch Arienas

Then it was a long climb up Gleann Geal, pausing occasionally to scan for raptors, before dropping back down towards the Black Glen and the choppy waters of Loch Arienas. Pairs of Goosander and Goldeneye were the best I could manage there, so I retraced my steps to get back on the road to Lochaline. The guide book suggested scanning for Otter from the ferry slipway, so being the obedient sort that's what I did, and the first shape I 'scoped on the water turned out to be one. If only it were always that easy..

The best I could manage of the Otter at Lochaline

A slightly closer mammal in the form of a bold Red Deer stag near Kingairloch

Male Stonechat near Kingairloch

A scan with bins down the Sound of Mull caused a double-take when I saw the huge bulk of what could only be a White-tailed Eagle sitting on some distant rocks. I returned to the car to grab the telescope, only to find the bird gone by the time I had set it up! Very frustrating, it would have been a good telescope view, and despite much scanning I was left to conclude that it must have headed off to the south rather than in my direction.

Buzzard or 'Tourist's Eagle' as they are known in these parts

The sun rising over Loch Linnhe looking back to the Corran Ferry

View over Loch Sunart

No matter, I wasn't going to let it spoil my day, and by now it was already time to be heading back, which I did via Kingairloch and the coastal route along the shore of Loch Linnhe. An impressive stretch of highway pock-marked by rockfalls, it passes under a high cliff reminiscent of the road under the Gribun Rocks on Mull. Not a hugely productive day on the Eagle front, then, but an enjoyable trek through some outstanding landscapes all the same. Can't wait to go back.

Visiting old friends

It's half-term so I've been visiting old friends. First up was Swineham, with whom I was pleased to reacquaint myself after a lengthy absence. Next came a trip to Lyme Regis to see my two godsons and their parents, old college friends.

Male Bearded Tit - Swineham, 25th October

Female Bearded Tit, Swineham 25th October

We took a walk along the impressive new coastal defences to the east of the town before climbing up the hill to watch the first half of Lyme Regis v Cullompton Town. The new sea wall appears to have come a bit late for Lyme FC, as the pitch slopes perilously seawards a couple of yards in from the touchline. The players had enough trouble controlling the ball without that to deal with: the match would best be described as a perfectly good game of running around spoilt by very occasional outbreaks of football.

Buzzard, Bestwall, 25th October

Chiffchaff, Swineham, 25th October

Monday saw us heading from one World Heritage Site, the Jurassic Coast, to another, the City of Bath, to meet up with a friend visiting from Australia, at a gathering which my god-daughter also attended. With all three godchildren thus met in the space of a few days, and their annual dose of spiritual guidance administered, it was time for some birding today.

Little Egret, Holes Bay, 27th October

Redshank, Holes Bay, 27th October

In previous years, the last week of October has given me the chance to see some pretty good birds: Eastern Crowned Warbler (2014), Hermit Thrush (2013), Stejneger's Stonechat (2012), and Steppe Grey Shrike (2011) to name a few. There's been nothing quite so exotic within reasonable striking distance so far this week, so I returned to my checklist to see what still needed snapping for the photo yearlist.

Poole Harbour from Baiter Park

Corfe Castle from Baiter Park

Turns out that Common Scoter and Oystercatcher were still on the wanted list, so I headed to Holes Bay where two of the former have spent the last few days. The Scoter, both drakes, were a good distance out at first but came a little closer in poor light. Oystercatcher was always going to be easy, though I'm not quite sure how I've managed to miss them so far this year. Hopefully there are a few more easy ones to dig out before the list grinds to a halt for the year.

Common Scoter, Holes Bay (#230th species photographed in 2015)

Oystercatcher, Holes Bay (#231)

Because I'm worth it

One of the benefits of working like a dog recently has been a few more pennies in the savings jar, enough at least for me to feel able to spoil myself with a new Canon 7D Mark II and 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 II zoom lens. First impressions of both are pretty good.

The most obvious improvements to the camera compared to the original 7D are the reduced grain at higher ISO ratings (and the increased upper limit at 16000 ISO), the ability to set the ISO range (thus giving a minimum as well as a maximum ISO), a faster high speed burst (10 frames per second compared to 8 for the old 7D), and the ability to shoot onto SD and CF cards (and both at the same time, if you want an instant back-up). Best of all, there is a release button on the main dial to stop you accidentally switching modes - the absence of this has cost me some good shots in the past.


This Willow Warbler was photographed out of the car window at an inconvenient angle in imperfect light - f5.6, ISO640 and a shutter speed of 1/500th of a second.

A distant Buzzard (f5.6, 1/500th, ISO500, handheld)

House Sparrow in the gloom at Llanuwchllyn station on the Bala Lake Railway - I was impressed with how little grain there was at ISO4000 (f5.6, 1/500th, handheld)

The only down sides so far are the loss of the AF area selection mode from the 'Quick' menu (though it's easy enough to do on the back of the camera) and the shorter battery life (though that's probably got more to do with the Image stabiliser on the new lens than the camera itself). Focusing is said to be a big improvement as well on the 7D Mk II and while I haven't tested that sufficiently yet to verify, there were certainly a few more 'keepers' in sequences of flyover Ravens and Peregrines than I would have expected from the 7D.

Peregrine over the garden of our temporary home in Snowdonia (f5.6, 1/4000th, ISO400, handheld)

Raven fly-past (f5.6, 1/1000th, ISO400, handheld)

Red Kite in horrible light, not far from our holiday home (f5.6, 1/1250th, ISO400, Exposure comp +2, handheld)

As for the lens, well it appears as sharp, if not sharper, and as quick, if not quicker, than my trusty 400mm f5.6. The Image Stabiliser provides the equivalent of a few extra stops of light, useful for my usual m.o. of hand holding the lens rather than relying on a tripod. Part of my thinking in getting this lens was that, as well as needing a second good lens if and when the 400mm keels over, as it has done a couple of times in its 5 year life, I wanted a bit more versatility for insects and landscapes without changing lenses, and the 100-400 range certainly gives that. The close focus - about 3ft compared to 10ft with the old 400mm f5.6 - promises to open up a new world of possibilities, making it virtually a macro without the hassle of an additional lens, and without having to scrabble around on my hands and knees to take pictures of small critters.

Annoyingly, with my new lens making more decent photographs of insects possible, I will now have to start identifying bees. But for now, here is a bee sp. Zoom down at 100mm, f4.5, 1/800th, ISO400, handheld.

Ditto, Hoverfly sp. x 2. f5.6, 1/640th, ISO640, handheld.

And a Meadow Brown in close-up. The combination of zoom and close-focus meant I was nowhere near flushing the butterfly but could still get a reasonable close-up. F5.6, 1/640th, ISO500, handheld.

Weight was my only real concern about the new lens - it is quite a bit heavier than the 400mm, but having invested in a new comfy sling strap at the same time, I can't say I am noticing much difference at the moment. Ask me how it feels after a birdless slog around Swineham, and I might view it differently, we'll see. But there is always the monopod option if it gets too much.

Given that it's just a lump of metal and glass, I feel strangely guilty about forsaking the old 400mm lens, though it will certainly not be retired just yet. It can just have a little rest. Like I am at the moment, in a dreamy cottage with under floor heating in Snowdonia, a holiday destination selected after I was inspired by the landscapes we passed en route to twitching the Cretzschmar's Bunting on Bardsey. And yes, I know one is not supposed to post whilst away from home as it lets burglars know you are not there. It's OK, though, we have guard guinea pigs. And, almost as fierce, my sister-in-law house sitting.