The Pond of Doom.........

This is a small but very productive little pond on Rona. I've never seen anything rare on here but it is good for waders like Dunlin and Redshank and I'll often get double figure counts of Teal so it's worth a wee look when I'm up north.

Just recently I've started to wonder what is going on. It first started a couple of weeks ago I found a dead teal. Clearly they'd been predated by a Peregrine.

The following Saturday I found a dead Shoveler. This is a rare bird on Island. I'd been lucky enough to spot a live one from the May Princess in the spring but was less delighted to find this one.

This wigeon was too weak to get off the pond. I tried to catch it but it escaped. I would have had it repatriated to the mainland. It was probably just lacking fresh water. It's fate was unknown.

Low and behold I return from leave and find a dead Pintail in the exact same place where I find the other ducks!

I don't think it is such a coincidence. If there is a Perigrine flying round the island it's going to go to the places where it has caught prey before. We've had up to three on the island recently plus a Kestrel, Merlin and a Sparrowhawk. No wonder our wader counts have been so low. 

I like my wildfowl but I recommend that they pass by the Isle of May and go to my winter quarters at Loch Leven NNR. They are much safer there!