Chicks Special...

We are over half way through the breeding season but there is still lots to see around the Isle of May NNR. Lot's of balls of fluff are still to be seen all over the island.

Eider Ducklings are doing well on the loch

An Arctic Tern chick wedges itself between rocks in an attempt to camoflage

 This little Arctic Tern chick has only hatched recently

This Tern chick likes to run around at the feet of May Princess passengers while they disembark to boat

Pied Wagtails are still producing young. They are one of the two regular breeding songbirds on the island

The Lesser Black-backed Gulls looking over their two chicks

A Puffling is stuck in the vegetation. This bird was released at dusk

Plump Kittiewake chicks near the South Horn 

A Guilliemot chick sits in the shade of it's parent

                          One of the dozen or so Oystercatcher chicks that are around the Island

I managed to get a few close up shots of the Island Longtails. Not a chick but still quite cute!

Ring of Steel

There are many hazards for Eider ducklings. They are born very small and vulnerable. Up to a thousand Eiders nesting around the Isle of May NNR. Gulls are the biggest danger to the ducklings and eggs of Eiders.  I captured this sequence of shots demonstrating a few of the techniques that eiders have adopted to help defend their young.

This Greater Black-backed Gull takes an interest in this creche of Eiders. See how a group of females are working together to protect the young, forming a 'ring of steel.'

An adult breaks away from the group and starts to throw her head back  and calling, threatening the gull.

She then plonks herself down forming a barrier between the rest of the group and the gull

The gull attempts another attack from the front but is driven away by the adult at the front

This group got safely down to the ditch at Horse Hole where they could see shelter. The gull gave up shortly afterwards It is a great demonstration of teamwork by these birds. I hope they made safe passage over to the Fife coast!

Bluethroat

The winds were from the north east and the rain fell on Thursday and Friday. There was no field work. By the evening  the rain had stopped. Mark came in to say he'd seen a Bluethroat on the south of the Island.

Bluethroats are small birds that are not so distantly related to Robins. They breed in Scandinavia. They do not breed in Britain but they are a scarce spring migrant along the east coast. The Isle of May sees this species almost annually. The males have a lovely 'cornflower blue' throat with a red spot in the middle.

I missed the bird that Mark saw but on Saturday morning I was going over to pick the luggage up for the Bird Observatory. I saw a plump bird with a short tail and a strong facial pattern jump out of a ditch. A Bluethroat! The bird ran around feeding quickly and was very difficult to photograph. It flew away towards the main light and disappeared. I proceeded to go down to the Lowlightlight and when I got to Horse Hole and the same happened. Another female Bluethroat! And I had not even got off the quadbike!

The Bluethroats skulks behind a rock

A different bird was ringed in the afternoon

Out in the open enjoying the early evening sunshine

Later in the evening I was escorting our new volunteer Lucie to the Lighthouse . On our way back I found a female Red-backed Shrike. Another scarce migrant to the east coast. We enjoyed watching the bird catching flies and flying from stalk to stalk. Then the ringers caught it.

A female Yellow Wagtail dropped in to add more colour to the proceedings.

There were a lot of common migrants to see. Those lucky enough to be out on the boat on Sunday were treated to a selection of these birds including one regular who was delighted by not only seeing but photographing his first Bluethroat.