Thursday 3 November 2011

Greater Cumbrae, Firth of Clyde

Just spent a week at the Marine Biology centre on Great Cumbrae Island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. We saw loads of good stuff, far too much to go through everything, but here is a sample of what was a great week.

Birds seen over the seven days we were on Cumbrae:
Black Guillemot (several)
Great Northern Diver 1
Red-throated Diver 1
Purple Sandpiper 2
Eider 200+
Red-breasted Merganser 40
Rock Pipit 20
Whimbrel 1
Bar-tailed Godwit 40
Shag 100
Hooded Crow 2
Raven 2
Stonechat 1

I watched these mergansers displaying and chasing each other for about 30 minutes, one of the highlights of the week.



Rock Pipit and Caloplaca marina (the lichen!)


I was very surprised to see this Whimbrel with the Curlew flock. It seems really late for Whimbrel, especially this far north.


This huge Great Black Back was eating a Guillemot. Look how it dwarfs the Carrion Crow!

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