One one hand, it was frustrating being right back at square one, hearing things singing in the brush and not having even the beginnings of a clue on how to identify them. But on the other hand, every bird was a brand new bird - it was like seeing a Cardinal again for the first time. With a little application of basic principles (size, colour, behaviour, etc) and a little help from the locals, I think I managed to muddle through.
Spotted throughout the trip were Common Wood-Pigeon, Rook, and European Robin. The Eurasian Magpies I saw were mainly around cities (Stirling and Edinburgh).
Magpie taking in the sights at Stirling Castle
Wood-Pigeon
I did two short trail walks with the specific intention of birding, on a section of the Great Glen Way near Drumnadrochit and at the David Marshall Lodge/Queen Elizabeth Forest Park (lovely place, A++ would go again). On those two outings, I got:
- Mew Gull
- Hooded Crow
- Common House-Martin
- Great Tit
- Eurasian Blue Tit
- Eurasian Wren
- Eurasian Wigeon
- Carrion Crow (pretty sure - smaller than a Raven, but with a stouter, less pointed bill than an immature Rook)
- Coal Tit
- Common Chaffinch
With a bonus Eurasian Jackdaw in nearby Aberfoyle, which posed very nicely while I got a good look at its stubby little beak and paler grey nape.
Chaffinches
Our B&B on Skye was right near the coast, which meant that I could see Northern Gannets, Great Cormorants, Common Buzzards, and even a pair of White-tailed Eagles from my bedroom window. More eagles were found on a short boat cruise out of Portree. White Wagtails were all along the roadsides - adorable little things, they certainly live up to their name.
White Wagtail
They were there, I promise
And last but not least, Manx Shearwaters on the ferry from Armadale to Mallaig. I admit to resorting to eBird records for that area to help me narrow down the species on this one; I was taking the ferry at the time and didn't have my binocs handy, so all I really saw was a black and white bird with long, narrow wings flying agilely right along the water's surface.
And of course there were Rock Pigeons and House Sparrows and I'm pretty sure a pair of Ravens somewhere along the roadside in there (the initial reaction of "holy crap those are big birds" certainly suggests Raven to me), and various other gulls - Great or Lesser Black-backed, probably also Herring? And things that were present but wouldn't show themselves. As is always the case with birding, no matter where in the world you go.
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