| 2004
- Another fantastic season
on the
West Coast of Scotland
Yet again I would like to send my sincere thanks to all the people
who joined us on board Guideliner to explore the wonderful islands
and seas of the Hebrides this year. It really is the great people
that we get on board that make this job so enjoyable. The wildlife
was as usual fantastic and the scenery superb although the weather
was rather mixed - but in general very good. At least we missed
all the torrential downpours that affected so much of the UK, and
we were lucky enough to get our share of sunny days on every trip.
So what
was special this year?
It's a
long list so lets start: -
On the very first trip
to St Kilda in May we had fantastic views of pomerine skuas as they
passed up the Minch on their way to their breeding areas to the
north. They came swooping across the quite turbulent waves, gliding
in a graceful group of fourteen with their superb colouration gleaming
in the occasional shaft of sunlight.
 |
Later
on that trip we were even more surprised by two visitors who
joined us as we were in the Atlantic having left the shelter
of the Sound of Barra and were heading for St Kilda. Both
were so exhausted after flying unknown distances over the
sea they had lost all sense of fear and were quite content
to sat with us as we travelled.
This
meadow pipit arrived first and quietly rested on the deck
but it was soon joined by.........
|
 |
 |
This
beautiful but very aggressive wheatear - it would not tolerate
the meadow pipit and soon sent it off! The wheatear was much
friendlier and was happy to sit on Frank's foot before hopping
onto the seat to sit next to Julie. Both birds would take
the occasional flight around the boat and then come back on
board to rest until finally when we had Hirta clearly in view,
they took off towards the islands. |
 |
Still, when we got to
St Kilda - it was as fabulous as ever - the light at Boreray was
stunning. I was able to go fishing and catch some Pollack which
were delicious when we had them for dinner.
 |
|
More
of Kilda later, but on this trip we left the archipelago and
visited Vatersay next where I hoped to see some interesting
birds - in fact we had exceptional sighting of corncrakes
- really exciting. Because it was so early, the machair grasses
and herbs were still very low and the birds were unable to
be as elusive as we normally expect. We were all able to get
within twenty feet of two birds feeding in a field however
I had left my camera on board Guideliner and had to hurry
back and get it. When I returned it was to find the birds
had moved off some distance and I had to settle for images
of corncrake heads peeking over the grass. |
We
also saw a sea eagle which flew over the south beach and lots
of machair birds including corn buntings, pipits, and several
species of waders. The flowers were just beginning to appear
but most obvious were the bright splashes of yellow covering
some of the fields from all the primroses that were to be
seen. They covered some areas in total splendour, the numbers
greater than I can remember seeing for some years |
|
 |
|
|
However
on the next trip we had another exceptional occurrence. Passing
through the Sound of Gunna, we spotted a single male bottle
nosed dolphin who came and played with us for some time, twisting
and diving in the bow wave and occasionally coming alongside
to take a look at us. Lots of photos were taken and when he
appeared to leave us we were well pleased with the sighting.
|
However
when we went into Breachacha (Loch of the fields of bright
flowers) on Coll, we had no sooner dropped the anchor when
the dolphin (now called Fred by all on board) came alongside
to see what we were up to. I quickly put on a wetsuit and
joined him in the water! |
|
 |
|
I
got some amazing images as well as an experience of a lifetime! |
|
When I
eventually got out of the water (it was freezing) he kept swimming
around the boat and later, after I took the guests ashore, he followed
me in the dinghy coming right up to the side of the boat - astonishing.
When he seemed to realise I wasn't going to join him in the water
again, he seemed to take a huff and with a quick sweep of his tail
he managed to thoroughly soak me from head to foot. He the came
back to the dinghy to pop his head out of the water to see what
my reaction was!
We saw
him several times later in the season and he was always equally
friendly and inquisitive!
Meanwhile
on land, the spring flowers were also showing in some splendour
-
|
These
spring squill had formed dense mats on some rocky parts of
the machair, while the burns were a mass of marsh marigolds
in parts. |
|
On the
Monachs the machair was bright with the overall splash of colour
from the daises and buttercups which covered the plain.
White
tailed sea eagles!
 |
|
We
were fortunate to see a good number of sea eagles this season,
the best and most guaranteed ones being the birds on Canna.
They have once again successfully reared a chick, and in fact
on one morning we sat at anchor in the harbour watching the
two adults with the youngster, while nearby was a soaring
pair of golden eagles, underneath which was a pair or peregrines;
the whole lot causing great consternation among the local
raven and hooded crow population. An amazing sight which I
will always remember with great pleasure. The sea eagles on
Canna have done well but even they have suffered from the
weather; as you can see from this photograph of a thoroughly
soaked eagle. |
However
it soon recovered and later in the day I caught this image of it
after a successful kittiwake hunt. The picture isn't very clear
but it was taken from sea level on a rocky boat in dull light of
a bird on the top of a 600 ft cliff!! (600mm lens). The size of
the eagle is very apparent when compared to the proportions of the
kittiwake.
 |
One
thing we did see a lot of this year were otters - this one
taken at Dorlin in Loch Sunart was very cool and unconcerned
by us. |
|
Another,
on a different day, calmly drifted right past the boat as
he made his ablutions!
|
|
 |
Meanwhile what a year
for whales and dolphins!!!!
 |
|
We
had the most exciting sights of minke, some coming right alongside
as usual, this one surfaced right next to the boat on a very
bright and calm day and the sun sparkled in the water droplets
that poured like diamonds off his nose as he broke the surface. |
| |
On that occasion,
I got what I regard as one of my best ever images of a minke
- I called it "spaceship minke" as it looks as though
the whale is coming from another dimension. This will be available
as a fine art print for Xmas!
Neither of these
images have been digitally enhanced by the way!!
|
 |
 |
|
We
saw vigorous feeding once again as the minke gorged themselves
on young herring in very spectacular manner, but we were in
for an even greater treat later in the year when a humpback
whale took up residence for a few weeks off Mallaig - the
photographic opportunities were a dream.
Here
you can see how close he was to the harbour as he surges forward
to take in another massive mouthful of water and fish. It
actually looks rather like he's after kittiwakes, but that
was not the case!
|
It
was very easy to approach this whale although some boats went
very close indeed, which we found concerning, both for the
safety of the whale and for the occupants of the boat.
|
|
 |
Still
using a 600 mm lens we were able to stay well away and still get
the images I wanted: this shows a sequence of the feeding action
with the baleen plates very clearly visible.
We were there for the
afternoon and we all took loads of pictures, some more of which
I will put on the cetacean web page.
Unlike
minke, the humpback often shows the tail as it dives.
But we
had to go and left this wonderful beast with grateful thanks and
best wishes. It left the area itself after about three weeks to
continue its travels to distant parts.
Later
on in the season we were joined by a group of risso's dolphins as
we returned from St Kilda. They stayed with us for some time leaping
and jumping around us before they left heading north.
|
Throughout
the season we had a lot of southerly swell coming in from
the Atlantic, which meant a lot of our usual anchorages were
untenable.
On
the south coast of Mull, we were able to get ashore and see
some of the rarer plants such as this thyme broomrape.
|
|
|
Whilst
further round the coast we came across this lesser butterfly
orchid in the woods and lots of grass of Parnassus in the
hedgerows and on the moors. |
|
 |
Mingulay
provided us with several wonderful walks, often in bright
sunshine, although usually in the strong winds which can be
seen blowing these cotton grass stems about. In the distance
can be seen the famous cliffs where large numbers of fulmars,
guillemots and razorbill's nest. |
 |
|
|
These
birds, as on St Kilda, are predated upon by great skuas which
nest on the flat areas above the cliffs. Walking along we
came across this bonxie chick sheltering from the brisk wind.
|
| |
The
views from the top of the island are fabulous, with this image
showing village bay and Guideliner on anchor, visible as a
tiny dot down below. |
|
|
Nearby
Sandray is a jewel amongst the islands with a spine of Lewissian
gneiss splitting the island, but from the top making a superb
viewpoint to watch the seas all around. Despite looking barren,
the ridge does conceal lots of flowers such as this stonecrop
growing in a crack in the rocks. |
|
|
Further
down among the dunes , six spot burnets seemed to be hanging
around everywhere!
|
|
Breachacha
on Coll was one however on the occasions we did stay there we enjoyed
some wonderful views, and lots and lots of fabulous flowers.
|
One
of the stranger things we see is this creature - the sunfish.
Really an oceanic species of much warmer climes we do see
these very odd animals on occasion later in the year. This
one we spotted off Eigg and it was about one meter in size. |
|
|
Also
visiting our waters in the summer is the basking shark. Despite
serious concerns about their numbers only five years ago,
we now often see them in groups of fifty or more and even
more encouragingly, they seem to be of all sizes\ and age
ranges from youngsters only two meters long right the way
up to huge adults around nine meters in length. |
|
|
