Think you picked a good time to visit, Joe. I understand the island will be in the middle of a windfarm before too long
Steve
Joe Wynn said
Fri Sep 2 10:48 AM, 2011
Since I couldn't find a thread for this site, I thought i'd start one . Its a brilliant little island, 6 miles off the Fife coast near to Anstruther. Its Britain's oldest bird observatory, based in the 'low light', the newest of the island's three lighthouses, and where we were staying (we being me and a birding relative). In the summer, the island is the largest puffin colony in the UK, however in autumn it ain't half bad for migrants. Our week long visit was in a 'quiet' period, but some good migration was encountered. Highlights were:
12 Willow Warbler 2 Manx Shearwater 4 Goldcrest- odd to see them sitting on the boulders near the cliff edge! 1 Wood Warbler 1 Whinchat c.550 Shag 2 Puffin, the last breeding pair! c.40 Guillemot 2 Razorbill c.500 Fulmar 1 Whimbrel 3 Purple Sandpiper 20 Turnstone 2 Redshank 10 Wheatear c.70 Meadow pipit As many Gannets as there are on the Bass Rock, feeding around the island Loads of lesser black backs, greater black backs and herring gulls with loads of Kittiwakes
and on the mammal front: the unique Isle of May House/Field Mouse subspecies of Mouse 'lots' of Seals 1 Minke Whale c.20 Harbour porpoise
However, the highlight of my week was without doubt a female Merlin, which had hung about on the island for most of our stay, but on the final day, came down onto the path to eat craneflies!?! Whatever it was eating, a slow crawl up to the bird resulted in such close views of it I am never likely to get again, an absolute priviledge! Don't know where it came from, but I hope it ends up in the north west!
Steve
12 Willow Warbler
2 Manx Shearwater
4 Goldcrest- odd to see them sitting on the boulders near the cliff edge!
1 Wood Warbler
1 Whinchat
c.550 Shag
2 Puffin, the last breeding pair!
c.40 Guillemot
2 Razorbill
c.500 Fulmar
1 Whimbrel
3 Purple Sandpiper
20 Turnstone
2 Redshank
10 Wheatear
c.70 Meadow pipit
As many Gannets as there are on the Bass Rock, feeding around the island
Loads of lesser black backs, greater black backs and herring gulls with loads of Kittiwakes
and on the mammal front:
the unique Isle of May House/Field Mouse subspecies of Mouse
'lots' of Seals
1 Minke Whale
c.20 Harbour porpoise
However, the highlight of my week was without doubt a female Merlin, which had hung about on the island for most of our stay, but on the final day, came down onto the path to eat craneflies!?! Whatever it was eating, a slow crawl up to the bird resulted in such close views of it I am never likely to get again, an absolute priviledge! Don't know where it came from, but I hope it ends up in the north west!