BIRDS
Moorhen – 1 Loch an Aigeil, 28th June
Spotted Flycatcher – 1 near Achmelvich Bridge, 28th June
Little Grebe – 1 Lochan Sgeireach nr. Stoer, 28th June
Black-throated Diver – 1 Loch Drumbeg, 25th June
Golden Plover – 4 near Calda House, 24th June (VB)
Dipper – 1 near Calda House, 24th June
Eider – adult female and 5 juveniles, Bay of Culkein, 23rd June
Sanderling – 1 Bay of Culkein, 23rd June
Arctic Skua – 2 dark morph birds over Raffin, 23rd June
Stonechat – adult female and 1 juvenile near Strathcroy, 23rd June
Yellowhammer – singing male near Brackloch, 22nd JUne
Tufted Duck – 1 (male) Loch an Aigeil, 22nd June
Dunlin – 4 Balchladich Bay, 21st June
Sandwich Tern – 1 adult Balchladich Bay, 21st June
Sand Martin – 1 over Loch an Aigeil, Stoer, 21st June
Great Northern Diver – 2 off Bay of Stoer, 21st June. One bird was in full summer plumage.
Red-throated Diver – 4 bay of Clachtoll; 4 Bay of Stoer; 2 Clashnessie Bay, 21st June
Lapwing – 10 Clachtoll, 21st June
Swift – 22 flying south over Clachtoll then 5 minutes later a further 6 flew over, 21st June This is an uncommon record for Assynt and an unusually large number.
Common Scoter – 1 (female) Bay of Clachtoll, 21st June
Osprey – 2 Loch Roe, Achmelvich, 19th June
Stonechat – 1 adult female and 1 juvenile near Oldany farm, 19th June
Whinchat – 1 adult male near Oldany farm, 19th June
Red-breasted Merganser – 1 adult female and 2 chicks, Oldany Estuary, 19th June
Red-throated Diver – Loch Dhrombaig, 19th June
Lapwing – 9 Loch na Claise, 18th June
Puffin – 3 off Rubh’an Dunain, 18th June
Linnet – 2 adults and 1 juvenile Culkein Stoer, 18th June
Eider – 2 adult females with 8 ducklings Bay of Culkein, 18th June
Red-throated Diver – 2 Bay of Culkein, 18th June
Ringed Plover – Pair with two chicks Bay of Culkein, 18th June
Sanderling – 3 Bay of Culkein, 18th June
Dunlin – 3 Bay of Culkein, 18th June
Mistle Thrush – 2 adults and 2 juveniles near Ledbeg, 17th June (BB)
Cuckoo – 1 bird calling Culkein Drumbeg, 03.40 8th June!!
‘Comic Terns’ – c35 with approximately 30 of these being Arctic Terns on off-shore islands Culkein Drumbeg, 17th June. A number were bringing in food for courtship feeding and several ‘dreads’ occurred.
Barn Owl – with 3 small chicks (this is the first proof of breeding in Assynt) in a small rock crevice near Lochinver, 13th June (AS).
Osprey – 2 adults feeding on Loch Roe near Achmelvich for last few days, 13th June. Has anyone seen sign of a nest?
Dipper – feeding young on River Inver at Brackloch, 13th June.
Goldfinch – Juvenile on feeder Baddidarach, 14th June (MS)
Peregrine – near Loch Drumbeg, 12th June.
Eider Ducks – pair with 7 chicks and another female with four chicks in the sea at Clachtoll, 9th June.
Greenshank – Pair displaying near path to suileag bothy, 6th June
Wigeon – Pair near path to suileag bothy, 6th June
Ring Ouzel – carrying food to nest – Bone caves path, 5th June
Whimbrel – 2 Clachtoll, 3rd June
Greylag Goose – 2 pairs each with four goslings – Loch an Aigel Stoer, 3rd June
Golden Plover – 1 Balchladich, 2nd June
Whimbrel – 2 Clachtoll, 2nd June
Sand Martin – 3 Clachtoll, 2nd June
Black-throated Diver – 1 Clachtoll Bay, 2nd June
Red-throated Diver – 2 Clachtoll Bay, 2nd June
Lapwing – 5 Clachtoll, 2nd June
Carrion Crow – 1 near Culkein Stoer, 1st June Likely to be the bird first seen on 20th May as Carrion Crow is not a common record in north-west Scotland far less Assynt.
Red-throated Diver – 1 Bay of Culkein, 1st June
Great Skua – 1 Bay of Culkein, 1st June This bird was harrasing an adult Gannet which gave up its food.
Ringed Plover – 10 Bay of Culkein, 1st June
Dunlin – 17 Bay of Culkein, 1st June
Sanderling – 16 Bay of Culkein, 1st June These birds had plumages ranging from ‘winter’ to spring and were great to compare the differences.
OTHERS
Ragged Robin – 1 white flowered plant growing near Oldany Estuary, 27th June. Photo on Gallery-Flowering Plants.
Red Admiral butterfly – 1 Culkein Drumbeg, 26th June
Cuckoo Ray Raja naevus – 1 ‘nearly dead’ on beach Achmelvich, 25th June (FL). A rare record, photo on ‘Gallery-Marine’ and more information under ‘News’.
Red-tailed Bumbelbee – 1, a Queen, on Geranium sp. flowers Clachtoll, 23rd-26th June (AS). This is only the second ever record for this species in West Sutherland, photo on Gallery-Insects.
Grey Seal – 2 off Raffin, 23rd June
Six-spot Burnet moth – 2 near Raffin, 23rd June
Killer Whale 7 off Culkein Stoer, 7pm 20th June
Basking Shark, 1 off Stoer Lighthouse, 20th June
Pine Marten – adult with 3 young Culag woods, 18th June.
Killer Whale – 5 off Stoer Lighthouse, 18th June
Basking Shark – 2 off Stoer Lighthouse, 18th June
Chimney Sweeper moth – 1 Culkein Drumbeg, 20th June
Pipistrelle Bat – 84 leaving maternity roost near Lochinver, 19th June Photo on Gallery-mammals
Harbour Porpoise – 2 off Stoer Head Lighthouse, 18th June
Minke Whale – 1 seen several times off Stoer Head Lighthouse, 18th June
Harbour Porpoise – 3 between Rubh’an Dunain and Eilean Chrona, 18th June
Fragrant Orchid – 3 spikes in flower Culkein Drumbeg, 17th June
Common Blue Butterfly – Culkein Drumbeg, 17th June
Common Seal – c45 Oldany Estuary to Culkein Drumbeg harbour area, 17th June
Minke Whale – 2 seen from Stoer Head Lighthouse 14th June (LS).
Basking Shark – along coast line from lighthouse to Old Man of Stoer, 14th June.
Red Deer – with new calf only a few days old Brackloch, 13th June
Common Blue Butterfly – First 2012 record Calda House near Inchnadamph, 13th June.
Black Mountain Moth – On Beinn an Fhurain, 12th June (G. Chambers). This is a very rare moth for Assynt with only one other recent record from 29th June 1998 a couple kilometres further south than this one; this seems to be the furthest north record of this species. See photo on Gallery-Invertebrates-Insects.
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary -Culkein Drumbeg peat road, 12th June.
Argent and Sable Moth – Drumbeg peat road, 12th June.
Lesser Butterfly Orchid – Roadside verge near Drumbeg 12th June.
Twayblade Orchid – Clachtoll, 9th June
Dwarf Cornel – Suilven, 7th June
Basking Shark – Stoer Point, 7th June
Dolphins (Common?) 30+ at Stoer Head Lighthouse 6th June (LS).
Harbour Porpoise at Stoer Head Lighthouse 6th June (LS).
Pine Marten – Achmelvich road, 6th June
Adder – large female on all-abilities path Little Assynt, 2pm 6th June
Otter – single in Lochinver bay, 5th June
Small Heath Butterfly – Bone caves path, 5th June
Killer Whale – 5 near Handa Island chasing seals, 2nd June
Otter – Family of four Strathan near Lochinver, 2nd June
Common Dolphin – c15 off Stoer Head Lighthouse, 1st June
Minke Whale – 1 off Stoer Head Lighthouse, 1st June (LS)
Basking Shark – 1 off Stoer Head Lighthouse, 1st June (LS)
Narrow-leaved Helleborines – flowering on road to Achmelvich, 1st June
Gold-ringed Dragonfly – Glencanisp, 1st June