August 2017 - Assynt Field Club

Bank Vole: single animal photographed feeding in Badnaban garden (Dave Bird). Photo on Land Mammals gallery
Common Dolphin: c30 off Bay of Stoer (DAH)

Beech-green Carpet moth (Colostygia olivata): single on door to Achmelvich Youth Hostel (Sarah Livingstone)
Knot: single juvenile Clashnessie Bay (DAH)
Turnstone: four (2 adult, 2 juvenile) on rocks below Rubh'an Dunain (DAH)
Wigeon: nine (4 male 5 female) flying past Rubh'an Dunain (DAH)
Whimbrel: 10 over Rubh'an Dunain (DAH)
House Sparrow: 30+ adults and juveniles Culkein Stoer (DAH)
Dunlin: single juvenile bird Bay of Culkein (DAH)

Slow worm: At least ten females basking together beside road at junction of A837 and B869 (AS)
Goldfinch: Flock of 70+ feeding on knapweed on a croft in Clachtoll (AS)

More Cetaceans!: Minke Whale-1, Common Dolphin-c80 and Harbour Porpoise-5 (including a mother and calf) all off Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH)

Cetaceans: Minke Whale-2; Risso's Dolphin-6; Common Dolphin-c60 and Harbour Porpoise-10 all off Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH)

White-tailed Eagle: immature bird over Culkein Stoer (DAH)
Harbour Porpoise: two off Bay of Culkein (DAH)
Common Dolphin: small pod of c6 off Bay of Clachtoll (DAH)
Arctic Skua: single dark morph bird harassing Kittiwakes off Bay of Clachtoll (DAH)
Harbour Porpoise: five feeding close in Achmelvich Bay (DAH)
Whimbrel: single bird Achmelvich Bay (DAH)
Black-throated Diver: three adult birds Achmelvich Bay (DAH)
Redshank: two birds Achmelvich Bay (DAH)

Lesser Swallow Prominent moth: single moth on wall of Achmelvich Youth Hostel (Sarah Livingstone)

Starlings: 42 on the roof of Achmelvich Youth Hostel (Sarah Livingstone)
Common Dolphin: 20+ feeding for c3 hours between Bay of Stoer and Bay of Clachtoll and visible from both locations (DAH)
Redshank: single juvenile bird Bay of Stoer (DAH)
Ringed Plover: five Bay of Stoer (DAH)
Red-throated Diver: two off Bay of Stoer (DAH)

Common Dolphin: small pod of around six animals off Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH)
Black-tailed Godwit: 10 over Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH)
Golden Plover: c55 past Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH)
Pied Wagtail: six over car park at Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH)
Goldfinch: 12 feeding on road near Strathcroy (DAH)

Whimbrel: single bird with two Curlew Bay of Culkein (DAH)
Great Skua: ten in total either on or following local creel boat off Culkein Stoer (DAH)
Sanderling: two adult birds Bay of Culkein (DAH)
Dunlin: eight juvenile birds Bay of Culkein (DAH)
Lesser Black-backed Gull: single adult bird feeding on croft near Stoer Village Hall (DAH)

Willow Warbler: bird heard singing in Culkein Drumbeg (DAH). This is likely to be a juvenile bird getting in some practise for next year

Common Dolphin: several small pods of 4-20 animals off Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH)
Arctic Skua: single dark morph bird harassing a Kittiwake off Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH)
Tawny Owl: single bird calling over Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)
Merlin: single bird hunting just above grass height near Raffin (DAH)
Common or Harbour Seal: 48 off Culkein Drumbeg jetty (DAH)

Willow Warbler: single bird feeding in Torbreck garden (Michael Rochester)
Common Dolphin: 50+ between Clachtoll and Bay of Stoer (DAH/Tam and Cilla Barnshaw/Stuart Belshaw)
Moorhen: single juvenile bird Loch na Claise (DAH)
Little Grebe: three Loch na Claise (DAH)
Redshank: 12 Bay of Culkein and 30+ over Clachtoll (DAH)
Linnet: adult male and two juveniles Culkein Stoer (DAH)
House Sparrow: 21 Culkein Stoer and c30 Balchladich (DAH)

Harbour Porpoise: two off Achmelvich Bay (Sarah Livingstone)
Osprey: single bird being mobbed by Buzzard over Little Assynt (Don O'Driscoll)
Common Dolphin: c100 off Clachtoll (Emma Steel and Emily Burton, Whale and Dolphin Conservation)
Red-throated Diver: five (2 adult 3 juvenile) off Clachtoll (DAH)

Bullfinch: two calling in trees near Loch Poll track (DAH)
Curlew: three adults Oldany estuary (DAH)
Red-breasted Merganser: adult female and three mid-sized fledglings Oldany estuary (DAH)
Otter: single in Loch Inver off Baddidarach (Michael Mason)
Antler Moth: two on wall of Achmelvich Youth Hostel (Sarah Livingstone)
Pebble Prominent moth: single on wall of Achmelvich Youth Hostel (Sarah Livingstone)
Six-spot Burnet Moth: four in Achmelvich Youth Hostel garden (Sarah Livingstone)
Small Tortoiseshell butterfly: single near Ardroe (Sarah Livingstone)
Speckled Wood butterfly: multiple sightings near Ardroe (Sarah Livingstone)

White-tailed Eagle: four, including non-adult birds, flying over Little Assynt All Abilities path car park (Stewart Yates). This species does not breed in Assynt but an interesting record.
Common Dolphin: pod of 15+ off Stoer Head Lighthouse (Tam Barnshaw)
Harbour Porpoise: two adults off Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH)
Small Tortoiseshell butterfly: singles seen at Culkein Stoer (DAH) and Clachtoll (Les and Liz Pearce)

Otter: two orphaned otter cubs rescued near Clachtoll; story and photographs under Articles & News