Sightings – January 2014
BIRDS
Twite – c100 Clachtoll, 31st January (Andy Summers)
Red-throated Diver – single Clashnessie Bay, 30th January (DAH)
Great Northern Diver – 2 Clashnessie Bay, 30th January (DAH)
Golden Eagle – immature bird east Assynt, 30th January (DAH)
Black-headed Gull – 5 (4 adult 1 1st-winter) Loch a’ Chairn Bhain (DAH)
Razorbill – 3 east end of Loch a’ Chairn Bhain, 30th January (DAH)
Teal – 2 (a pair) Loch an Ordain, Torbreck, 28th January (Gwen Richards)
Treecreeper – 2 Glencanisp, 28th January (DAH)
Whooper Swan – 4 Loch Druim Suardalain, 28th January (Sarah Corkish). Later seen on Loch Culag (DAH)
White-tailed Eagle – 2 over Lochinver, 27th January (Gwen Richards and M & J Snowdon)
Cormorant – single adult Loch Druim Suardalain, 27th January (DAH)
Redwing – 3+ out of roadside ditch near Drumbeg, 26th January (Ian Evans)
Little Grebe – 2 Culkein Drumbeg harbour, 25th January (J and C France)
Sparrowhawk – single male Culkein Drumbeg, 25th January (DAH)
Great Northern Diver – 3 Loch Dhrombaig, 25th January (DAH). These birds were displaying and calling.
Greylag Goose – 44 Clashmore, 24th January (DAH)
Goldeneye – 3 males Loch na Claise, 24th January (DAH)
Tufted Duck – 10 (4 male 6 female) Loch na Claise, 24th January (DAH)
Goldfinch – 8 Elphin, 23rd January (DAH)
Fieldfare – 20 Elphin, 23rd January (DAH)
Redwing – 10 Elphin, 23rd January (DAH)
Jackdaw – c68 Elphin, 23rd January (DAH)
Siskin – 3 on garden feeder Strathan, 21st January (Clarinda)
Red-breasted Merganser – 9 (5 males) Oldany Estuary, 20th January (DAH)
Grey Heron – 10 Oldany Estuary, 20th January (DAH)
Great Northern Diver – 3 Loch Dhrombaig, 20th January (DAH)
White-tailed Eagle – 2 over Lochinver, 19th January (Gwen Richards)
Black Guillemot – 2 Balchladich Bay, 19th January (DAH)
Eider – single female Balchladich Bay, 19th January (DAH)
Barnacle Goose – 11 Culkein Stoer, 19th January (DAH)
Red-throated Diver – single Bay of Culkein, 19th January (DAH)
Turnstone – 20 Bay of Culkein, 19th January (DAH)
White-tailed Eagle – 2 over Lochinver, 17th January (F and C Barley)
Siskin – c12 Glen Canisp road, 17th January (DAH)
Goosander – pair on Loch Druim Suardalain, Glencanisp, 17th January (DAH)
Treecreeper – 2 Glencanisp road, 17th January (DAH)
White-tailed Eagle – 2 near Raffin, 14th January (Leigh Sedgley)
Merlin – 1 (female) near Stoer Village Hall, 14th January (DAH)
Bullfinch – 3 (males) Achmelvich Bridge 14th January (DAH)
Long-tailed Tit – 2 Culag Wood, 14th January (DAH)
Reed Bunting – single female in reeds Loch an Aigeil Stoer, 13th January (DAH)
Curlew – 18 Stoer green, 13th January (DAH)
Razorbill – 4 off Clachtoll, 13th January (DAH)
Great Northern Diver – 3 off Clachtoll, 13th January (DAH)
Song Thrush – 4 Clachtoll, 13th January (DAH)
Starling – c150 Clachtoll, 13th January (DAH)
Twite – 90+ Clachtoll, 13th January (DAH)
White-tailed Eagle – single bird Culkein Drumbeg, 13th January (J and C France)
Twite – c50 Cathair Dubh, 13th January (Roger Glover)
Stonechat – single male Stoer Peat track, 12th January (DAH)
Woodcock – single Stoer Peat track, 12th January (DAH)
Teal – single male on Loch a’ Mhi Runaich Stoer Peat track, 12th January (DAH)
Goldeneye – 4 (two pairs) on Loch a’ Mhi Runaich Stoer Peat track, 12th January (DAH)
Bullfinch – 3 Torbreck, 11th January (Gwen Richards)
Pink-footed Goose – single bird showing again Culkein Stoer, 10th January (DAH)
Greylag Goose – 11 Culkein Stoer, 10th January (DAH)
Oystercatcher – 34 Bay of Culkein, 10th January (DAH)
Turnstone – 38 Bay of Culkein, 10th January (DAH)
Siskin – c20 Culkein Drumbeg, 10th January (DAH)
Great Northern Diver – 4 Loch Dhrombaig, 10th January (DAH)
Fulmar – 2 Loch Dhrombaig, 10th January (DAH). Possibly two of our breeding birds back on territory.
Woodcock – 3 near Culkein Drumbeg, 9th January (DAH)
Dipper – single on River Kirkaig below Achin’s Bookshop, 9th January (DAH)
Dipper – single on River Inver opposite Little Assynt tree nursery car park, 8th January (DAH)
Goosander – single male Loch Awe, 8th January (DAH)
Tufted Duck – 4 males Loch Awe, 8th January (DAH)
Goldeneye – 3 (1 male 2 females) Loch Awe, 8th January (DAH)
Buzzard – 4 around Inchnadamph area, 8th January (DAH)
Little Grebe – single Loch Inver, 6th January (DAH)
White-tailed Eagle – 2 high over Loch Inver, 6th January (DAH)
Yellowhammer – 4 feeding in garden, 5th January (Clarinda)
Snipe – single bird put up by pair of patrolling Buzzard Culkein Stoer, 5th January (DAH)
Merlin – female through the waders Bay of Culkein, 5th January (DAH). These poor waders were getting no rest today but none were lost to either raptor.
Sparrowhawk – female through the waders Bay of Culkein, 5th January (DAH)
Red-throated Diver – single Loch Dhrombaig, 5th January (DAH). This bird was starting to show signs of its breeding plumage.
Black Guillemot – 5 Loch Dhrombaig, 4th January (DAH)
Gannet – 3 off Bay of Culkein, 3rd January (DAH)
Ringed Plover – 21 Bay of Culkein, 3rd January (DAH)
Turnstone – 26 Bay of Culkein, 3rd January (DAH)
Barnacle Goose – 11 Culkein Stoer, 3rd January (DAH)
White-tailed Eagle – sub-adult flew over Culkein Stoer towards Clashnessie, 3rd January (DAH)
Redwing – single Oldany, 3rd January (DAH)
Blackbird – 5 Oldany, 3rd January (DAH)
Goldcrest – single near Oldany, 2nd January (DAH)
Treecreeper – 2 near Oldany, 2nd January (DAH)
Goldeneye – pair Loch Drumbeg, 2nd January (DAH)
Kittiwake – single 1-st winter Clashnessie Bay, 1st January (DAH)
Guillemot – single Clashnessie Bay, 1st January (DAH)
Razorbill – single Bay of Culkein, 1st January (DAH)
Black Guillemot – single Bay of Culkein, 1st January (DAH)
Gannet – single 1-st winter bird Bay of Culkein, 1st January (DAH)
Carrion Crow – single Culkein Stoer, 1st and 3rd January (DAH)
Bar-tailed Godwit – our single wintering bird is still around at Bay of Culkein, 1st; 3rd, 10th, 24th January (DAH)
Reed Bunting – 7 (4 males 3 females) Culkein Stoer, 1st January (DAH)
Curlew – 16 Balchladich, 1st January (DAH)
Moorhen – single Loch na Claise, 1st January (DAH)
Tufted Duck – 10 (3 males 7 females) Loch na Claise, 1st January (DAH)
Goldeneye – 7 males Loch na Claise, 1st January (DAH)
Great Northern Diver – 2 Loch Dhrombaig and Bay of Culkein and single Clashnessie Bay, 1st January (DAH)
OTHERS
Otter – Loch Inver (Gwen Richards) and Balchladich Bay (DAH), both 19th January
Snake Pipefish Entelurus aequoreus – being consumed by Common Gull at Bay of Stoer, 14th January (DAH). Photo Gallery-Marine.
Otter – male crossing croft land and road Culkein Drumbeg, 14th January (DAH)
Leaf Beetle Chrysolina staphylaea – on house wall Culkein Drumbeg, 8th January (DAH). Photo Gallery-Beetles. Thanks again to Stephen Moran for his identification of this beetle which appears to have been recorded on only two other occasions in Assynt.
Parasitic Wasp possibly genus Ophion – adult Culkein Drumbeg, 5th January (DAH). This wasp was on the external surface of a house wall when the outside temperature was only +2C. It is likely to have been parasitic on a moth or butterfly pupa and it has emerged at a bad time. Photo Gallery-Other Insects. Thanks to Stephen Moran for his identification of this insect.
Harbour Porpoise – off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 5th January (DAH)
Harbour Seal – 21 Oldany Estuary, 4th January (DAH)
Yellow Brain fungus Tremella mesenterica – several fruiting bodies on gorse near Oldany, 2nd January (DAH). Photo Gallery-Fungi.
Mole hills – fresh hills near Oldany and Loch Poll track, 2nd January (DAH)
Otter – single swimming across Clashnessie Bay, 1st January (DAH)