Dinner Time
Islay is now the third best place in Britain to see breeding Hen Harriers after Mull and Orkney. Mid June is the time when the female Harrier is required to help the male with the supply of food. Once the young are three weeks or more old the male, on his own, is not able to catch enough prey to allow the development of the four young shown in the gallery photos. On Islay there are lots of juvenile Pheasants and big flocks of Starlings which the female Hen Harrier is well able to catch. As there are no Pheasant shoots on Islay everyone is happy! www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
One family of birds that you are bound to see on Islay in summer are the Chats. The commonest one is the Stonechat and these are present all year round and love to perch in the roadside vegetation. The Whinchat is a summer visitor and is found on the moorland edge. What they both have in common is that they love to catch butterflies and moths for their young. So enjoy this weeks blog photo of a male Whinchat returning to the nest with a Tiger moth. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
I always find that one of the most delightful birds to photograph on Islay are the Black Guillemots. A couple of early mornings at a breeding site had birds courting, fighting and finally copulating. They are one of Islay latest breeding species with egg laying only commencing in mid June. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
It was good last week to be back on Islay filming Britain’s most threatened raptor ,the Hen Harrier. In June the only time you would see the female Harrier is at a food pass or when she replaces material in the nest. This week’s photos were taken at just such time. It has been suggested that she replaces the nesting material that has become soiled from the droppings of the young.The male Harrier is away looking for prey and generally takes no part in the refurbishment. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
Todays blog photo is of a Roe Deer eating the fresh leaves of a sapling Oak.It was taken on my local Golf Course and is good news for the management of the Golf Course with any emergent vegetation being eaten by the Deer. Unfortunately for the deer this source of food in Scotland is causing severe problems. In the Cairngorms Deer have been blamed for the lack of regeneration of the Caledonian pines – effectively no young saplings survive the appetite of the Deer. Sadly for the deer a culling programme is underway to address the problem. The message for the deer is simple – stay on the Golf Course!! www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
Now is the time when Goldfinches bring to the garden their first broods of young. This week we have had one pair with four juveniles and another pair with one young only. In addition Robins, Dunnocks and House Sparrows have all done well and now have their first broods in the garden. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife