Isle of Skye U3A Walking and Nature Groups

Skye October 2011

11th October

Rook (Corvus frugilegus) on bird table.

Whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) on their way to Loch Snizort Beag.

Whooper swans at Loch Snizort Beag.

Goldfinch (European) (Carduelis carduelis) on the thistles.

U3A Nature Group at Loch Bharcasaig, 26 September 2011

I think this outing had already been cancelled twice because of wet and windy weather so it was a case of grabbing a brief window of blue sky opportunity which opened unexpectedly.

The eastern edge of Loch Bharcasaig as it merges into the much larger Loch Bracadale.

Looking south east across Loch Bracadale to what could be Harlosh Island in the foreground and Wiay behind that, but I'm not certain.

I think this is an Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea), given that the beak colour is more dark red than orange, as is the case with the common tern (Sterna hirundo). Also the beak of the common tern is black at the end whereas this appears not to be. The white forehead suggests a juvenile though the juvenile usually has a black beak, so maybe this is a sub-adult.

This must be an adult (black forehead) and the dark trailing edge on the wing is characteristic of the Arctic tern.

I think this is a juvenile northern gannet (Morus bassanus) but I'm not certain (confirmed on iSpot).

Another one for iSpot - Suillus spp. and Suillus grevillei (Larch bolete- edible).

I would guess a common earth-ball (Scleroderma citrinum) - none-edible - a bag of black dust (spores).

Identified on iSpot as Coprinus (ink cap family) and as Coprinellus micaceus (glistening ink cap - edible)

(Eurasian) Curlew (Numenius arquata)

Dogfish

A bit of Cuillin far away.

Black guillemot (Cepphus grylle) already in winter plumage.

Black guillemot

Shag (European) Phallacrocorax aristotelis

U3A Nature Group goes to An Aird, 17th August 2011

Four humans and one dog, the first of that species to turn up to a Skye U3A nature event, set off in the Braes region in search of shags which, they had been informed, were there in the cliff-full.

Camas a Mhor-bheoil with dark clouds floating in from the west

The grey sand beach of Camas a Mhor-bheoil

Sea lettuce - nice in a butterbean salad

A pod of dolphins head north through the Narrows of Raasay at a cracking pace

The Sconser to Raasay ferry

Heading for a rain-spattered lunch with Ben Tianavaig in the background

Looking south across Balmeanach Bay to Glamaig with its twin peaks of An Coileach (the Cockerel) and Sgurr Mhairi (Mary's peak), and Bla Bheinn in the distance

Not a cliff full but enough to spot the difference. Left to right: cormorant, shag, shag. The cormorant is bigger and has a yellow spot on the cheek whereas the shag has a yellow area stretching down the underpart of the bill