Scottish Birds Images Page

DIVERS TO GROUSE

Most of the Schedule I birds were photographed during a period when I worked for a land owning charitable trust in Wester Ross. This work involved surveying and monitoring Schedule I birds under licence and as I also had an interest in photographically recording anything of biological interest, I asked for, and was granted a licence to photograph the nest contents of most of the species on my list.

In the UK it is against the law to wilfully disturb Schedule I species during the breeding season unless you have obtained such a licence. However, it is often possible to photograph or film protected species from a car or public hide without causing disturbance and in such circumstances a licence is not required.

Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata

Wester Ross

A typical Red-throated Diver's nest site on a dubh lochan within close proximity to the sea for easy access to suitable feeding areas. These eggs were laid sometime between the 15th and 22nd of June 1995 but had disappeared by my next visit. This area experienced an exceptionally warm and dry Spring and Summer and the water level at this and a neighbouring lochan had dropped about 30cm between visits, which may have prevented the adults gaining access to their nests.

Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus

StrathSpey

One of around 8 pairs nesting on 3 lochs in this area in the early 1990's.

Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus

Central Scotland

Top Left & Right:- Female Hen Harrier.

Bottom:- Hen Harrier's Nest.

I watched the female Hen Harrier returning to this nest on 19 April 1998 after it had eaten a meal brought to it by the male. I next checked on 25 April and again after witnessing the food pass, I watched the female return to the same spot. On my last visit 21 May after watching for several hours with no sign of either bird I checked the spot where the female had returned to on my previous visits and found the nest containing 5 cold, wet eggs. Not an uncommon event on Scottish grouse moors where illegal persecution frequently occurs.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus

Callendar Woods, Falkirk.

The female at this nest took a liking to red shale chips, used to surface paths, and lined the cup of the nest with them.

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo

Left:- Flanders Moss

Right:- Falkirk District

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Wester Ross Top Left:- Distant view of a Golden Eagle soaring. Top Right:- I discovered this Red Deer calf as I was descending a hill in Kintail and stopped to take a few snaps. As I continued with my descent, I noticed a pair of eagles soaring above me, but thought nothing more of it at the time. A few days later, however, as I was checking the eyrie of this particular pair, I found 2 deer calf legs nearby and wondered if I had inadvertently led them to an easy meal (I mentioned this later at a slide show presentation and was lucky to escape unscathed: Walt Disney has a lot to answer for). Bottom Left & Right These 2 eaglets were photographed in mid July. The one on the left (adopting the threat posture due to my presence) is thriving but the one on the right is underdeveloped. On our next visit a fortnight later it was nowhere to be seen and was assumed to have perished through lack of food.

Merlin Falco columbarius Wester Ross This can be a fairly elusive species during the breeding season particularly in the remote deer forests of the North-west Highlands. This was one of two nests which I found in an area where they were missed by "The Atlas" survey which hopefully suggests that there are more pairs of Merlins nesting in Scotland than we are currently aware of. Top:- Merlin's Nest-22 May 1995 Centre:- Young Merlins-19 June 1995 Bottom:- Young Merlin awaiting next meal. Its siblings are out of sight in the nest-29 June 1995