Loch Gruinart

A wonderful walk a couple of weeks ago on the western shores of Loch Gruinart in bright sunshine with lots of geese and the grand finale was an otter running up the sand towards me!
Becky

Barnacle geese - Gruinart

Taken from the 'New Hide' on the reserve.

Greenland White-fronted Geese - Anser albifrons flavirostris

Barnacle Geese - Loch Gruinart

Primroses - Loch Gruinart

The primroses are starting to thicken up.  Saw my first bluebells of the year today too....  And my first Wheatear.  Carl

Daffodils in Gruinart Wood

Pectoral Sandpiper - Mick Durham

Thanks to Mick for this shot of a Pectoral Sandpiper taken a few weeks ago, at Gruinart I believe.
Carl

Arrival of the Barnacle Geese

Three snaps of just a small proportion of the big flocks of Barnacle Geese that have arrived on Islay from their migration staging post on Iceland over the past two days.  Around 25,000 are here now, with the majority on the reserve at Gruinart, but also good numbers at the head of Loch Indaal (pictured).
Carl

Barnacle Geese and the full moon

It is often said that some human beings behave differently when there is a full moon.  Well, there is plenty of precedent for that in the animal kingdom.  Barnacle geese for example, usually feed during the day, flying in  to roost at the top of Loch Indaal and at Loch Gruinart as the light fades, and then leaving again shortly after dawn.  This all changes during the full moon however - and they roost up during the day and fly off to the fields to feed through the night.  So there have been large numbers of Barnacles sitting on the Merse at the top of the loch today. 
I wonder if anyone has ever done a study to determine how much light they need to trigger the change in behaviour pattern?  Presumably there are advantages to feeding at night?  Otherwise why would they bother?

Gruinart scrape abandoned by avifauna

There was not a bird to be seen in front of the hide at Gruinart today.  The thousands of duck, geese, swans and waders that usually flock at the shallow lagoons to feed have all disappeared - because their watery world has turned to solid ice.

Gruinart Flats

The area pictured above is known as Gruinart Flats, a key part of the RSPB's reserve at Loch Gruinart. These fields are managed heavily all year round, in order to create different habitat for a variety of visiting and resident birds.

The vertical lines you can see on the fields are small drains that carry water off into the larger ditches that run horizontally across the picture, which direct the water into Loch Gruinart itself. The water levels are controlled by a network of pipes and sluices, which at this time of year are set to allow water to run off of the flats as quickly as possible, to provide good grazing for the thousands of geese currently on the reserve. In Spring, the water levels are raised and the flats are flooded, which provides excellent habitat for a variety of waders such as Redshank and Lapwing. 

Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus)

Taken from the hide at Gruinart.

Canada goose (Branta canadensis sp.) feeding with Barnacle geese at Gruinart

The Cackling Goose was originally considered to be the same species or a subspecies of the Canada Goose, but in July 2004 the American Ornithologists' Union's Committee on Classification and Nomenclature split the two into two species, making Cackling Goose into a full species with the scientific name Branta hutchinsii. The British Ornithologists' Union followed suit in June 2005.

The AOU has divided the many subspecies between the two animals. To the present species were assigned:

Atlantic Canada Goose, Branta canadensis canadensis

Interior Canada Goose, Branta canadensis interior
Giant Canada Goose, Branta canadensis maxima

Moffitt's Canada Goose, Branta canadensis moffitti

Vancouver Canada Goose, Branta canadensis fulva

Dusky Canada Goose, Branta canadensis occidentalis

part of "Lesser complex", Branta canadensis parvipes

The distinctions between the two geese have led to confusion and debate among ornithologists. This has been aggravated by the overlap between the small types of Canada Goose and larger types of Cackling Goose. The old "Lesser Canada Goose" was believed to be a partly hybrid population, with the birds named taverneri considered a mixture of minima, occidentalis and parvipes. In addition, it has been determined that the Barnacle Goose is a derivative of the Cackling Goose lineage, whereas the Hawaiian Goose is an insular representative of the Canada.

(Wikipedia)

Geese

Three shots of Islay's geese taken while out and about round Gruinart yesterday
Carl

Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)

This doe Roe deer was feeding on the Gruinart flats last weekend.  Roe have delayed gestation for some reason, the fertilized embryo being dormant after mating in August until it starts development in January - birth being five months after that.  It is unclear why, although it may be a way of avoiding giving birth during the winter.  In that case, why not have the rut in the winter instead?  You would think it would be a good way of keeping warm... 

Mortality among Roe fawns is very high, both from birth and through the first winter.  If the youngster survives that first year then they have a reasonable chance of attaining a good age.  Roe deer can live to around 16 years old.

Carl

Barnacle Geese at Gruinart

These are just some of the Barnacle geese resting up this evening on the sand at the top of Loch Gruinart after their flight from Iceland.  The geese tend to concentrate on the reserve when they first arrive, gradually spreading out over the island as the winter progresses and as the grass at Loch Gruinart becomes exhausted.