3rd June - Lunga, Treshnish Isles, Mull, Scotland

The Treshnish Isles are formed from eight principal islands varying in size from less than 4 hectares to 60 hectares. The archipelago lies, at its closest, 3 km west of Mull and extends along a northeast-southwest axis for a distance of 11 km.  The islands are uninhabited but that wasn’t always the case, hill forts, medieval chapels and castles prove that humans were once permanently living on these remote and unsheltered islands.  The population in 1800 on Lunga was about 20. Year-round occupation ended in 1824 when Donald Campbell and his family left the island.

The larger Treshnish islands are Cairn na Burgh Beg, Fladda, Lunga, Bac Mòr (Dutchman’s Cap) and Bac Beag and there are several other smaller islands in between.  Lunga is the largest island and has the highest mountain, Cruachan, which is 103 metres high and can be found on the northern part of the island while Bac Mor, further south, has a mountain of 86 metres.

The Treshnish Isles are one of the most scenic features of the Hebridean landscape.  The islands are exposed to the open ocean, uninhabited and have no good landing sites, hence the presence of vibrant wildlife communities.  Lunga has one of the most varied and accessible seabird colonies on the Western Seaboard. Dun Cruit (the Harp Rock stack), is home to more than 6,000 Guillemot, Razorbill, Puffin, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Shag and Great Skua .  Lunga is also an important breeding ground for Grey Seals. 

From the landing point on the rocks we scrambled our way to the normal landing site just off the beach.  The tide had prevented us using this area.  From here we started to climb the hill taht leads to the grassy area at the top of the cliffs.  Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills flew over our heads and past us at head height.  above them patrolled a Great Skua, maybe this was another to the ones we had seen earlier at sea.

At this time of year the Great Skuas will take the small sea birds and Puffin is one of the more popular, in many cases they will chase them to give up their catch but they are also happy to catch and kill, and all around the cliff top their was evidence of this with wings and bones scattered around the area

I have had close encounters with Great Skua in Iceland, but this was the first time I was able to get close to one in flight.  In the air you really can appreciate the size and power that that they have.

Known in Scotland as the Bonxie, (which is the Shetland name for the bird), the name possibly derives from an old Norse word (bunki=dumpy) referring to its heavy-set build, but also seems to accurately sum up its habit of viciously dive-bombing anyone unwary enough to approach to close to its nest.

The adult birds are a streaked greyish brown, with a black cap, while juveniles are a warmer brown and unstreaked below. They have a short, blunt tail, and a powerful flight. Distinguishing this skua from the other North Atlantic skuas (Arctic, Pomarine and Long-tailed) is relatively straightforward. The herring gull size, massive barrel chest and white wing flashes of this bird are distinctive even at a distance. It is sometimes said to give the impression of a common buzzard. Identification of this skua is only complicated when it is necessary to distinguish it from the closely related large southern hemisphere skuas. Despite its name, the great skua is marginally smaller on average than the other 3 large southern hemisphere skuas, although not by enough to distinguish them by size in the field

Is this the last view a Puffin has of this predator as it comes into its burrow?

We climbed the slopes and came out on a plateau.  As we left the boat we were advised by the skipper to head straight for Harp Rock and try and ignore the Puffins to start with.  But as you come onto the plateau you are confronted with absolutely hundreds of these comical, but totally engaging sea birds.  They appear to be everywhere and show no fear of the humans that have invaded their land.

The advice to ignore the Puffins to start was not working and I was attracted to a group lining the edge of the cliffs.some would go and others would arrive.  Those arriving would fly up and use their feet as air brakes while flapping furiously.

The Puffins here are quite happy for you to approach, albeit carefully, if you were to rush at them they would go instantly.  A close slow approach works for them though.  It would seem that they see humans providing some protection from the marauding gulls and skuas that will constantly harass and attack them.  While this has some credence I would think it was more about never having encountered us as the Shags, Guillemots and Razorbills adopt the same behaviour.

I would say though if you get just that little too close to a Shag they will act as if to vomit at you, which is what this one did as I became a little too close.  This shag a male as shown by the impressive crest, they also have a lovely coppery green plumage and striking green eye.

Being able to get close and lying down at their level provides an excellent opportunity to get portraits.  These of the Puffin, good passport size

While here a female Shag (lacking the crest of the male).

Shag is a very old name that means 'tufted' and refers to the small crest that this bird sports.  The Shag, is one of the deepest divers among the cormorant family.  A group of shags are known collectively as a "hangout" of shags and they have also been called the "Green Cormorant" because of the green sheen of their feathers.

Unlike their cousin the Cormorant Shags are very rarely seen inland and usually stay close to their breeding sites around the coast

A detour to the Shag did not last long as I crawled up closer to the Puffins.

I think the most asked question about Puffins is: how do they manage to carry so many fish in their beak at one time?  Well the answer is quite simple. 

While the jaws of many other birds are hinged at one point, the puffin’s beak has a flexible hinge, allowing it to control the degree to which its mouth opens. In addition, the upper and lower jaws of the puffin are joined together with a soft and stretchy piece of flesh known as a “rosette”,  which allows the puffin to open its mouth even wider than the average bird. The inside of the upper jaw is also textured with a series of “spines” known as denticles, which point back towards the throat. The puffin can hold its prey against the denticles with its strong tongue, and can continue hunting for more prey while holding its previous catch in place.

Puffins on average carry around ten fish at a time, but have also been sighted carrying up to sixty fish simultaneously.  In order to find this food, Puffins dive into the ocean and grasp fish between their jaws before flying away. When searching for a meal, Puffins have to choose between a single large fish or multiple smaller fish. Larger fish can be difficult to hold because puffins grasp a fish around its gills, leaving the fish dangling to one side of the mouth, making it difficult to fly. Instead, puffins make numerous short, shallow dives to catch large numbers of small fish. Because each trip takes energy, it is important to maximize the number of fish the puffin can carry each time.

My little group of willing models.

A view of one of the smaller islands just off the shore of Lunga and the patches of bluebells on the top plateau of the cliffs.

The Puffins may look adorable but at time they could be quite spiteful.  This could be seen as a loving little episode but was in fact an altercation.

And at time the fights get quite brutal with the feet being used, here the foot pushed into the breast of the other Puffin.

But soon peace ensues and a calm descends and it is back to the more expected photographs.

There are Puffins everywhere, below you, by your side just off the path and above you.  Puffins came and go their landings the most comical as they tumble into the bluebells.

Bluebells are everywhere and are blooming at least a month later than those we have here in Hampshire.  Once the landscape must have been covered in trees or woodland that has been cleared over the years.  It does though provide a wonderful habitat to photograph the Puffins in.

Finally we managed to get past the plateau and walked along the path towards Harp Rock, as the path bends around the gullies of the cliff you now get the opportunity to get close to some of the other sea birds.

A little smaller than the Guillemots but larger than the Puffin, the Razorbill is a very striking bird, black and white plumage with a white stripe on the broad bill that gives the bird its name.

The Razorbill is the closest living relative to the flightless great auk, which went extinct in 1844. Based on our current understanding, the great auk (which stood almost one metre high) is thought to have been widespread throughout the islands of north and west Scotland.

When viewed at close range on the sea, adult razorbills in breeding plumage have an unmistakable shape and pattern of a jet-black bill and head, both of which are often held in a slightly upward position. The thick bill has a blunt end and two distinct white streaks, one vertical (at the tip) and one horizontal (leading up to the eye). In flight, the jet-black upperparts contrast distinctly with pure white flanks, a black pointed tail and wings positioned mid-way along the body.

Razorbills are monogamous and frequently share their breeding sites with other auks, such as puffins and guillemots. Breeding sites can be on coastal cliffs, in crevices and on ledges. Razorbills do not generally build nests and females typically lay a single egg per season, often returning to the same site year after year. The special pointed shape of the egg prevents it from rolling off the cliff. When the chick is ready to fledge, it jumps from the ledge and descends almost vertically with its wings whirring until it enters the water on its belly. The male continues to feed the chick for several weeks.

The other auk present in huge numbers is the Guillemot. The majority of the birds on Harp Rock are Guillemot and they pack themselves in.

The guillemot is the most common auk in the British Isles and are fiercely territorial, defending what can be tiny nesting areas. They can show aggressive behaviour towards neighbours and the female may reside on the nest site for several weeks after the male takes the chick out to sea in order to protect the nest site from competitors. In some areas, such as the Isle of May, Guillemots have been recorded to return to the nest sites as early as October, most probably to defend high-quality nest sites.

Fortunately there were several Guillemots on the rocks and accessible to my camera, this allows the opportunity to see the difference over the Razorbill.  The Guillemots are slightly larger than Razorbills and have a brown head and upper body but a white lower body. The brown colouration can only be distinguished at close quarters and in good light; it often looks black at a distance. The guillemot’s neck, head and long, slender, unmarked black bill merge smoothly when viewed in profile. The tail is shorter than a Razorbill’s, leaving the feet protruding when in flight. The guillemot has a distinctive dark line behind the eye and breeding adults also display unmistakable streaked flanks in the wing pits.

Many North Atlantic and Arctic guillemots may display a variation in their summer plumage, displaying a striking narrow white spectacle around the eye and white line along the furrow behind the eye. While known as a Bridled Guillemot this is not a distinct subspecies, but an alternate colouring that becomes more common the farther north the birds breed.

The guillemots flies with fast wing beats and they have a flight speed of almost 50 mph. Large groups of birds are often seen flying together in a line just above the sea surface.

Fulmars wheeled around the cliff face.  The Fulmar is a grey-white pelagic seabird, or nomad of the ocean, only coming ashore to rocky islands or desolate cliffs during the breeding season.  Although it could possibly be mistaken for a compact herring gull, the Fulmar is a virtuoso in maximising the use of draughts and troughs in wind currents, giving it a very distinctive flight action. Short bursts of stiff wing strokes alternate with accomplished gliding when the wings are held straight out like planks as it wheels over the sea or along the breeding precipice.

During the daylight hours of the breeding season, Fulmars reside on cliff ledges, where the adults share the tasks of incubating and attending to their single offspring. Once the chick is 10-15 days old, the production of stomach oil becomes well developed. This oil is characteristic of this group of seabirds and is used not only as a defensive mechanism when ejected from the bird’s mouth, but also as an energy reserve that can be used to provide food for hungry chicks. If used in defense, the oil can solidify to mat wing feathers or to repulse predators by its extremely offensive smell. The smell of the oil cannot be removed with water and can persist (on items of clothing) for months or even years.

Foraging is generally undertaken at night when they feed at sea on a variety of food ranging from zooplankton and small fish to offal and discards from commercial fishing vessels. When both adults are busy feeding, the cliff colonies reverberate with a noisy cacophony of highly variable cackles and grunts.

The penultimate member of these colonies and unfortunately one that is serious trouble regarding breeding pairs is the Kittiwake.

A slight, medium-sized, pelagic gull with a flight pattern that is more elegant (and more Tern-like) than other gulls. Kittiwakes have a fine bill, rounded head and neck, elegant narrow body and relatively long wings. Adults are characterised by their conspicuous black wing tips that stand out from otherwise ashy-grey upper wings, giving the impression that the wing tips have been dipped in black paint. Other distinguishing features are a yellow bill and short black legs.

In winter, Kittiwakes live far out to sea but start to re-occupy nesting sites as early as February around Scotland’s coasts. Kittiwakes are the only gulls that dive and swim underwater. They can dive or dip just below the surface to catch prey of marine invertebrates, sand-eels, plankton, and fish.

Classified in the UK as a Red List species under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4 (2015 update). It has fallen from the Amber List to a species now needing urgent action.

The main threat to Kittiwakes is change in food supply.  In colonies where sand-eel makes up most of the Kittiwake’s diet, a reduction in sand-eel numbers can lead to low hatching success rates, starvation of chicks or Kittiwakes not breeding at all. In the North Sea, sand-eels have also been heavily over-fished for commercial use as animal feed and fertiliser. Kittiwakes are particularly vulnerable to food shortages as they take prey only when it occurs at, or near the sea surface, unlike true diving species such as auks, which have access to a greater variety of prey in the water column.

There were Shags around the Puffins earlier, but as you get closer to Harp Rock they can be found nesting under boulders and behind the large rocks.  The first you know they are there is when there is a grunt and you see a bright green eye watching you while the throat vibrates in a  effort to cool down

The mate is never too far away standing guard.

But as has been the way while on the island it is very difficult to avoid and get away from the Puffins.  This one was sitting on the edge of the cliff with the sea below it sparkling in the warm sunshine, with the long lens it creates the circles from the bright reflections in the water and comes up with a different scene.

The slope of the cliffs are riddled with burrows that are hidden, every so often though a Puffin would emerge and give its presence away.

I watched this tussle play out and eventually had to step in as it became very quickly, heated.

The scientific name Fratercula arctica means “little brother of the north” in Latin. This may be because a puffin’s black and white feathers look like religious robes.

I spent a considerable amount of time trying to catch them with the landing gear down as they flew up to the cliff top.  These were the best I could achieve in the time I had.

Some lovely compositions with the thrift as much as the bluebells

This believe it or not was a rather tender moment

That quickly deteriorated

But it was a background of bluebells that provided some lovely scenes

And to end, a very dark, even black background to highlight the Puffin

Before leaving Harp Rock a view of Bac Mòr (the Dutchman’s Cap) from a different angle.

And some video that captures the sights and sounds of this wonderful sea bird colony

It was getting near to our departure time and I knew it would not just be a straight walk back, the Puffins would not let me leave that easily.  So I gave a little  time as I wanted to lie down and use the wide angle lens on the Puffins on the plateau close to the path down to the beach.  This provides a different perspective and also demonstrates how close it is possible to get to the Puffins.  In fact they actually walked toward me.

Reluctantly and slowly I pulled myself away from the Puffins and made the way down to the beach where we would be getting back on to the boat.

As we waited for the boat to attached and bring in the pontoon we were mobbed by Oystercatchers, it soon became clear why they were so anxious when some one pointed out a couple of eggs in a scrape on the beach.

We left the island and cruised slowly between the smaller islands and rock.  On these rocks were Grey Seals.

A very large mammal, the grey seal spends most of its time out at sea where it feeds on fish. It can be distinguished from the harbour seal by its larger size and longer head with a sloping ‘Roman nose’ profile. Mainly grey in colour, with darker blotches and spots.

Despite numbers dropping to only 500 in the early 20th century, it’s estimated that there are now more than 120,000 Grey Seals in Britain, representing 40% of the world’s population.

Grey seals are known for the eerie ‘singing’ noise they make while competing for space at haul-out sites. This has led to many myths about grey seals transforming into humans or humans into seals.

From September to November grey seals accumulate in the Treshnish Isles to pup and mate (conception takes place within 3 weeks of the birth). The pup is a helpless white/yellow furry creature scrabbling around the high tide mark for its first few days of life. Mother comes ashore to feed with a high concentration milk which makes the pup large and fat at the rate of up to 2 kg per day! 

After about three weeks of intensive growth the pup is left to its own devices and as it loses its fur and develops a sleek new coat for seagoing, another remarkable warm-blooded mammal has adapted perfectly to the harshness of life in our temperate seas. By mid-October, several hundred seals will be ashore and have given birth around the Treshnish Isles, creating the impression of a moving “live” beach in some areas.

In the water with the seals was a single Black Guillemot, providing the best views of the delightful, small cousin of the Guillemot

The Black Guillemot is a small auk that breeds among rocks at the base of cliffs, on lower slopes, or on rocky islands; they tend to be seen in small numbers.  Many thousands of Black Guillemots breed in the UK, scattered along the coast in pairs or small groups. Not moving far between seasons, in winter, you are likely to spot them in their breeding places.

Once out of the lee of the Treshnish Isles the sea became quite bumpy as promised and sitting outside decidedly wet.  After a while over concern for the camera I retired to the cabin.  There was little else to see on the way back, apparently Dolphins had not been seen for over a week and there has not been a Basking Shark sighting yet this year.

As we neared Ulva Ferry you get a great few of the lower part of the Eas Fors waterfall we were at earlier in the week, a 100 foot drop of water to the beach, quite spectacular.

From Ulva Ferry we followed the norther shoreline of Loch na Keal and around to the southern side and past the Gribun cliffs.  It was then down hill to Loch Scridain, here we stopped for some Buzzards quarreling with a Peregrine, the only sighting of this bird of Prey on the trip.

We hoped for some action as we came through Glen More late in the day, but there was nothing of any note.

It had been a day filled with so much, the first rain, dramatic clouds over the loch, a distant Hen Harrier, two species of skua and a Manx Shearwater, the immense spectacle of the sea bird colony on Lunga and of course the Puffins.