Stuart MacDonald

Ecologist. Birding. Salmon and brown trout fishing. Hills and moors. Rugby.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

@_MattEade Rubga Reidh has awesome potential.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Bit sad. The golden eagle nest I found in the spring is empty. May just about have fledged but I’m pretty sure they laid late so it’s very likely failed. Couldn’t seen any chick on it in June but definitely none now.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Orca - 5 of them - on the way out to the Isle of May today managed to upstage the 104,000 puffins. The dorsal fin is BIG when you see it up close.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Excellent golden eagle day. Plenty indicative action, possible new nest, a comfy seat and a surprisingly tasty pan loaf and margarine cheese sandwich. Outstanding!

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Bumblebee nest dug out last night, presumably by a badger.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Overnight camp looking for dotterel. Checked a lot of ground - including all the old “hotspots”. Plenty snow bunting and ptarmigan. That’s two years in a row I’ve turned up no dotterel on hills they used to be easy. Very few crane flies again.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Spent a fair amount of time the last couple of weeks at work lying down watching eagles, golden and white tailed. Pity about all the walking needed to reach the spot where you lie down!!

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Good week at work. Lots of golden eagle action and nice support work from goshawk, hen harrier and kite. Whooper swan and pink feet on the move as well and a rough legged buzzard on the way to top up a flat tyre.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Been a good week so far. Lots of golden eagle action - nest building, mating, hunting and displaying. Quieter eagle wise today with just two flights but the snuffle holes weren’t lying - found this active badger set just behind the VP.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

It’s that time of year. Golden eagles up and about hunting, displaying and mating.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Staff bird race limited to within 25km of Peterhead. We were robbed - lost by 5 species, 98 to 103. Had smew, crane and hen harrier in view at the same time in the binos! However that was trumped by a bit of blue sky and no rain - 1st for both for a LONG time.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Tough hill to be a mountain hare or a grouse. Had 2 white tail eagle, 7 golden eagle, 13 kite, 1 peregrine and 2 goshawk flights in 2 days. And a cracking sky.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

@_MattEade Awesome.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

A rather soggy 8hrs bringing in bat detectors in Argyll today. When it wasn’t raining the soaking wet thigh high vegetation made it feel as if it was.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Great VP today. Cracking view (eventually), big boulder for shelter and plenty golden eagles. A couple of close fly byes (despite what photo suggests)! All accessed by boat which is a nice change.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Cracking day on the hill today. Plenty eagle action (both species) and three hen harrier flights. Midges OK but loads of tiny ticks. Don’t want to think how many are wandering about my clothes - snd me. Took 10+ off my hands alone over the 9hrs - the joys of August surveying.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Awesome day out with Hebridean Whale Cruises yesterday. 25 porpoise, 46 common dolphin and 10 minkie whale, plus 100’s of stormies. In the middle of x4 lunge feeding Minkie at one point.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

My favourite window. Over the years I’ve had WV TL WE EA HH ML BV RH DV NX AC WM TY TW loads of otter, porpoise, minke whale , common and bottle nose dolphin and a load more besides.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

Setting up bat detectors today. Chest high wet vegetation was fun.

[Stuart MacDonald @feelsEAeagley]

@WiWildlife Hope that tuftie made your day.