jonathancampbell's Favorites

Pretty sure this is a Peregrine, but it might be a Merlin. There were two of them soaring above the valley (with not many wing flaps) making a call which looking it up afterwards sounded like it could have been a peregrine call, but unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough to get a recording (it did sound similar to the call on the RSPB page, but single ‘shrieks’ interspersed with a short gap, rather than a quick succession: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/peregrine/). I’ve enhanced the colours of some of the shots I took (they were very far away, so apologies for the quality!) to highlight the banding on the underside, so I would love people’s thoughts on what they were.

For a video, please see here: https://youtu.be/17IIkoYgh5Y

Seen off the coast of Salvador, in fairly shallow water (maybe 4m deep). The fish itself was about a metre long, perhaps slightly more (hard to judge). Had bright blue spots along it, and a very bizarre snout, almost like the lips were at the very end of it. Razor thin tail with some regular fish type fins along it.

Pretty sure it’s a Cornetfish, and the location would suggest the F. tabaracia. Either way, quite the shock to turn around and see this a couple of feet away in the water!!

So glad we saw one of these! It was one of the aims of going to Mull (along with seeing some dolphins etc, but unfortunately our boat trip got called off for inclement weather...). I loved how all round the island they had signs like the ones in the final photo. That's the sort of place you want to live!