Wednesday 20th November

Peter has returned from leading a birding trip to Peurto Rico and the Dominican Replubic, needless to say he is feeling the cold! Peter had 12 Whoopers fly South down past his house yesterday. Ken and the Burbage Birders had another good day yesterday with the following birds seen. At Blackrock 141 Scaup, from the Generator station at Bowmore, out on Loch Indaal, 5 Long tailed Duck, 13 Slavonian Grebe, 20 Common Scoter, 7 Dunlin and 16 Ringed Plover. At Kilnaughton Bay, 13 Ringed Plover with 6 GND offshore. Along on the Claggain River a Dipper was added to their list. Back over on the Oa, a Kestrel was seen, a male Hen Harrier, a male Merlin while on the actual reserve, 2 Golden Eagles were seen from the car park and then going home, they had a small flock of 43 Twite at Risabus and finally 29 Barwits on Loch Indaal at Springbank. The Brambling was still here today on the bird table! I forgot to mention that the other day, Paul Graham had a Woodcock over at Ballygrant, and James had one on the resere at Gruinart last night

Next Tuesday evening, the Bird nerds meet up at 7.30pm in bar of the  Lochside Hotel in Bowmore for our informal meeting, all welcome if you are over on Islay!!

Wednesday 3rd July

Here at home this morning there was a "train" or a "clattering" of around 50 Jackdaws round the base of the bird table! Bob had been driving along the "flats" at Gruinart today, a Peregrine took off from the road carrying a Jackdaw in its' talons, only to land in one of the trees at the farm steading and continue to devour the said Jackdaw. Carl had a Kestrel out towards Craigfad today, he was also saying that the GND which has been hanging around in the bay at Port Charlotte has moved on. Along at Carnain, there was a single Dunlin and at Uiskentuie a family on 4 Chough were present. This evening, as I put the wheely bins up to the top of the hill, our local Chough family of only 3  flew in, noisy and nosey as ever, great to see all the same! 

Monday 7th January

Same old tune, more rain. But it did dry up mid afternoon, so I ventured up to the top of the drive to bring the empty wheelie bin back home. Another first for the year, a Peregrine out on the wing, infact the first I have seen here for the best part of a month. The other day, there was a Raven flying over the crag carrying twigs in its' beak, surely not thinking of nesting building already, but then again they are early nesters, in February for sure. Yesterday down the road towards Loch Gorm, a Kestrel was hunkered up the top of one of the telegragh poles at the roadside. Today on the bird feeders was  a Blue Tit with a ring on, another of Euan's birds? It can be hard to spot that they have rings on when they are so mobile, especially the finches etc on the ground with their legs in the grass and not easily seen at the best of times.