Wednesday 27th November

Not much news sent through so just more birds from the Oa. Another good day for seeing raptors, with Golden Eagle, Merlin, male and female Hen Harrier, 3 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk all seen whilst out and about today. Yesterday 2 Goldeneye were on Loch Kinnabus, a Red Grouse was seen on the hill and a good count of 93 Rock Dove also at Kinnabus.

Friday 22nd November

Earlier on this week, the first International Goose count of this Autumn, was carried out with the whole of Islay being counted all on the one day, rather than some routes one day and the other day on the second day. Having said that when the International count is carried, it is done over 2 consecutive days with average count for the 2 days being the actual figure... So after all that the figures this week's count tallied through at 46,931 Barnies and 5,888 Whitefronts, not sure on the first count last year, but I think the Barnies could be down a bit. Thanks to Tracey and the team from SNH for these figures. The 2 days when the count was carried out was far from ideal. Malcolm this morning had a juv WTSE on the shore over on Jura between Feolin and Inver. Martin had been out  for a walk down at Avonvoggie today with 5 Crossbills being seen Also present there were 3 Bullfinches, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Snipe, a female Sparrowhawk, there were also many Robins and Wrens too. Peter and Pia saw 2 Red Grouse out towards Bolsa this morning. With Loch  Indaal being flat calm, Peter did a scan out over the Loch from the pier at Bruichladdich. Peter's tally was as follows, around 40 Shag, 4 Cormorant, 58 Red throated Diver, 23  GND, 2 Black throated Diver, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 169 Eider, 5 Mallard, 56 Common Scoter, 49 R. b. Merganser, 1 Goldeneye, 48 Greylag and 1 Black Guillemot. There were few gulls around a total of 10 consisting of a mixture of Greater black backs, Herring and Common Gulls. Peter also had a female Sparrowhawk fly past along the shore.

Monday 12th August

Please note the date, "The Glorious Twelfth". What did James  see on the reserve at Gruinart, you guessed it, 2 Red Grouse. Also present were 2 Hen Harriers and a Sparrowhawk... Forgot to say yesterday, that we saw a Bullfinch as we came through the woods at Bridgend! Weather here has been showery today, although this evening I managed a quick turn out and cut the most of the grass, another job done before heading South...

Friday 19th April

Carl sent this image of a Little Egret which he took earlier today while he was out past Ardbeg. Later on he had a Swallow back home in Port Charlotte. Margaret had another one at Lagavullin Distillery and Mary saw 3 down at Portnahaven. Wheatears have fairly in come in over the past few days, we had seen some  at Claggain Bay, and at other points on our way over there, and Mary had seen them at Claddach down at Portnahaven. Michal had a pr of Red Grouse on the reserve at Gruinart today, and yesterday James had a leucistic Barwit on Loch Gruinart. A visitor reported in to RSPB saying that they had seen the Red breasted Goose amongst the Barnies that were resting up at the head of Loch Indaal today. Bob had seen a Whimbrel today, up behind Port Charlotte. Yesterday Bob had seen a Wheatear, 6 Sand Martins, a Common Sandpiper and 3 male Reed Bunting carrying nesting material all over at Kilchiaran

Saturday 13th April.

Yes, it had to happen, it has started to rain. Oh yes, and the wind has picked up, the evening ferry has been diverted to Port Askaig, and already the Islay ferries are on amber alert for tomorrow. The Fulmars can't be that bad at predicting the weather after all!! Right then, on to the bird blog....Bob had been out round the his home patch yesterday on the Rhinns and heard a Sedge Warbler, saw 2 Red Grouse, a Short eared Owl and male Hen Harriers at 2 different locations. Also yesterday afternoon, Liz Hathaway and Emily from RSPB had seen an adult White tailed Sea Eagle down on the Rhinns, a good chance of being the same bird that Bob had yesterday morning. This morning, I heard and then saw a Goldcrest in the wood here at home. 

Thursday 28th March

On Tuesday, on her way home, on Jura, Louise had a Short eared Owl down towards Ardfin, the first she has seen for a while. Yesterday, Dave mustered the troops from the Oa and Gruinart reserves plus Bob and Martin. Together, they carried out a cliff survey on the Oa reserve with the highlights being 3 Golden Eagle, 1 imm White tailed Sea Eagle, 1 Merlin, 3 Buzzard, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Peregrine, pr Red Grouse, Snipe, Woodcock and  4 Chough. Offshore they had a pod of 6 Bottle nosed Dolphin. Today, through the office window on the Oa, Dave had a imm White tailed Sea Eagle, a Golden Eagle and also a Peregrine. This afternoon, out from smelly corner we had over 40 Whoopers resting up and at least 50 Shelduck to be seen there too. On one of the wee ponds nearby there was a pr of Moorhen present.

Thursday 14th March

Some sightings through from George. After very few ducks on his ponds so far this winter, he has 9 Wigeon and 2 Teal being seen regularly of late. Yesterday he had heard a frog croaking away but could not locate it! A Buzzard was seen as were 4 Snipe which is fewer than normal. George had 2 Mistle Thrushes and like me feels that he has seen more Blackbirds and Song Thrushes recently. Also in his fields there were 13 Greenland Whitefronts. Back on Tuesday, Mary had been helping out with the Deer count over at Dunlossit. On her stretch, going North by Storakaig, Mary had 2 Red Grouse, a Golden Eagle with a Golden Plover heard overhead. 2 Lizards were seen trying to bask... On Wednesday down on the Oa, she had 7 Snipe, 1 Woodcock, 1 male Hen Harrier, 1 Golden Eagle and 2 pairs of Ravens. Today, Mary had done a count on Loch Gruinart, the tally being as follows,  2 GND, 290 Shelduck, 198 Wigeon, 3 Teal, 44 Mallard, 4 Eider, 14 Red breasted Merganser, 180 Oystercatcher, 9 Ringed Plover, 6 Grey Plover, 2 Lapwing, 242 Dunlin, 73 Barwits, 12 Blackwits, 147 Curlew, 61 Redshank, 16 Turnstone, 5 Greenshank, 25 Black headed Gulls, 99 Common Gulls, 36 Lesser bb Gulls, 78 Herring Gulls and 6 Gbb Gulls. Ardnave Loch held 7 Oystercatcher, 6 Goldeneye, 1 Redshank, 2 Herring Gull, 2 Greylag, 2 Mute Swan, 4 Whooper Swan, 4 Wigeon, 17 Teal, 18 Mallard and 8 Tufted Duck.

Thursday 6th December

Yes, the band of rain certainly did come in from the West...a steady rain, not a downpour, but all the same we did get the best part of an inch of rain or thereabouts!  Forgot to put on last night's entry that Mary had seen a Barn Owl on her way into work yesterday down close to An Gleann and also a few Woodcock at various places along the road. Back last Friday, Dave had 2 late Chiffchaffs down on the reserve on the Oa. On Tuesday, Dave had a Jack Snipe, 2 Red Grouse and also a Woodcock. Yesterday, he had 2 Golden Eagle and a Snow Bunting, again all on the reserve.

Monday 5th November

This morning the weather was not too good, but after midday it turned a great day... Yesterday Michael, a visiting birder over for the week, had started off at Loch Gruinart with 2 Golden Eagle (1 imm.) , 160 Golden Plover, 25 Ringed Plover, 104 Sanderling, 140 Dunlin and 15 Turnstone. Up at Ardnave he had 3 GND and 5 Snow Buntings. Finally down at Bridgend he had a count of 520 Golden Plover. David and Jenny yesterday had a Merlin over at Gruinart and a Golden Eagle as well as a Peregrine at Loch Skerrols. Today, Michael had 21 Whoopers arriving at Gruinart, 1 Peregrine, on the estuary there rather than on the floods, 4 Gadwall, 41 Pintail and 34 Shoveller were present. On his way down to Loch Indaal, at Lyrabus and looking over to Foreland, a ringtail Hen Harrier and a Merlin were seen. On Loch Indaal itself, between Blackrock and round to Bruichladdich, 13 GND, 24 RTD, 1 Black throated Diver, 13 Slavonian Grebe, 114 Scaup (very close to the road giving good sightings), 1 Long tailed Duck and finally off Bruichladdich Pier, 29 Common Scoter were counted. Earlier this morning, George had a count of 21 at Brichladdich. Today David and Jenny had seen 150 Wigeon on Ardnave Loch with around 700 Barnies roosting up on the beach over on Nave Island. Down at Claggain Bay, they had around 80 Meadow Pipits with a fall of 22 Robins! They also had a couple of Yellowhammers along at the Kildalton Cross. A Sparrowhawk was seen on the high road  out of Port Ellen. Peter this morning had a Waxwing fly over Bruichladdich.. Bob today had 220 Whitefronts out on the barley stubble out in front of his house along with some Rock Doves. There was also a imm. Peregrine perched up for ages just watching, then it started to cause havoc with the doves!  High up 7 Whoopers were seen heading South. On Bolsay Moor, Bob had 3 Red Grouse along with a couple of Snipe. Here at home at lunchtime, over the big crag, I had a count of 10 Buzzards all wheeling around, I counted them 3 times and came with 10 each time! Later on closer to 5pm, as the light was starting to fail there were 4 Buzzards out and also a Golden Eagle. Robin from Settle, had done a count down on Loch Indaal at 9am, 17 Slav. Grebe, 8 GND, 6 RTD, 14 Knot and 60 Golden Plover. Bridgend Woods held a Woodcock, a flock of around 100 Chaffinch along with usual Tits and Treecreepers as well. On Loch Gruinart from the Killinallan side, 20 Pintail, 14 Shoveller, 1 male Gadwall, 2 Greenshank, 1 Grey Plover were seen. Out from Port Bhan on Loch Indaal, late afternoon, Robin had 3 flocks of Common Scoter, one with 20 females, and mostly males in the other 2 flocks, totalling 54 in all. Finally back up to Gruinart, but on the reserve this time, Robin had 97 Shelduck, 87 Golden Plover, 32 Whoopers and around 20 red legs.