Sunday 1st December

Yep, another month in, with the tally for the rain coming through at 4.25", another "relatively" dry month, better keep quiet until the end of December to get the overall picture for 2013!!! Speaking to Ed yesterday about his current work here on Islay with the Greenland Whitefronted Geese. The team have maanaged to catch and put collars on 3 geese. 2 were caught at Gruinart and fitted with GPS collars, numbers 21 & 22 with respective darvic rings on their legs being LL and SOY. The neck collars are blue while the rings on the legs are white. They have also managed catch another goose down close to Eollabus near to Bridgend with the neck collar fitted readin S1Y and the darvic leg ring 25, so if you manage to see any of these geese, let me know and I will pass on your sightings to Ed. Yesterday James had a group of over 40 Snipe flying over the reserve. Here at home, I think the Brambling has moved on, but I had a "close sighting" of a male Hen Harrier as it flew down over the wee hill behind the house before it circled up to above the big crag, same old story, right place, right time

Monday 25th November

Whilst gathering sheep on the hills of the Oa today we saw 2 Golden Eagles, 3 Woodcock, 5 Snipe, and a female type Hen Harrier. Some counts from the Oa from last Friday included 427 Twite, 51 Chaffinch, 54 Golden Plover and a Grey Wagtail.
Today, Pete had seen a Water Rail well when flushed from a ditch at Bolsa Track near Port Charlotte. The saga in his garden continues with a very bold rook flying off with the food he put out for the Blackcap yesterday. Undaunted he has crushed another one of his fat balls and put that in a more sheltered spot in the garden in the hope that smaller birds may find it more accessible......

Monday 30th September

Some birds through from yesterday... George had 7 Snipe when he was up at Ardnave, Carl at Kilchiaran saw 15 Curlew, 2 Snipe, 2 Heron and a Wheatear. Over at Carrabus he had seen "lots" of Wheatear and at Coullabus he had a House Martin. Down at Port Charlotte tonight, Carl has seen numerous Swallows. 

Wednesday 11th September

Forgot to mention that we had a brief visit back on Sunday from Michal who was over on Islay for a few days. Michal has been up in Iceland as a "vol" for the past 3 months, another line on his cv!! While he was here, along with James, the 2 of them rescued a young Fulmar out in one of the fields. It would have taken off from its' nest on the crag, but could not make it out over the ridge and down to sea, so Michal and James took it down to Loch Indaal and released it there. Late this afternoon, we went round Loch Gorm and had a count of 6 Buzzards along the way. A few Greylags at Ballinaby, Stonechats on fence posts, a few Whearear along with a lot of Meadow Pipits as we went along with the odd Raven seen too. On the reserve at Gruinart today, James had a Merlin, Peregrine and a count of 37 Snipe. Weather today not too good with a misy coming and going for most of the time, net result, the "morning" plane came in early this afternoon, and the evening plane was just cancelled, do not think they really tried as it was cancelled by 18.15...  

Wednesday 8th May

As forecast, the smurry rain did come in this morning followed by heavy rain and the hey presto around 

4 o'clock it faired up... Before it got too wet, Nick who is over doing some contract work for RSPB managed to do his survey round about here. He saw 2 pr of Twite, over 30 Sand Martins down the burn in the same area as where the colony was 2 years ago, seen Chough out  over the dunes, Linnets on the gorse in the glen, a Heron took off from the burn and down at the reed bed at the Coastguards Nick heard 3 Sedge Warblers calling away. Peter had 4 Razorbills off Bruichladdich from his house. Later on in Bridgend woods he heard his first Blackcap of the year and on the River Sorn he saw a pr of Dippers. On the "Wader walk" at Gruinart this evening, there was a pr of Whooper Swans, several Snipe were heard drumming, I heard 2 different Corncrakes (my first of the year!) and a Cuckoo was calling away. A pr of Shoveler were seen 6 Shelduck flew over, Redshank noted and Lapwings displaying too. A great evening after a poor start to the day!

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.

Tuesday 12th February

Our Hampshire birders yesterday had been up at Ardnave. In the dunes opposite Nave Island, they had a small flock of 20 Twite, out on the sea towards Nave Island, they saw 3 Black throated Divers and 1 Shag. Later on they counted over 40 Chough. On Ardnave Loch itself, 3 Whooper Swans were present. Down the road on the game crop close to Garra Eallabus, 2 Greenfiches were seen in the mixed flock of Reed Bunting, Brambling and Chaffinches. Finally down to Uisekentuie, they saw a Pied Wagtail on the fence at the side of the road. Yesterday Bob had 32 Greylags on Loch Gearach, also seen there were 1 Whooper Swan, 90 Teal, 20 Mallard and 45 Wigeon. Over towards Grimsay, Bob had 2 Snipe and later on a Short eared Owl. This morning, Jane Griffiths had a Golden Eagle fly past her house up towards Mulindry.