Saturday 24th November

A good day on Islay, plenty of sun and good light as well as a fantastic sun set. Paul Beresford was out and about around the Island and got some good records. First on Loch Indaal - 42 pale bellied brent geese, 107 scaup, 13 long tailed ducks, 17 Slavonian grebes and 5 common scoter. Then at Gartbreck, 1 hen harrier and 11 twite. A hen harrier over Loch Gorm and finishing with the red breasted goose outside the new hide at RSPB Loch Gruinart and a waxwing on the woodland trail.

Monday 12th November

Carl yesterday had seen some Long tailed Tits while he was out over at Laggan Bridge. Along the strand at Uisnetuie he had 4 RTD, 2 Dunlin, and a few Turnstone, along at Blackrock, there was a flock of 130 Scaup. Coming home there was an Otter showing well at Gortan, Paul and Joan Graham had also seen the Otter there for around 10 minutes, munching away on its' prey! Back home in Port Charlotte, Carl had 9 Waxwings, a flock of Redpolls, 4 Coal Tit and a Goldcrest.  Alan from Surrey, the other day had a Golden Eagle down past Kildalton, with a Buzzard close by, making a good comparison. Alan also had another Golden Eagle up behind Loch Skerrols.

Tuesday 6th November

A much quieter day on the bird front today, but possibly the weather has not helped out! Yesterday the Red breasted Goose was seen over on the flats at Gruinart, as was a Canada Goose hutchinsii sp. This morning Carl had 5 Waxwings in his garden in Port Charlotte, down on fallen apples on the ground. Robin from Settle on his last day, had a Sparrowhawk in the trees up near to Ballygrant along with some Chaffinches and Blue Tits seen there too, but no Brambling present! Later on, flying over the market at Bridgend was a White tailed Sea Eagle.

Saturday 3rd November

A miserable sort of a day out here today, with squally showers coming out of nowhere and also the temperature not that great either, it's that time of year I should remember....On to more positive thoughts! Yesterday, the Red breasted Goose was seen up towards Ardnave, proving quite a bit of a challenge to be seen! The Waxwings were still present at Port Askaig . David and Jenny round at Coille had the large "finch flock" consisting of mainly Chaffinch with some Twite and a Linnet too, but the 2 Bramblings were seen there too! Further on they saw 2 Golden Eagles up towards Sanaigmore. At Ballinaby, a flock of 30 Golden Plover were present. Over at Gruinart, they had both a male and a ringtail Hen Harrier, a Peregrine, 2 Greenshank and 6 Gadwall.  Michal had Snow Bunting on the track at Saligo.  George had an Otter down at Bruichladdich. Today at Machir Bay, David and Jenny birds included 2 Gannets, a Long tailed Duck, an immature Kittiwake, an imm. Glaucous Gull and a ringtail Hen Harrier. Pia had 6 Waxwings in her garden in Bruichladdich, offshore on Loch Indaal a flock of over 60 Common Scoter were present, and an Otter was seen eating a large crab, not bad going from the house!!

Thursday 1st November

A distant image of the blue phased Snow Goose that was briefly on the flats at Gruinart this morning, also in the frame is a Canada Goose hutchinsii sp as well as 2 Barnies in the foreground, good one Steve!! Yesterday along the road, Tom, one of Steve's colleagues who has been over for a few days, had a Yellow browed Warbler at Erasaid, and this afternoon at Port Askaig while waiting on the ferry, he had 8 Waxwings. This morning, Bob had been down doing a sea watch at Frenchman's Rocks where he met in with another visiting birder, Julie from Durham. Their birds seen were as follows, 4 Purple Sandpipers, 3 Turnstone, 4 RTD , 3 GND,  2 groups of Whoopers (12 and another 8), 2 groups of Pale bellied Brent Geese (22 and 2), 17 Barnies, 2 Bonxies, a steady passage of Kittiwakes, around 15 every 10  minutes mostly heading South. Bob also had 6 Fieldfare at the roadside at Gearach, and a flock of around 500 Barnies roosting up on the rough ground towards Claddach. The rainfall figure for October was 6.5" an inch drier than last October, so we are still drier than last year at the same time.... mind you  the Paps of Jura had a white cap well down today eith the far hills behind Port Ellen also wearing a lighter version, more a dusting!!

Tuesday 30th October

Bob sent though this image of a Waxwing which he took in his garden at lunchtime today, perched on topof the Raspberry bushes, note the Dahlias out in bloom too.... Earlier on Bob had been down at Frenchman's Rocks and seen several groups of Common Scoter flying South and also a Glaucous Gull. On his way there he had 2 Stonechats as well. Jim Dickson had been over from Lochgilphead for the day. At Sunderland Farm Jim had the Red brested Goose as well as a Golden Eagle there too. Along at Coille, he had 8 Brambling. On Loch Indaal, Jim had a total count of 86 Pale bellied Brent Geese, with 2 White tailed Sea Eagles at the head of the loch, and finally up at Cruach behind Bowmore there was a single Pink footed Goose present. David and Jenny, regular visitors from Staffs yesterday had the following birds, Golden Eagle up towards Sanaigmore, White tailed Sea Eagle flew from Ballinaby towards Gruinart, male Hen Harrier at Ballinaby, a total of 9 Stonechats around Loch Gorm, 180 Greylags on Loch Gorm, 4 different Kestrels round Loch Gorm, 100 Scaup on Loch Indaal, 2 Long tailed Ducks on Loch Indaal, 3 RTD & 8 GND there too