Friday 6th Decmber

Better get a move on and write this entry as the power is liable to go off at any point, don't fancy the lot of a linesman with the power companies over the past few days....Bob had been out today, up at Ardnave Point a male Hen harrier seen, on Ardnave Loch 47 Whoopers were present, coming back towards Gruinart along the road, a Sparrowhawk while on the reserve 300 Golden Plover were present, back down at Bowmore there were 42 Pale bellied Brent Geese. Amy today on the reserve had counted 40 Pintail and also 100 Shelduck. Peter was down on Machir Bay, and counted 35 Ringed Plover, on the tideline there were over 50 Rooks, 6 Chough and 12 Hooded Crows. Along on Loch Gorm there were 45 Curlew and also a pr of Goldeneye. Paul G. was on the phone to say that over the past few days that there have been more Goldfinches on the bird table over at Scannasdale outside Ballygrant. Paul has been seeing Hen Harriers regularly out behind Ballygrant of late as well. This morning, here at home on the grass in the garden there appeared to be more Blackbirds around, rather than just the odd one. The Goose count yesterday was cancelled because of the weather out and about....

Friday 15th November

A busy day for me today and busy emptying kayaks this evening. A few birds around the Gruinart reserve. A White Tailed Eagle juv sitting on the salt marsh surrounded by barnacle geese at dawn. 15 Whooper swans arrived in front of the new hide and a male Hen Harrier near the visitor centre.

Sunday 21st July

Visiting birder Paul  last night, before hitting the pillow, had heard a Corncrake up the top of the hill. This morning at Sanaigmore he heard a further 2 calling up there, what a way to start your holiday. Up at Sanaigmore he also saw 3 Whimbrel. This morning I  went along with Bob and Martin and did the count along the shore from Bowmore down to Gartbreck, the birds were not as numerous as other visits but it is that time of year!! The birds we counted were 40 Oystercatcher, 15 Greylag, 2 Shelduck, 2 Whimbrel, 64 Curlew, 95 Oystercatcher, 9 Redshank, 29 Dunlin, 21 Ringed Plover, 5 Lapwing, 2 GBB Gull, 15 Herring Gull, 20 Common Gull, 14 Black headed Gull, 20 Arctic Tern, 1 Heron and 3 Shag. On the shoreline there was a juv Wheatear, some Rock Pipits and 3 juv Blackbirds. 3 Hares were sitting in one of the fields where we started off from. Earlier on 2 Whooper Swans were seen just as we came in to Bowmore just after the Generating Station on Loch Indaal.

Friday 24th May

Has summer arrived, we beg to ask. Yes the sun has been shining all day and it provided us with a little warmth too, not a lot but a start in the right direction... Dave had a Whooper Swan today down on Loch Kinnabus. Here at home, this afternoon there was a hen Pheasent proudly strutting about showing off her brood of 6 youngsters, a  Blackbird was carrying food back to her nest , up in the shed the young Starlings do n't half make a noise when they hear you enter the shed, am I meant to feed them as well??? Round at Ballinaby there were around 50 Ringed Plover and 10 Dunlin, in the next field 2 Lapwing, one with 3 chicks, another with 4, across the the road a pr Greylags with 2 goslings. Coming home the Sand Martins were out hawking for food, and earlier on this afternoon the Corncrake was calling away good style while I was cutting the grass.

Monday 17th December

Yesterday, Malcolm had been out round at Ballinaby, on the lookout for the Whitefronts that were caught and rung last week. Malcolm managed to see 30 out of the 31 geese that were rung, the exception being 2HX. By the sound of things, they were all together in the same stubble turnip field as last week! Peter and Pia had gone out yesterday afternoon on the hunt of the elusive Red breasted Goose up in the Gruinart area, but no joy...but did have good numbers of  Barwits, Wigeon, Shelduck, Oystercatcher, Redshank, and some Curlews. At Craigens, they had 2 Whitefronts with neck collars on, not from last week, but rung in West Greenland back in 1997! They were regularly seen on the Mull of Kintyre up to 2007/ '08 and since then winter visitors to Islay, not so far to fly! Up on Ardnave Loch itself, they had 15 Whoopers and 12 Goldeneye and counted around 54 Chough close by. Back down at Gortan, there was a total of 17 Pale bellied Brent feeding there. Today down in the woods at Bridgend, they had Siskin on the feeders at The Woolen Mill and also several Goldcrest in the trees. Back at Bruichladdich this afternoon, Peter and Pia had Eiders catching Crabs, the Eiders themselves in turn were being pirated by gulls! Also present were some Mergansers and Shags with 2- 3 GND further out on Loch Indaal. 

Monday 19th November

A really wet and wild night- more than an inch of rain. The view from my kitchen window over the Gruinart Flats was an extremely moist scene.
Still more whoopers moved through the reserve, with a total of 23 split into 2 groups. Also on the mud were 120 golden plover all huddled against the wind.
Dave sent me through a report from the Oa (thankyou)- a Glaucous gull, 330 twite, 2 golden eagles, a ringtail hen harrier, 5 goldeneye, a red breasted merganser and several groups of fieldfares and redwing.

Sunday 18th November

There is still plenty of birds migrating through. I was feeding cows this morning - but noticed 10 whoopers on Loch Gruinart, later another 17 came through honking loudly.
I had a quick look at the floods later and noticed 5 gadwall and a peregrine.