Thursday 27th February

A bit colder out here today than of late, and it is meant to be wintertime... Today, Paul had been down on the Oa and had seen a couple of Golden Eagles, on Loch Kinnabus he had a count of 20 Tufties while along the roadside he saw some Stonechats. Later on, over at the Lily Loch, Paul flushed a Woodcock. This afternoon, on our way home, we saw a ringtail Hen Harrier chasing after a lbj along the roadside just after Sunderland, think the wee fellow ducked out of the way into safety!

Friday 21st February

Yesterday the Hampshire birders had walked up from Octofad through the woods towards Lossit where they saw Woodcock, Chough, Lapwing, Skylark and some Reed Buntings.At Bruichladdich they saw 3 Purple Sandpipers.Their daughter and son in law had walked out to the Singing sands at Port Ellen and saw Black Guillemot and Razorbills. Thanks to the Rochdale birders,aka Gordon and Pauline Yates who headed home today, back in April again, see you then!

Thursday 28th November

Back from a short trip out to the mainland, so many thanks to Dave down on the Oa for doing the blog in my absence. Today I have been at a meeting for most of the day, stuck inside looking out over a flat calm Loch Indaal, apart from a excursion to a different chair in the Dentist's.... Problem there sorted until the next visit!!! Marcus Conway had been over earlier this week and had seen Woodcock at Gruinart, over at Kilchoman, Twite and a Merlin were present with another Merlin over on the Oa. Close to ardbeg in the woods there were 3 Redpolls spotted.

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......

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!!

Thursday 18th October

Rather a lot of rain through the night, but it turned a not bad day once it cleared up... Yesterday afternoon, the Horwich birders had seen the following, 1 GND at Saligo  along with Black Guillemot, Guillemot, Shag and Eiders. Above Traigh Fleigien Beag were 90 Golden Plover and in the dunes behind were 2 groups of Twite on the grass, one tallied at 36, the other 12. Other visitors had told them of seeing Snow Buntings further up the coast from Saligo as well. Peter had a Sparrowhawk on his garden at Bruichladdich today and Bob saw his first Woodcock of the Autumn along with a few Snipe just up behind his house at Port Charlotte. Andrew and Jane had 8 Sanderling and 41 Ringed Plover down on Machir Bay, at Loch Gorm they had a male Goldeneye, pr of Tufted Duck and 8 Reed Buntings. They saw a Merlin opposite Kilchoman Distillery, a ringtail Hen Harrier and a Kestrel at Ballinaby and then a Peregrine at Grainel road end. Finally on the former distillery pond at Port Charlotte 2 Moorhen were present. Coming back home this evening we had a Barn Owl on the flats at Gruinart and another just before Sunderland Farm. There was also a reported sighting of an American Golden Plover down on Machir Bay by a visitor, but no more details apart from that. 

Monday 11th March

I have been in the office all day - not good because it was a beautiful day, cold, crisp with wonderful light. Luckily Martin sent through an e mail of records  from  yesterday:
In the woods near Kynagarry - 10 Woodcock, 1 Bullfinch, 32 Fieldfare, 3 Wrens, 4 Robins, 2 Buzzards, 6 Blackbirds and 2 pairs of Long Tailed Tits. From home, in his garden: Reed Buntings 5 males 1 female, a male Hen Harrier and a pair of Skylark displaying.

Wednesday 30th January

The wind last night did drop down, thank goodness and today, better still it dried up, although according to the weather forecast, there is some more rain due tomorrow. We are not much different in rainfall to January 2012, but depending on how much falls tomorrow, we could easily beat it! On to some birds then. Mary this morning had a Barn Owl along the flats at Gruinart as she came into work. Yesterday she saw a Sparrowhawk at Bushmills, the offices at Gruinart. Going up to Ardnave the other day, Mary noticed 2 Brambling and also 2 Yellowhammer amongst the Chaffinch flock present. Mary also had 12 Reed Bunting along the same road. Going home, the past few evenings, in the dusk Mary has been seeing some Woodcock along the verge sides.

Tuesday 16th October

Bob took this image yesterday of one of the 2 Snow buntings that he had seen. Andrew from Lancashire had been up at Gortantoid yesterday, but no joy with either the Firecrest or the Yellow browed Warbler, but the Brambling was still making the most of the Rowan berries! In the sky over Killinallan, he had a juv Golden Eagle, an adult Golden Eagle and 2 White tailed Sea Eagles. Later on in the evening, Andrew had a couple of Woodcock roding over Ballimony on the Rhinns. This week also, a group of SOC members from The Stewartry are over, they sent in some sightings they had yesterday, 7 Slavonian Grebe on Loch Indaal, a flock of over 60 Twite at Saligo, juv Golden Eagle at Sanaigmore, an Otter on Loch Indaal just out from Bowmore Distillery, 1 Brambling amongst a mixed flock of Chaffinch, Twite and Greenfinch close to Coille, 5 Lesser Redpoll near Ballinaby, male Kestrel at Saligo, female Kestrel near Loch na Caiche, below Rockside. They also had a small, performing, mumeration of Starling close to Rockside. They were well pleased with seeing our Choughs and also the sightings of our winter visitors, Barnacle and Greenland Whitefronted Geese. The Leigh Birders, Pauline, David, Ian and Anne also had a great day yesterday starting off with a ringtail Hen Harrier where they are staying down on the Oa. Just after Sunderland Farm as the road drops down towards Loch Gorm , in the scrub there were 8 Long tailed Tits along with Great Tits.Up at Kilchoman Distillery they had a Brambling along with a Greenfinch, down on the "new pond" (after the recent heavy rain!) at Machir Bay they around 200 Common Gull and round there too were 12 Chough with also 5 Buzzards too. Saligo held a female Peregrine with the fields at Ballinaby, 23 Greenland Whitefronts. Heading back up the hedges to Rockmountain a male Hen Harrier was seen. They commented on the number of Stonechats around, a long time missing from their home patch in Lancashire, also the numbers of Robins around...Gavin had watched a Golden Eagle this morning for around 45 minutes, down on the South East coast of Islay. James today at Gruinart had a White tailed Sea Eagle, 431 Greenland Whitefronts and a Pink footed Goose. Andrew from Lancs this morning had 6 Scoter, 52 Scaup, 12 Slavonian Grebe on Loch Indaal from Blackrock. He also saw 3 White tailed Sea Eagles on the sand close to Gartmain. This afternoon, from the new hide Snipe, Ruff and 6 Black tailed Godwit. Later from the old hide, 3 Dabchick, 18 Red legged Partridge , possibly recently released birds, Gadwall, Moorhen, 5 Greenland Whitefronts with neck collars on them, and a Water Rail over towards Loch Gorm. James too has been seeing the Whitefronts with collars, and will find out more details about these birds.