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.

Wednesday 24th April

Yesterday, Carl had a count of around 500 Barnies down at Octofad, at home he has had his first Goldfinches and Siskins of the year on his feeders. Mary yesterday had a Canada Goose over on Nave Island, wonder if it has a mate over there too? Offshore there were 4 GND all in different stages of plumage and several Fulmars in flight around Nave Island itself. Back on Ardnave Point around the dunes, Mary counted a total of 12 Wheatear present and also 4 Sand Martin and a couple of Swallows. Today, Carl had some small groups of Whimbrel down between Craigfad and Octomore on the Rhinns, at An Gleann there were several hundred Barnies and on Loch Indaal, just outside of Bruichladdich Distillery, 9 Eiders were seen. The Rochdale Birders had 11 Whimbrel at Nerabus on the Rhinns, a male and then later a female Sparrowhawk down at Portnahaven, at Bruichladdich a count of 11 Purple Sandpiper. Over a Gruinart, on the reserve there was a Mallard proudly showing off her new brood of 5 young ducklings. They also counted over 300 Barnies on the reserve. Along at Sunderland Farm, late afternoon, we had 52 Greylags in one field alone, earlier on we had seen 4 Buzzards together on a thermal. Coming home, towards Rockside, there was a Raven seeing a Buzzard off... A male Stonechat was along on the fence wire at the side of the road, looked tremendous in the light, but as ever no camera to hand...

Tuesday 23rd April

A great image of a Black tailed Godwit taken over at Gruinart last week by Armin Grewe while he was here for Walkislay...  Yesterday, Carl had a count of 150 Barnies down at Port Charlotte. Today the Rochdale birders counted 1300 Barnies at Gruinart, but no sign of the Red breasted Goose! Along at Sunderland, they had 20 Whitefronts. On Loch Indaal, they had 8 Purple Sandpipers and 5 Whimbrel. Today at Gruinart, James reported that there were lots of Willow Warblers on the reserve, including 5 in the scrub up beside Gruinart farm itself.  James had 12 Whimbrel fly over the reserve today and also heard his first Grasshopper Warbler of the year.  Here at home , there were 4 Siskins on the feeders, 2 male and 2 female.

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