Wednesday 24th April

 Continuing blue skies, dry and sunny with a cold nip in the air.

David Dinsley was finding further summer migrants on The Oa: a Whinchat and Grasshopper Warblers at Kinnabus and Cuckoo at Glen Astle. At the other end of the island James How reports Cuckoo, Sedge Warble and "loads" of Sand Martins at Gruinart this morning and 31 Whimbrel at Saligo. Another group of 15 Whimbrel were flying about the fields around Bruichladdich later in the day.

John and Susan Kirkman (on holiday from Yorkshire), sent in some notes for 22nd April including a Dipper at Kilchiaran (always interesting to find one of these away from the River Sorn), 7 singing Willow Warblers just south of Port Charlotte and 4 Arctic and 2 Sandwich Terns at Portcharlotte,

Tuesday 23rd April

Another lovely sunny day on Islay, even though still a bit of a light and chilly breeze.

A few more new migrants in today. Top of the bill was an Osprey seen by David D. on The Oa. Down at Smaull Lauren Stewart found Islay's first Whinchat of 2024. Elsewhere there were further reports of Cuckoos, Willow and Grasshopper Warblers. David W. saw 4 Manx Shearwaters on his ferry crossing and a couple of Arctic Terns in West Loch Tarbert. 

Monday 22nd April

Another lovely sunny day, with a further trickle of new summer birds turning up. Ed Burrell had 10 Whimbrel pass through Cornabus and Linden had the first Sedge Warbler of the year on the floods at Gruinart. Mary-Ann Featherstone noticed a couple of Terns (presumably Arctic?) at Kildalton and a Blackcap was heard singing by David D. at Kinnabus early this morning. But spring is in full swing for some species, with James How noting the first Lapwing chicks at RSPB Gruinart. 

Visitor Joanna Dailey who had been on Islay back in February, sent in details of a colour-ringed Oystercatcher that she saw on her visit. It was a bird ringed as an adult near Dublin in July 2020 and seen in that area at times every year since. this was the first sighting away from Eire.

Sunday 21st April

 A very fine, dry day with sunshine and a good temperature - very summery.

Amongst the continuing reports of the usual and expected summer migrants such as Cuckoos, Blackcaps and Common Sandpipers, there were Grasshopper Warblers reported at Cornabus and Glen Astle on The Oa. There were a few other interesting sightings: Ed Burrell had a flock of Redwings at Cornabus and David D. noted Fieldfare on The Oa. It can't be long now before they are away for summer. Ed also had a total of 23 Black-tailed Godwits on Loch Cornabus, which is not a usual location for the species, especially in that number. More unusual still was a pair of Tree Sparrows seen by David D. at Kinnabus. This species appears very erratically on Islay, but did breed on The Oa in 2009.

Here at Bruichladdich there is Collared dove nest-building in the hedge around the garden and a small group of drake Mallards gathering on the sea, numbering 12 today. Presumably these are males that have bred and now left the females to do all the hard work. 

Saturday 20th April

A fine, dry, calm and sunny day, though not that warm.

People were reporting warblers all over the place today. Mandy h. had our first Grasshopper Warbler of the year singing at Carnduncan, with James How noting others at Sanaig. Later, Mary-Ann Featherstone had Grasshopper Warbler along with Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers over at Kildalton (she also sent in a note of Cuckoo there and at Ardbeg yesterday afternoon). 

David D. notes a report on the Islay Facebook page of Corn Crake calling at Portnahaven this morning, and 5 Common Sandpipers seen by him at Loch Kinnabus, with a first Whimbrel of the year at Ardtalla later - David wood notching up another 3 Whimbrel at Kildalton in the afternoon. 

Margaret Brooke had Cuckoos calling at Kilchoman where Swallows were back, as they were here at Bruichladdich prospecting outbuildings for nest sites.

Linden Kingston noted a flock of 23 Whooper Swans just landed in Kilnaughton Bay  at 5.20pm, and I had what is presumably the same group of 23 flying directly up Loch Indaal at 8pm this evening. I wonder if they were on their way to Iceland this evening or are going to rest up and head off tomorrow?

So, we have a good proportion of the summer migrants noted here now - just a few more species to arrive, hopefully along with some good warm weather.

Thursday 18th & Friday 19th April

Yesterday's weather was awful - damp grey and rainy. So nobody went birding and there was nothing to report. Today was much nicer - dry, bright and sunny again, though still not much bird news to impart.

Mandy H. reported Willow Warbler singing at Carnduncan, Linden had a male Blackcap on the RSPB Gruinart  moorland trail and Ed Burrell had a White Wagtail at Cornabus. 

Non-avian news was another Emperor Moth on The Oa seen by David D.

Wednesday 17th April

A bright, dry and sunny day, though the only bird news from Islay comes from Linden who counted 155+ Black-tailed Godwits from the North Hide at RSPB Gruinart. Spring peaks of this migrant on its way to breed in Iceland are almost always higher than autumn returning birds. This count is a fairly high one, though numbers do seem to have increased in the past 25 years. There have been 2-3 counts over 300 and an exceptional tally of 850 in April 2013.

Margaret Brooke noticed a Barn Owl in her nest-box via CCTV last night. The bird was ringed, and as neither of the usual nesting pair were ringed, she wonders if this might be one of last years ringed young taking a look at its old home!

Away from Islay, Fiona McGillivray heard a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker in the woods at Inver on Jura today. This species is probably a regular breeding bird on Jura nowadays, but there are very few records confirming this in the past 10-15 years.

Away from birds, Mary-Ann Featherstone saw her first Emperor Moth of the year (a male) at Kildalton today.