Fri 28th March

A new bird for Islay was seen earlier this week at Craigens, a Little Bunting. It was observed by Jez Blackburn who works with the BTO, and was over here for the week birdwatching, with his family and a few friends, and it was them who saw the Sand Martin last Saturday on arrival at Port Ellen. The Little Bunting was a first for Islay and only the third record for Argyll, the first was found dead at Skerryvore Lighthouse in 1985, with second seen on Tiree in Oct '07 by John Bowler. Malcolm says that it is regular in small numbers in the Spring and Autumn, but most records are from Orkney, Shetland and down the East coast. West coast records are uncommon. MAO

Michal was out doing the last round of the winter "farmland bird surveys" for the season and had a group of 40 Rock Doves, 25 Reed Bunting in a cattle feeding area, as well as a Brambling and a single Redwing. On Ardnave Loch there were 11 Whooper Swan. MS

Also, on Loch Gorm there were 16 Whooper Swan, as well as 2 separate sightings of groups of Whoopers on Loch Indaal, so perhaps the start of them moving North too. There was also a single Great Northern Diver at the top of Loch Indaal. IKB