Monday 14 September 2009

Sun 13th & Mon 14th September

Well Ian has gone off to Oronsay for a few days (to do some sheep work!!!)with Iain Brown from R.S.P.B.Gruinart Reserve and has left me do the blog, here goes.
James saw 2 pods of porpoises and lots of Manx Shearwaters from the ferry on Sat, and had a few Brent Geese on Loch Gruinart. On his way to work this morning he saw a Sparrowhawk and a Peregrine. The following records were sent to us by Jim Dickson Argyll Bird Records Committee who was on Islay 5th to 12th Sept.
5th Gruinart Greenshank 4 (with upto 4 seen all week), Ruff1, Peregrine 2 ads (seen all week), Osprey 1 (seen all week and appeared to be unringed), Scaup 1 Ardnave, Tufted 10 Ardnave inc 1 very small juv.
6th Gruinart juv Black Tern flew up to the head of the loch at high tide and then inland in direction of Lyrabus/Loch Indaal, Black-tailed Godwit 24, Knot 22, Shoveler 3, Teal 22, House Martin 40 +, Whinchat 4 Craigens (seen most days), Pied Wagtail 40 + with 6 White Wagtail Craigens.
8th Gruinart Dunlin 580, Barn Owl 1 hunting Gruinart fields at 5.50pm landed on a fence post and was then struck by a Buzzard that carried it off with the owl hanging by its wing before being dropped about 70 metres away. The owl looked stunned/injured and the buzzard landed on the ground a few metres away but kept its distance (in field about 100m SE of the RSPB visitors centre barn therefor not easy for me to reach it... had a look 30mins later and the owl had gone so hopefully it got up and flew or possibly not? (It or another Barn Owl was seen in the fields hunting at 7pm.)
9th Gruinart 4 Whimbrel flying but did not settle, 1 Golden Eagle nr Couliabus.
10th Gruinart P B Brent Geese23, Lapwing 24, L Indaal C Scoter6, Shoveler 2.
11th Gruinart Golden Plover 2, Turnstone4, Ringed Plover 18, big increase in Bar-tailed Godwits, Pintail 1
12th L Gorm Tufted 29, Teal 9, C Scoter 1. Thanks for that Jim.

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