Thursday 7th April

Catch up time over here today, with wall to wall sunshine all day, it had to come, better still, more of the same tomorrow!

George counted 40 Black headed Gulls down on the rocks below his house on the shore of Loch Indaal today. He cannot recall seeing as many as that there before. George also had 80 Common Gulls, 1 Shelduck, 1 Redshank, 20 Whimbrel, 2 Curlew, back on the land he had 5 Roe Deer and 6 Hares, while on his bird table there were 2 Greenfinch and also 2 Goldfinch.

The birders from Somerset had made the most of a better day and headed over to Jura where they saw a male Hen Harrier displaying, a Golden Eagle on the wing, a male Yellowhammer. They also had a group of 12 Fieldfare and saw an Otter. A female Merlin was seen round Loch Gorm and there were 11 Whooper Swan on the flats at Gruinart.

Back here at home, I saw my first Sand Martin over the glen this year, a pair of Kestrel were seen too and mid afternoon, a pair of Peregrines were up on the crag, as well as a pair of Chough flying past calling away as they do. A single Wheatear was present at the back of Machir Bay.