Monday 30th May

Could this be a record, a day in May 2011 with no rain, at least it was a change, for the better too! Carl this morning had 3 different Terns at Port Charlotte, Common, Arctic, and Sandwich. He also saw a pair of Red breasted Merganser, a Great Northern Diver in full summer plumage as well as a dark phase Arctic Skua. Bob was on the pier at Bowmore around the same time and had a pale phase Arctic Skua being chased by 8 Sandwich Terns, far out in the bay. Down at Gartbreck he heard a Corncrake and on his return home he saw 2 Golden Eagles out on thermals and 4 Buzzards out and about too. Over at Gruinart, James had a distant White tailed Sea Eagle as well as 25 Whimbrel closer to hand. Michal saw a male Bullfinch on the woodland trail at the reserve at Gruinart. Up on Nave Island he saw 2 Barnies and also 2 Canada Geese. Also counted were a Great Northern Diver, 35 Arctic Terns, 6 Little Terns, 4 Shelduck, 39 Greylag along with one lot of goslings, 40 Dunlin, 20 Ringed Plover, 2 Cormorants and 48 Grey Seals. We had a pair of Bullfinch down at the lime kiln below Foreland at lunchtime.