Thursday 15th September

Coming round past Ballinaby this afternoon, Mary saw the above group in one of the fields, note the water still around, there were 5 Dunlin, 1 Black tailed Godwit and 7 Ruff present. Yesterday Mary had been busy down yesterday on the Oa, helping to gather the sheep up, not an easy task with the conditions underfoot hard going too... Round the monument she saw a juvenile and an adult Golden Eagle, 1 Buzzard, 1 Raven, 1 Peregrine and 6 Chough. Later on through the day down there, Mary had a ringtail Hen harrier, 6 Red Grouse, 20 Meadow Pipits, and also a mixed flock of around 60 Goldfinch, Linnet, Chaffinch & Twite. On the Oa last week, Mary had a young corvid with a white wing tip, while up at Ardnave there is a young Starling with a white tail. Bob today had been down at Gartbeck and his tally was 3 Barnacle Geese, 3 Wigeon, 120 Oystercatcher, 300 Rionged Plover, 5 Golden Plover, 1 Grey Plover, 18 Lapwing, 6 Knot, 1 Little Stint, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 500 Dunlin, 3 Snipe, 6 Black tailed Godwit, 65 Bar tailed Godwit, 280 Curlew, 8 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 30 Turnstone & 9 Arctic Tern. Resting up on the estuary at Loch Gruinart this morning were 20 Whooper Swan and along the flats, there was a flock of 85 Lapwing. On the guided walk today a flying bat was following insects, and also being followed by a Swallow.