Wednesday 14th September

The wind has dropped, it is dry again what do you want, some birds no doubt.....Robert Daw, a visiting birder from Bristol, over on Islay for a few days had been down at the hide at Gruinart yesterday and reported to say that there were a few Snipe, Lapwing and Herons present. He also had both male and female Hen Harrier and down at the hide itself, a Swallow flew in one of the windows while he was there, it did get out later on safely! Robert also had a couple of Arctic Skuas flying South while he was at Gruinart. Talking of Swallows, and here at home we have picked up 4 young today, and sad to say they were all dead, whether they had not had enough feeding over the last couple of days or what I do not know. Peter had been down for another 100 minute fix at Frenchman's Rocks this morning, his tally was 895 Gannets (some even were actually fishing!), 743 Manx Shearwater, 5 Fulmar, 202 Kittiwakes, 2 Awk sp, 2 Great Skuas, 1 Arctic Skua, 2 Great Northern Diver and 4 Red throated Divers. Another visitor had seen a Dipper on the Sound of Islay between An Claddach and MacArthurs Head today. Michal counted 45 Barnacle Geese on the estuary of Loch Gruinart today, there had been around 40 on Minister's field at Rockside this morning around 8.45am. James had counted 423 Greylags , 1 Pinkfooted Goose, 2 Ringtailed Hen Harriers, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Peregrine, 1 Little Stint, 38 Knot and 6 Chough on the reserve at Gruinart today. Yesterday he had 5 Curlew Sandpiper on the estuary. This afternoon, Michal saw over 200 Grey Seals and pups on Nave Island.