Friday 14th October

Another not bad day for time of year, even managed to cut most of the grass this afternoon, net result, I did not do much birding for the blog. Peter turned up trumps this afternoon with a drake American Wigeon over at Gartmain. There was also a Cackling goose present there too, as was a Pink footed goose. Peter had a count of 65 Whoopers on Loch Skerrols along with 25 Mute, he also had a further 70 Whoopers in a stubble field up at Cruach, up behind Bowmore. Also seen today by Peter was a small flock of 20 Fieldfare between Mulindry and Knochlearach, and also a pair of Dippers at the Woolen Mill. Yesterday, late afternoon, the Whoopers at Sunderland joined with the Rockside birds with Peter having a count of 303 including 49 young birds. This morning, the swans were split back into their 2 different groups again! All in all there is well in excess of 450 Whoopers on Islay at present. Yesterday Peter also had 5 Snow Buntings on Machir Bay along with 35 Ringed Plover, 15 Sanderling and 5 Dunlin. Up at Ardnave Peter had a count of 45 Chough. Carl had seen the large flock of Swans too as well as 80 Scaup off Blackrock. George also had been over to see the Swans and had a Sparrowhawk up beside McNicol's croft on his way home. The visiting birders from Durham had been over on Jura yesterday and had seen the following birds, 16 Twite on the shore of Small Isles Bay, 2 flocks of Goldfinch, one of 105, the other of 23 near to Craighouse. There was also a large flock of over 400 Fieldfare moving through. James phoned through an update for Gruinart today with a tally of 35,665 Barnies present, 349 Whitefronts, 76 Pale bellied Brent, 13 Whoopers, 326 Lapwing, 7 Canada consisting of 3 hutchinsii sp, 2 parvipes sp., 1 taverna and 1 Cackling sp.