Sunday 2nd October

Bob was out on Frenchman’s Rock this morning and saw big number of auks heading south quite far of the shore. He also saw 5 red-throated divers, 12-15 skuas far of the shore – at least one great and one arctic. On his way back he saw juvenile peregrine, male and female merlin, female hen harrier and a kestrel. Later in the afternoon him and Martin had good views of a pectoral sandpiper amongst 12 ruff from the hide on the Loch Gruinart Reserve and on their way home they saw 12 turnstones, 2 slavonian grebes, another 5 red-throated divers 14 eiders and 14 red-breasted mergansers – all at Loch Indaal. On the salt marsh at Loch Gruinart the number of brent geese is slowly decreasing – only 63 today. There was also a peregrine, 4 grey plovers, 300 dunlin and about 20 redshanks. On Gruinart Flats there was flock of 213 lapwing with 5 ruffs. Nick Wilkinson had a female blackcap in the Gruinart woods. Number of ducks on Floods is increasing slowly but surely – at least 50 teal, 15 mallard and about 20 wigeon this evening. Juvenile golden eagle was seen yesterday and today on the reserve as well. Visitors reported flock of linnets, goldfinches and twite from The Oa. They also saw 5 redwings, 6 wheatears, a willow warbler, goldcrest, merlin, peregrine and several buzzards.