Thursday 20th October

There was a juvenile leucistic Barnacle Goose up at Ardnave today, and the leucistic Bar tailed Godwit was seen again. Round at Ballinaby a flock ogf 220 Golden Plover were counted this morning. Mary this morning had a mixed flock of around 20Thrushes close to Wester Ellister, consisting of Redwing, Song Thrush and Blackbirds. Yesterday, Mary had carried out a count on Loch Gruinart, the totals were 7 Heron, 6 Shelduck, 34 Mallard, 53 Wigeon, 3 Eider, 2 Goldeneye, 3 Scaup, 34 Red breasted Merganser, 106 Oystercatcher, 56 Ringed Plover, 6 Grey Plover, 1 Lapwing, 1 Knot, 45 Sanderling, 169 Dunlin, 364 Bar tailed Godwits, 160 Curlew, 43 Redshank, 2 Turnstone, 1 Snipe, 7 Pinkfooted Geese, 130 Black headed Gulls, 61 Common Gulls, 79 Herring Gulls, 2 Greater Black backed Gulls, 2 Peregrine, 2 Buzzards, 1 Mute Swan, a family of 6 Whoopers and finally a Redwing on the way back up to the office. On Ardnave Loch, Mary had 2 Whoopers, 2 Mute, 10 Tufted Duck, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Herring gulls, 4 Mergansers and 2 Scaup. A visitor had seen a Snow Bunting on the burn as it enters Machir Bay yesterday, and later on a Merlin at Octomore. This evening, just before the darkening, I had to empty the rain gauge as it was up to 5" for the month so far... Glad I stay on the dry side of Islay! One of the gamekeepers told me earlier that this Autumn has been the wettest deer stalking seasons that he can recall.