Thursday 24th May

John Legassick, one of the RAFOS team who were over last week, kindly sent through this image of a Siskin taken over at The Woolen Mill, thanks John. The Osprey was seen last night flying high over the reserve at Gruinart while we were all looking for the calling Corncrakes at ground level... Danny and Dave had a count of 45 Greylags at Ballinaby yesterday and James while he was doing his survey work on the reserve at Gruinart had a Grey Plover in summer plumage and later on a Grasshopper Warbler. Andrew had a pr of Barnacle Geese down at Blackrock, on Ballygrant Loch a male Scaup and a possible Ring necked Duck. Today the sun has been shining bright all day, the temperature got up to 19 degrees! Bob and Rob had been down at Frenchman's Rocks this morning and had a Bonxie, a Puffin passing along with some Razorbills. There were Gannets too, Arctic Terns and also Manx Shearwater seen. Up at Ellister there were a pr of Scoter seen. Over on Jura, they had a male Yellowhammer up at Lealt. Also seen on Jura was a Kestrel, male Bullfinch, and Spotted Flycatcher as well as quite a few Cuckoos. We saw 2 pr of Greylags out with goslings along at Sunderland Farm, one brood had 5, the other had 6. Later on Danny and Dave had another pr with 4 goslings also in the same field. Michal had Redshank with 3 young out on Gruinart today.