Wednesday 9th May

Another of Tony Matthew's images taken last week. This Black tailed Godwit was up at Ardnave. Before I foget, last night I had on the blog the wrong dates for the Scottish Bird Fair, it should have been 19th & 20th of May, old age creeping in!!! Yesterday, down at Gortan at the head of Loch Indaal, there were 50 Dunlin, earlier on at Rockside there were 12 Ringed Plover on the newly germinated barley field, also there were 5 Whimbrel. Further on, a Kestrel was on the wing closer to Loch Gorm. Over on Jura, we saw a male Hen Harrier, in Craighouse Bay there was  a GND in full summer plumage, a Heron and 4 Eider. Also on Jura we had Whinchat, Stonechat and Wheatear too. Coming home in one of the grass fiekds at Rockside, 37 Greylags were counted and at "smelly corner" there were 30 Shelducks, mainly all males with the females no doubt on nests. George had counted 107 Whimbrel at Shorefield on Monday and only 70 yesterday. On Loch Indaal, he had a GND in summer plumage, a Wheatear down on the shoreline and also an Oystercatcher with 2 fledglings. Beki, on her walk on the Oa, had the female Golden Eagle out on the wing, it was out for some time giving the folk on the walk a good chance to see it. They also had a female Hen Harrier out over the heather. They had 2 prs of Chough, one pr feeding in one of the fields and the others flying past. Out over the sea, several groups of Gannets were noted flying past. Back on land, and a good number of Wheatear were seen too.