Sunday 21st October

An early entry for a change.... The big bit of news is that this morning there was a Red breasted Goose down at Sunderland Farm along with the Barnacle Geese there too. Fortunately a visiting birder showed me where the said goose was amongst the others, easy really when it's like that. I went down early afternoon, but there were not so many many Barnies around nor was the Red breasted Goose either, the Whooper Swans had moved off too, some down on Loch Gorm. On Friday, Andy Greenwood had at least 25 Slavonian Grebe on Loch Indaal, from Blackrock. Yesterday on his way back on the ferry, he had a Bonxie, 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Kestrel, 1 Black throated Diver and also 10 Fieldfare. David Hardacre from Seahouses, another visitor who went home yesterday had seen 83 species during his trip and was well pleased with his first visit to Islay. Another first timer, Gavin left yesterday too, equally impressed, "seeing Eagles" from the kitchen window, just great!!! On Friday, over at Claggain Bay, he had 8 GND and a Razorbill and yesterday morning down at Machir bay, he counted 39 Golden Plover, 26 Ringed Plover, a Sanderling, a Merlin and also a Snow Bunting. Off the ferry going out in the afternoon, he had the pod of  Bottle nosed Dolphin  round about the MacArthur's head  area. Off Gigha, 5 GND and a RTD were seen as well as an Otter. Many thanks to the above for their sightings through the week. Yesterday the Leigh Birders started their day off with a Stoat running past the patio doors where they are staying on the Oa, every morning they have 3 Hooded Crows coming in to be fed. On the road up to Bowmore, on the "Low road" they had 7 Long tailed Tits, briefly sitting on the bridge before flying off! From the power station, on Loch Indaal, numerous Barnacle geese, 11 Pale bellied Brent Geese, a handful of Barwits, Mergansers, Starlings, House Sparrows, Eider, Dunnock, Goldfinch, 6 Turnstone, 3 Wigeon, Curlew, Common Gulls, Herring Gulls and Black headed Gulls. Gruinart also had 2 Greater black backed gulls, a female Peregrine sitting on the sandbars looking replete and resting up!!!Also seen were 4 Turnstone and a good number of Barwits, up the Ardnave side of Gruinart there was a Wren and also Stonechats seen. Going round Loch Gorm, a male Hen Harrier put a Snipe up, and several Buzzards were seen as well as more Stonechats. Down at Sunderland they had the Whooper Swans and also the Barnacle Geese, Greylags some Whitefronts and a few Mallard. Danny counted 99 Whoopers late afternoon at Sunderland, and had a Pink footed Goose amongst the other geese present