Thursday 25th October

This is image was kindly sent through of the Red breasted Goose taken the other day by one of the Rochdale Birders down at Sunderland Farm. There were also 2 small Canada Geese amongst the Barnies present. Today they had a flock of 300 Fieldfare over close to Cluanach. Ballygrant Quarry had 40 Redpoll with a Woodcock seen in the woods there as well. They also saw a Bluebell in bloom!! This afternoon, Danny had 3 White tailed Sea Eagles on the ground over at Gruinart looking at the remnants of a Barnie... Yesterday Mike and Elspeth had a mixed flock of House Sparrows, Linnets, Twite and Reed Buntings round at Ballinaby, also seen there was a male Hen Harrier out quartering his patch. Along at Blackrock there was a flock of Scaup and also some Pale bellied Brent geese and Red breasted Merganser, 1 RTD, 1 Long tailed Duck, and 5 Slavonian Grebe. Up at Sanaigmore, in the afternoon, they had a juv. Peregrine, 2 Chough, 1 Red breasted Merganser and a Ringed Plover on the beach. They noticed that some of the rabbits there had myxi... Down close to the phone box at Gorm they saw a juv Peregrine, or was it the same bird there? Lynne and Chris had seen a juv Golden Eagle up behind Rockside Farm yesterday. The Leigh birders yesterday had a Kestrel flying past the cottage where they are staying, this was followed by a couple of Ravens. On Loch Indaal, they had a great time watching the GND, RTD and Slavonian Grebes along with the Mergansers, 47 Pale bellied Brent spotted too. Round at the pier at Bruichladdich, 2 Black Guilllemots in winter plumage were spotted. Round the Rhinns a ringtail Hen Harrier was seen and shortly afterwards a large flock of around 1,500 Barnies were in 2 adjoining grass fields. On the feeders outside a bungalow, Goldfinches, Greenfinch, Chaffiches and a Brambling were seen. Finally over at Machir Bay a flock of 30 - 40 Twite were seen which were spooked by a male Hen Harrier. Today, Bob had a Wheatear at Coull and also 62 Twite. While he was looking through the geese at Sunderland a White tailed Sea Eagle flew over.