Tuesday 20 February 2018

Tuesday 20th February

Mike Peacock was in touch this morning to say that the "Iceland Gull" which he had seen down on Machir Bay, turned out to be a leucistic Common Gull. I, last night forgot to mention that Val Peacock, Mike's wife had seen a male Bullfinch over at The Woollen Mill.
An email through from Phill with some sightings seen down on the reserve on the Oa today...  A Cormorant on Glenastle Loch(an uncommon sighting there), 15 Teal, 10 Mallard, 7 Tufted Duck, 6 Oystercatcher, 8 Lapwing, 93 Twite, 2 Goldfinch, 3 Chaffinch, 4 House Sparrow, 885 Barnies, 129 Whitefronts, 26 Greylags, 3 Skylark, 3 Rock Pipit, 50 H Gull, 2 Gbb Gull, a ringtail Hen Harrier, a Buzzard and a Merlin.
James, today,  had carried out his WeBs count today for the flats and the floods at Gruinart, so here is his count: 15 Whoopers, 525 Lapwing, 35 Redshank, 14 Snipe, 46 Curlew, 561 Teal, 1 Greenshank, 2 Dabchick, 4 Heron, 48 Pintail, 8 Shoveler, 94 Wigeon, 1 Tufted Duck, 590 Wigeon, 38 Common Gull, 9 B h Gull, 1404 Golden Plover, 4 Mute Swan and 31 Mallard.
Also today, Louise saw a Bonxie off the pier on Jura. Bob has had some Siskins lately on his feeders and today he had a Redpoll there as well. Here at home, the Lapwings, only 12 today, were flying around very acrobatically. Distillery Dave was up visiting us late afternoon, and watched the Chough flying in to their roost.

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