Friday 30th March

Visiting birders, Brendon and Christine arrived on the ferry yesterday... Up at Bunnahabhain , they saw a White tailed Eagle flying South, in at Finlaggan, they saw a RTD out on the loch, and on Loch Indaal they had a Glaucous Gull. It was there again this morning, along at Bruichladdich, 4 Purple Sandpiper and they had good viewings of the Crossbills in at Finlaggan. Richard today had a Merlin on the moorland at Gruinart. Down at Bruichladdich, he had the Purple Sandpipers as well as a Ringed Plover and also a Turnstone. Out off the pier, 2 Tysties, 3 GND and also some Eider were present. Out on the trees beyond The Gearach, a pair of Crossbills, while a short distance out of the plantation, towards Kilchiaran, Richard had  a Redwing with a small flock of 8 Song Thrushes, all on the ground. After that, he saw a ringtail Hen Harrier. Finally, down on Claddach Loch, he saw 2 Whooper Swans. After picking some parcels from the local carriers, we too were in at Finlaggan seeing a Slavonian Grebe on the Loch, further out on the water a large number of Barnies resting up and then 2  White tailed Eagles away out over the far hills.. coming back out a male Hen Harrier flew across the road as we approached Mulreesh. Late afternoon, we had a cracking, really colourful Yellowhammer out on the ground below the feeders, but the camera was not to hand...