Wednesday 4th, Thursday 5th and Friday 6th

Wednesday and Thursday were OK weatherwise, bit of wind, bit of rain, but Storm Darragh is gaining strength this Friday evening, having blown from the south-east this afternoon before it will abruptly switch to the north overnight and blow even harder tomorrow. It's raining at the moment, while it's supposed to be more showery tomorrow.

All of which lengthy preamble indicates that there's been precious little bird news these last three days, with no reports on Wednesday while, yesterday, Mary R provided the only sightings, of 6 Chough at Octofad and a Merlin at Gortan. Today, Ed B confirmed the continued presence of the Cackling Goose at Cornabus while the leucistic Barnacle Goose had moved the short distance to Kintra. Jim Dickson, Argyll Bird Recorder, was in contact to suggest we should look out for a Ross's Goose which was present with Greylags in south Kintyre this morning, having probably moved there from Ayrshire. The next movement westwards would, of course, bring it to Islay. Not the hardest bird to pick out from a flock of other geese.

Stay safe in the storm.