Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th

Ed B is the only observer to have sent in a report in the last two days. This morning he had a flock of 66 Lapwing at Cornabus, while the Cackling Goose was still present in the area. Ed commented that this was a good number of Lapwing for the time of year. I was out looking at geese around Skerrols on Monday and noticed two flocks of Lapwings, numbering 20-25, and remembered the time not all that long ago when wintering Lapwing were quite scarce, disappearing in November and not reappearing until mid-February. Along with the Lapwings were larger numbers (40-50) of Golden Plovers. This species has definitely increased as a wintering species on Islay, with a pretty steady rise in numbers from the 1980s when there were several hundred to the last decade when up to 2000 are wintering here, exceptionally 3000.

I've found a Gordon Langsbury photograph showing both species of interest. I don't think finding the solitary Lapwing will be too difficult.