Two further days of blustery weather with moderate southerly and south-westerly winds and rain showers between sunny spells.
Yesterday all attention was on Loch Indaal again with Gary T. returning to the Gartmain area finding 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 15 Wigeon and 3 Sandwich Terns. David W. watching from Bowmore found a Great Crested Grebe - a scarce species on Islay.
Today Gary T. watched an adult White-tailed Eagle perched up and feeding in Loch Indaal up at Bridgend, the Kingfisher still on the Sorn nearby and 7 Whimbrel off Whin Park. Clive McK. had an Arctic Skua, 5 Pintail, a Wigeon, 10 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Knot and 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls moving through at Loch Gruinart.
Angela & Roger Hissett watched a White-tailed Eagle flying from Jura across to Islay south of Port Askaig in the afternoon, while up at Kildalton Mary-Ann Featherstone commented that Mistle Thrushes have been common in small flocks recently and counted 50 today - the highest on record for Islay.
I was on Machir Bay between the squally rain showers where large numbers of Ringed Plover (75+) and Sanderling (25+) were joined by a few Dunlin and 3 Whimbrel.
Clive McK. spotted the change to stronger SW winds this afternoon and did a 3 hour sea watch at Frenchman's Rocks with good results. Best bird was a Sabine's Gull, plus 5 Storm Petrels and 6 Arctic Skuas. Other counts included 1,369 Manxies, 2 Red-throated Divers and 97 Kittiwakes.
No comments:
Post a Comment