Friday 10th October 2025

A mostly overcast day with some little bits of drizzle, while the persistent westerly wind began to ease as the day went on. 

David D. started the day off with some potentially good news, noting 10 juveniles in a flock of 33 Greenland Whitefronts at Kinnabus. If this is a harbinger of a good breeding season, then this goose needs it because the last three years have all seen very low production of young and the population has declined quite seriously as a result. David also saw a female Greenland Wheatear in The Oa car park. Gary T. reported hearing Redwings and Fieldfares going over his house during the night and this morning, obviously not too bothered by the continuing west winds as they flew from Scandinavia.

The Glossy Ibis was still in the field below the RSPB Gruinart visitor centre most of the day, being seen by Tom G., and by Jim Wells with his group of Northern Ireland birders over for the day on the rib from Ballycastle for the first time this autumn, while Marc Eden saw 9 juveniles in a flock of 34 Whooper Swans at Rockmountain.

At lunchtime, Mike Taylor counted c. 1,700 Barnacle Geese at Bridgend, 2 White-tailed Eagles at the water's edge and a single Greenshank. Theo visited Loch Skerrols and found a female Scaup (once wintering in hundreds but now pretty scarce), 23 Tufted Ducks and a Little Grebe. Later in the afternoon, Marc Eden reported more Whooper Swan breeding success, with 10 juveniles among 37 at Gartbreck.

Teresa Morris carried out an afternoon watch on the Killinallan shoreline which produced a fine list comprising 4 Curlews, 58 Starlings, groups of 7, 12, 9, 15, and 12 Barnacle Geese flying in over the point, 4 Redshanks, 2 Grey Herons, 5 Whoopers flying south over the point, a flock of 62 Lapwing which flew in over the point, landed on the beach for about an hour, then flew south up the loch, an immature Golden Eagle, a ringtail and a male Hen Harriers, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Oystercatchers, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, and 1 Meadow Pipit. She also posted photographs of extensive erosion of the sand cliffs round the point.

Today's photograph from Billy Stitchell is of two Greylags, nicely showing the differences at this time of year between an adult and a juvenile (the nearer one).