A pleasant dry and fairly sunny day with a SW breeze, but still quite mild.
Reports came in yesterday from Malcolm O. of a trio of tagged/marked Greenland White-fronted Geese seen at Octovulin. All three had been ringed on Islay in the winter of 2015/16 and have been seen just about each winter since in more or less the same location.
It has been a busy day today with lots of visiting birders joining the WhatsApp group and covering different parts of the island. Frank Cavanagh reported a European White-fronted Goose on Gruinart Flats - this is a very much less often race of the species here on Islay. David d. had a Merlin hunting thrushes at The Oa car park amid good arrival of winter thrushes on The Oa today. Ed B. had a Brent Goose inland with Barnacle Geese at Cornabus. Laura Edwards also saw a/the Merlin at The Oa plus 2 Golden Eagles at Kilchoman and a total of 4 Hen Harriers and a Woodcock on the edge of Loch Gorm. Emilie Shuttlewood went up to Ardnave Point and found a Grey Plover another Hen Harrier and a Woodcock, while Stuart Ainsworth was also walked to Ardnave Point and counted 16 Choughs. Fiona McG. had a further 8 Choughs at Port Wemyss. Stuart also took a photo of a Canada Goose close to the RSPB Gruinart Visitor Centre, which Steve Percival reckons is the Cackling Goose.
Steve & Lyn Rogers did their regular WeBS count at Loch an t-Salein finding amongst other things 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, 12 Wigeon, 111 Greylag Geese and a Little Grebe. They also had a late Blackcap at their feeder in Emerivale, Kilnaughton.
Our much appreciated resident wildlife photographer Billy Stitchell sent in a few photos taken while out in yesterday's good weather:
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