Thursday 25th, Friday 26th and Saturday 27th December

An anticyclone arrived for Christmas! The skies have been blue, the wind has been mostly light and from the east, and it has become cold enough for ground frosts at night. And the air has been clear and the views tremendous.

Two records from last Wednesday were Ed B. reporting that the Black-tailed Godwit was still present at Cornabus and Gary T. seeing a Great Spotted Woodpecker actually in his garden for the first time. There were no bird records on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, but yesterday morning Gary had a raptor bonanza on the Mulreesh road between Finlaggan road and Balulive, seeing 4 Buzzards, 1 Kestrel, a White-tailed Eagle flying towards Bunnahabhain and a Golden Eagle over the moorland behind Keills.

Around lunchtime, Fiona McG saw 2 Willow/Chiffs at Shorefield, just outside Bruichladdich feeding among the pennywort, an invasive plant that is choking one of the ponds there, and which she is valiantly trying to deal with. 

Although there were no bird records on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, there was certainly some dolphin activity, with Fiona seeing 15-20+ off Killinallan and towards Ardnave on Christmas Day, all spread out and distant, while on Boxing Day Clive McK. saw lots of dolphins off the American Monument and then more between Sanaig and Ardnave on Saturday in scattered small groups totalling 25+ and heading north east. Those seen well were all Bottle-nosed.

Here's a photograph of 2 Bottle-nosed Dolphins taken by the late George Jackson some years ago in Loch Indaal.