Thursday 27th May

The weather over here today, well it has remained dry and I think that come tomorrow there will have been some rain around, not a lot but some...

Bob was in touch today with the "scores on the doors" from his WeBs count from Port Charlotte through to Blackrock which he carried out yesterday....

8 Gannets, 6 Shag, 2 Cormorants, 23 Common Gulls, 5 adult Greylags along with 6 goslings, 22 Oystercatchers, 18 Eider, 4 Tysties, 4 Mallard, 21 Redshank, 14 Dunlin, 14 Dunlin & 6 Herring Gulls.

Gary was in touch this morning, to say that he had just seen 2 Ospreys in fishing in at Loch Finlaggan and also 2 RTDs present there also...

Peter also reported a late sighting of a Mandarin Duck ove at Craighouse on Jura, last week on the 17th.

James had been out doing a Corncrake count, and sent me this list of birds seen/ heard when he was out last night....

"Not many Corncrakes calling at a very cold Gruinart last night, but here are a few other birds

Short eared owls 2 near Loch Gorm

Water rails 4 different birds calling around Gruinart

Peregrine Gruinart

WTE Gruinart"

Sunday 3rd April

Yesterday, Peter Gill had heard and then saw a Chiffchaff at Gruinart. Later on, outside the "new hide", 2 Greenshank and 3 large Canada Geese were present. Up at Ardnave, Peter saw a White tailed Eagle fly past and on the loch, 2 female  Goldeneye were there. Today, here at home there were a pair of Siskins on the feeders. Gary had been down to the Woollen Mill and reports through to say that he had seen the Mandarin Duck, a Dipper and also a Grey Wagtail there on Friday.

Thursday 31st March

Another good day here with the weather, but better still some more birds and new birds at that...James this morning had heard a Chiffchaff on the reserve at Gruinart. At lunchtime I received a message through from Richard Belcher to saw that he had a drake Mandarin over on the River Sorn at The Woollen Mill, so managed to get in touch with Peter and Gary as the other were out working and not contactable. Boy, did that duck give us the run around, but it was seen by us all eventually... a new tick for Islay, as far a we know, it has not ben recorded here before.....Yesterday, Richard had ben over on Jura and had seen 2 GND as he crossed over to Jura, seen from the ferry, Up at Tarbet, he had a Short eared Owl and also a Peregrine there too. Just out of Craighouse, a male Hen Harrier was seen and then a distant Golden Eagle. Along on Small Isles Bay, 30 pale bellied Brent Geese were spotted. Dave Protherough's guests had a Golden Eagle spoofing the Barnies and Whitefronts along the "Cornabus" valley. Later on they had a couple of Chough and then 2 Buzzard. Michal had seen a Redshank up at Ardnave with some colour rings on its' legs. Bob today had seen a 1st winter Iceland Gull at Ardnave Loch, and also 8 Goldeneye and 22 Tufted Duck. Bob also had a Peregrine along at Coillabus.. . Think the weather is downhill tomorrow with rain and rain and wind forecast!!!