Mon 24th March 08

This lapwing was seen leaning into the wind up at Ardnave Loch today. There was around another 50 birds in flight above it but this one preferred to be down on the ground! Also at Ardnave Loch this afternoon were 18 Whooper Swan and 2 Mute Swan, and a Sparrowhawk was over the dunes. There were still 47 Whoopers to be seen down on the floods at RSPB Loch Gruinart reserve. IKB

Mick Durham, a visiting wildlife photographer, kindly gave me some of his sightings today. A Golden Eagle was close at hand down beside Loch Gorm earlier this morning while a walk round Ardnave Point this afternoon gave 12 Ringed Plover and 14 Purple Sandpiper beside the Lobster Pots. Over Nave Sound, there was a single Gannet, and a Great Northern Diver in the water. There was a further Great Northern Diver at the mouth of Loch Gruinart. The cold Northerly winds continue, having a tattering effect on any flowering Daffodils that are out.

Wed 20th - Thurs 21st Feb

I must apologise for not putting an entry on last night, but I was watching the football and forgot, or was it an age thing coupled with memory loss, a senior moment? The weather has broken down today with a strong wind and some squally rain showers.

Walking round Ardnave Point the other day, 20 Purple Sandpipers and also 20 Grey Plovers were seen, while over at Bunnahabhain, the Iceland Gull was still around. Today, again at Ardnave, the 4 Snow Bunting were seen, but they proved to be very elusive, even camera shy infact, much to my annoyance! Also an immature Golden Eagle was seen on a fence post. A single Snow Bunting was on the road over on Jura, but it too did not want its photo taken either! There were no visible signs of Otters in the usual haunts. GDY

Yesterday, in one of the stubble fields at Aoradh, on RSPB Loch Gruinart reserve, the following were noted, 110 Rock Dove, a flock of 80 Skylarks, 30 Twite, 120 Common Gull, 20 Linnet, 25 Reed Bunting, and a male Hen Harrier was out on the moorland hunting. Another Iceland Gull was seen flying north over the reserve too. MS

Sat 16th Feb

This Purple Sandpiper was down on the shoreline at Bruichladdich, infact just outside the Distillery, It was there along with some Turnstone, but unfortunately the light was not as good as earlier on this week.

Returning home from Bruichladdich, there was a flock of around 170 Twite in a field at Sunderland, the largest number that I have seen here in one group.

We forgot to list seeing a pair of Grey Wagtails whilst out on the walk yesterday. IKB

Mon 11th Feb

It has been a busy day on the Islay birds front, busy for everyone else apart from me, so here goes!

Tracey and Margaret forwarded me last weeks Goose counts, which tallied up to give 41,516 Barnacle Geese and 4,551 Greenland Whitefronts. It will be interesting to see the figures that they give me next week, as this week is the International Count, so we will wait and see, plus the weather forecast over the next couple of days looks promising. Thanks for the stats to Tracey and the team.

Over at RSPB Loch Gruinart, 2 separate counts were done this afternoon. Firstly, on the floods and along the flats gave the following tally. 1168 Teal, 220 Wigeon, 66 Mallard, 47 Shoveler, 54 Pintail (a good count for Gruinart), 8 Mute Swan, 578 Lapwing, 2 Little Grebe, 90 Curlew, 2 Moorhen, 13 Snipe, 7 Whooper Swan, 7 Black headed Gull, 20 Common Gull, 27 Greylag Geese, 1 Redshank, 2 Heron and a female Otter with 2 well grown Cubs possibly summer born cubs.

The other count was done out on the Estuary, 158 Common Gulls, 184 Oystercatcher, 124 Curlew, 316 Dunlin, 35 Shag, 147 Herring Gull, 11 Redshank, 10 Red-breasted Merganser, 234 Bar tailed Godwit (another high count for Gruinart), 161 Wigeon, 1 Cormorant, 1 Heron, 5 Greater black backed Gulls, 1 Great northern Diver, 3 Turnstone, 9 Mallard, 80 Ringed Plover,

7 Black Headed Gulls, 3 Purple Sandpipers, 1 Greenshank and 106 Shelduck. JRH, CF et al

The Bar headed Goose was seen over at Port Ellen, by folk out on their horses with the youngsters in the group thinking that the Goose looked "cool" with its stripes!

Sat 9th Feb

The Bar-headed Goose has been seen again in the fields at Cornabus over at Port Ellen, so it has not left us yet! Dave P.

The Glaucous Gull is still at Ballinaby, as are the Iceland Gulls in the Saligo area, as reported in the blog of Wed 6th February. There was a 1st winter Glaucous Gull seen off the pier at Bruichladdich, along with the following Divers, 9 Great Northern Diver, 4 Red throated Diver, 1 Black throated Diver, 7 Slavonian Grebe and 8 Common Scoter. On the Shoreline there were 12 Purple Sandpiper below the Distillery.

Up at Ardnave there was a group of 5 Snow Bunting on the track just beside the silage pit before you come to Ardnave Loch itself. An immature Golden Eagle was seen flying over RSPB Loch Gruinart reserve. Down at Avonvoggie, a male Crossbill was seen and heard singing, will it remain to breed, one asks? RAS

Up at Sanaig, there was a single Great Nortern Diver out in the bay and 20 Turnstone were on the shore. MAO