Sunday 19th May

 Cool with light cloud, but dry and quite pleasant.

Nothing seen to get anyone setting off on a twitch around the island, but lots of good summer residents being reported:

Spotted Flycatchers and Cuckoos at Cairnmore, more Spotted Flycatchers, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Treecreeper and Grey Wagtail in Bridgend woods, while at Glenpatrick over on Jura there were Sand Martins, 8 Yellowhammers, 6 Reed Buntings, Red-throated Diver, Shelduck and Golden Eagle.

I was up at Kilinallan in the afternoon where a flock of 80 Bar-tailed Godwits were noted on the rising tide.

Saturday 18th May

A grey and cooler start to the day, but brightness and sunshine prevailed by the afternoon.

The American Wigeon remains in situ at Cornabus. Otherwise, there was no news other than Linden finding a Whinchat at Loch Gorm.

Mary-Ann Featherstone sent in an encrypted message from Kildalton mentioning "SPBF on the wing". I make an educated guess that this is Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly, Such a long name to type out on Whatsapp - I'm sure I'd have done the same abbreviation!

Friday 17th May

A hot sunny day with  gentle breeze - lovely weather!

Ed Burrell reports that his American Wigeon is still present at Cornabus, with David D. noting Spotted Flycatcher at Kinnabus (plus Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk Moth on The Oa). Sam Turnbull had a male Hen Harrier at Ballymartin and Mary-Ann Featherstone had 2 male Bullfinches at Seal Bay and a further pair at Kildalton Dower House.

Bird of the day undoubtedly goes to a report from Louise Muir of a Turtle Dove seen by her husband Gordon on Jura - an increasingly uncommon migrant nowadays. 

Thursday 16th May

A mostly sunny day with occasional very light smatterings of rain.

Apart from Ed Burrell confirming that the 2CY American Wigeon is still in residence on loch Cornabus, there was just one other bird report - this was from Martin Kaye still out at 9pm on Machir Bay where there were 15 Sanderlings.

Martin had been on Jura for much of the day where a pair of Hen Harriers near Feolin, a Golden Eagle and a male Whinchat near Loch Tarbert plus a total of 6 Cuckoos during the visit were noted. 

It is Martin and Carole Nelson's last day on Islay tomorrow and they comment they have had a great week. Thanks to both, and all visiting birders for contributing their records to the blog and the Argyll Bird Club database.

Wednesday 15th May

A fairly pleasant sunny day deteriorated into grey and rain by early evening.

Ed Burrell reported that the "mystery Wigeon" was still lurking at Cornabus this morning, but no further news on unravelling what it definitely is. He also noted that he'd found the year's first Oystercatcher (photo below) and Curlew nests on his land there.

This morning Mandy H. sent in a note about an Osprey perched on a telegraph pole near loch Gorm eating a fish it had caught. Martin Kaye saw presumably the same bird in the same area at 5pm doing much the same thing (photo below). He also did the circuit around from Port Charlotte to Portnahaven and back via Kilchiaran in the morning finding up to 5 Cuckoos, Arctic Terns on McKenzie Island and a Golden Eagle at Kilchiaran.

I was down at the two RSPB hides at Gruinart in the afternoon, not seeing too much, though the whole area looks in very good shape and full of Lapwings with chicks wherever you look. A single Whooper Swan is still in residence. I obviously didn't look carefully enough as Linden K. found a Garganey there a little later. Going round the back of loch Gorm past Ballinaby this afternoon the fields there also look great for waders with nesting Lapwing, Redshank plus a group of at least 8 Ringed Plovers there along with a couple of Golden Plover and a Whimbrel.

Tuesday 14th May

 Mostly grey and raining today.

Birding news centres around numerous folks reporting further Corn Crakes, Cuckoos and Common Terns (3 seen by David D. on Loch Kinnabus which is an unusual location for the species). Martin Kaye was watching Loch Indaal where there were plenty of Bar-tailed Godwits, and Knot (some in summer plumage), plus Red-breasted Mergansers and Sandwich Terns.

However, the main interest of the day is a bird seen by Ed Burrell on Loch Cornabus which may be an American/Eurasian Wigeon hybrid or a 2CY American Wigeon. Viewing this distant bird in the grey, rainy conditions was not the best, so no definite verdict is given yet, but something worth pursuing and sorting out tomorrow. 

Monday 13th May

 A cloudy start turned into a rainy afternoon.

Mary Redman was the first person this year to mention Islay's midges! A late entry for last night talks of Corn Crake, several Grasshopper Warblers, Hen Harrier and over 1,000 midges at Claddach.

Another Corn Crake was heard yesterday afternoon by Steve and Lynn Rogers from the RSPB Gruinart Woodland Trail. 

Today, Martin Kaye had 13 roadside Whimbrel near Kilchoman and a range of birds up at Gruinart - White-tailed Eagle (photo below), 80 Bar-tailed Godwits, hundreds of Ringed Plover and Dunlin, then a Brent Goose on Loch Indaal later. In the same neck of the woods, Steven and Julia Garner noted 5 Great Northern Divers in breeding plumage between the old lobster and crab pens at Ardnave and Nave Island, plus 10 Chough.