No rain, but westerly winds still strong overnight, gradually dropping a little during the day, which became increasingly cloudy.
A very blustery day of strong westerlies with sometimes heavy rain showers between sunnier spells.
Mary-Ann F. noted 6 Gannets off Ardillistry this afternoon and Emily McGarva had a Hen Harrier at Ballymeanach. Mel Chowns also saw Gannets off Frenchman's Rocks followed by a good look at a White-tailed Eagle at Cladville. Later, at Gruinart 100 Golden Plovers were counted along with a single Black-tailed Godwit and a very smart Russian (European) White-fronted Goose - photo below. There has been quite an influx of these into the UK this winter with some reaching the west. Jim Dickson notes that the peak counts for Argyll have been 6 on mainland Argyll and up to 3 here on Islay.
Strong winds from the NW, but mainly sunny and cold with occasional hail and rain showers.
Ed Burrell reports a Chiffchaff singing at Cornabus this morning, while Steve & Lyn Rogers had their first 2026 Gannet in Kilnaughton Bay.
Mel Chowns had a Great Spotted Woodpecker near the Woollen Mill in Bridgend Woods along with a Sparrowhawk. Later there was a Whooper Swan at Gruinart and Greenshank at Ardnave, plus male and female Hen Harrier vat Kilnave.
Here at Bruichladdich the feeders in my garden produced one of the higher counts of Goldfinches of the winter season - 35+ along with 6 Greenfinches and 3 Siskins.
Westerly breezes with intermittent icy showers between sunny spells - and the promise/threat of stronger winds to come in the next day or two.
A late report yesterday - thanks to Theo de Clermont who picked up a record on eBird - of someone seeing a Cackling Goose at Neriby and the Red-breasted Goose near Craigens.
Today, the main sighting of interest was a Magpie at Cragabus courtesy of Ed B. and at least the male Ring-necked Duck still on loch Ballygrant c/o David Clugston, who also saw a summer-plumaged Slavonian Grebe off Bowmore and a Sparrowhawk at Finlaggan. Mel Chowns was on Jura and saw a Bullfinch at Lealt.
The day had deteriorated into overcast, cold, damp and drizzly by lunchtime with winds currently from the south, but not for long.
I went to the Kilchoman/Loch Gorm area in the morning to look for the Irish colour-marked White-fronted Geese, but didn't have any luck. There were 14 Tufted Ducks on Loch Gorm and 3 Whooper Swans flew over.
Mary Redman reports a White-tailed Eagle over Claddach loch in the morning, otherwise the only sightings reported so far are from Mel Chowns on a return visit: birds of interest include 9 Bar-tailed Godwits at Kilnave and 6 Goldeneye on Ardnave Loch. A trip over to Jura produced 2 Great Northern Divers at Craighouse and a Wheatear near Feolin.
A reminder for any birders - resident or visiting who haven't yet got a copy of the new "Birds of Islay and Jura" book, that copies are available!
Cool, breezy and mostly cloudy, but no rain to speak of.
Visitors Ched & Nigel Barratt sent in records from "the other side" of the island: The Oa - 30 Twite at Killeyan and 35 White-fronted Geese at Cornabus. Port Ellen - 8 Ringed Plover on the beach. Loch a Chnuic - a Great Northern Diver. Claggain Bay - a further 11 Great Northern Divers. Machrie - 2 Hen Harriers and 80 Golden Plover. Corrary - another male Hen Harrier.
Marcus Covell from the Islay Woollen Mill heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker at Cluanach - always good to receive records of this species to be able to assess how the small population of breeding birds is doing since their colonisation of Islay in 2012.
