Sunday 6th September

Blustery winds from the south , so quite warm despite lots of cloud but surprisingly little rain.

Rogan W. started the ball rolling this morning with a juvenile White-tailed Eagle over Keills (probably the same bird I saw there in the afternoon). At Gruinart he noted another White-tailed Eagle a Little Egret, 27 Brent Geese and 11 Pintail with a Yellowhammer by the Oyster Shed on the Killinallan side. Jim Dickson was also up that way finding an all-white Starling at Craigens.

 Visitors Wendy and John Mattingley increased the Brent Goose count at Gruinart to 33 and added a Sparrowhawk and Golden Eagle to the day's sightings. 

Over at Coullabus Jim took a photo of a juvenile Whinchat and noted a count of 10 Wheatears since Thursday with 5 together at Carrabus. The Brent Goose count rose to 36 birds with 3 at Carnain. Over at Gartnatra on Loch Indaal there was a large count of 51 Red-breasted Mergansers on the shore, thought to be post-moulting males.

I tried my luck at doing a sea-watch from the fery to Kennacaig and back this morning finding an adult White-tailed Eagle perched atop Glas Eilean off Jura, 2 Puffins, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua on the outward trip, but precious little on the return.

Saturday 5th September

 A dry, mostly sunny day with moderate winds.

Jim Dickson and Rogan W. have been out birding the island for much of the day. They found the first (3) Brent Geese of the autumn at Gartnatra and Carnain. In the same area were 3 Curlew Sandpipers and a Little Stint, 2 Little Egrets and later I added 7 Black-tailed Godwits and 33 Wigeon to the mix. 

Jim counted 46 Common Scoter off Blackrock along with 3 immature Arctic Terns, with an adult and juvenile Peregrine there too. Later at Loch Gruinart he counted the first sizeable arrival of Teal with a total of 130 birds and 11 Pintail. Other raptors were an immature Golden Eagle watched above Gruinart Farm, 2 White-tailed Eagles on the mud at Bridgend and a Kestrel at Craigens. Back up at Loch Alan Rogan W. had a pair of Bullfinch and 12 Redpolls.

David Jardine did a ferry journey to/from Islay with a bit of birding on Jura in between. He counted 10 Turnstone at Inver and a Great spotted Woodpecker at Inver plantation. On the return ferry crossing he had 2 Great Skuas and a Storm Petrel.

Friday 4th September

Fairly strong blustery westerly winds brought plenty of heavy rain showers between sunny spells.

Jim Dickson the Argyll Bird Club Recorder is over for a week and began finding a few birds of interest despite appalling weather: 5 Curlew Sandpipers (phot below of 2) and 3 juvenile Little Stints at Carnain and a Great Skua, Little Egret and 8 Black-tailed Godwits on Loch Indaal off Bridgend plus 2 Hen Harriers at Cruach to start with. This was followed by 10 Pintail up at Gruinart and a Peregrine at Craigens.

There had been suggestions that sea-watching might be productive today and the only to follow this up was David W. watching off The Oa who noted an expected constant stream of Manx Shearwaters and a few Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and auks, with a trio of Arctic Skuas being the best find in a 2 hour watch.

Rogan W. counted 68 Gannets heading south down the Sound of Islay and David D. reports a Corn Crake seen by one of the stockmen on the RSPB The Oa reserve.

Thursday 3rd September

Another changeable day - light winds with rain and cloud between sunny periods.

Rogan W. saw a Kingfisher plus a fishing Cormorant on Loch Allan and 3 Little Grebes on Loch Ballygrant. Later a White-tailed Eagle flew over Keills.

Wednesday 2nd September

Breezy with rain showers and cloud between bouts of sunshine.

Today's notes come from Rogan W. who heard the Tawny Owls calling at Dunlossit last night and then 2 Whimbrel calling as they passed by Port Askaig this morning. In the garden at Dunlossit were 2 Crossbills, single Spotted Flycatcher, Great spotted Woodpecker, a small flock of Redpolls and an Arctic Skua seen flying along the sound.

He also sent in the non-avian, but appealing photo below:

Tuesday 1st September

Overcast with light winds but rain throughout much of the day - quite heavy at times.

Rogan W. had a Great Spotted Woodpecker and Spotted Flycatcher in the woodland around Lily Loch.

I had a quick look around Gruinart and found a flock of 32 Black-tailed Godwits with an accompanying Ruff on the floods near to the Visitor Centre. On the way home I checked Blackrock and counted 26 Common Scoter offshore.

Monday 31st August

Rain overnight and a few further light showers during a day of variably breezy westerlies and mostly cloudy skies.

Colin McGregor sent in  a sighting of the Kingfisher at Bowmore and a Golden Eagle over the Machrie Golf Course on 28th August.

Rogan W. found the leucistic Greylag again on Loch Indaal and Ed B. had a Corn Crake at Cornabus.

Billy Stitchell sent in some photos of bow wave-riding dolphins to brighten up the blog.