Weds 8 April

 Good evening all from Claddach! I've been roped in to help for a few days. I'll do my best - today has been a 'spring event' with swallows, willow warblers, chiffchaff seen and/or heard across Islay and Jura. Though not a competition, Louise at Craighouse on Jura, heard them yesterday. So there.

 Perhaps the best highlight was the common crane that was reported at Gruinart today.  I'm sure the nearby cafes were delighted with the extra footfall! I'm afraid my computer won't let me upload photos for whatever reason, however if you head to the WhatsApp group the evidence is there.

Also on the group, Ed shared a data tracking map of a Greenland White-fronted goose satellite tag, showing its 15 hour journey from Islay to Greenland on Monday. Clive noted flocks of geese departing from Loch Gruinart, the next day there were swallows, sand martins and wheatear!

The wind returns tomorrow after a glorious day today then, just as the water levels in the fields were beginning to cheer up, a little rain is expected to top up the mud.

Saturday 4th April

A damp and increasingly windy day, a few of the early squalls being mostly hail. However, the worst of Storm Dave passed to the south, so the night wasn't perhaps as noisy as had been threatened.

David Hicklin spotted a/the Cackling Canada Goose on the Gruinart Flats in the morning (see photo), while Clive McK. noticed that the Barnacle Geese had been putting on weight prior to their migration (see photo). The geese are monitored for NatureScot each late winter/spring, using the shape of their back end between the legs and tail, known as their abdominal profile, which is where they store some of the fat which they will use up as they fly north. This gives an indication of how well they've managed to feed up prior to leaving. Fiona McG who carries out the monitoring rated this one as a 3-3.5, so getting close to the maximum. A bird without any fat shows an almost straight line between the legs and the base of the tail.

Later in the day, Clive was at Kintra on the Big Strand and noted 8 freshly dead Guillemots and one dead Manx Shearwater. One of the Guillemots had a British ring on its leg and we look forward to learning where it was ringed. It has already been identified as having been ringed as an adult in 2016.

 

Friday 3rd April

 Yet another day with very changeable weather - everything from overcast and rainy to bright and sunny with light winds to breezy conditions.

Billy Stitchell reporting from Caol Ila reckons birds at his feeders are down in numbers, but still recorded 8 Siskins,  2Great, 3 Blue and  4 Coal Tits, a few sparrows, 2 Starlings and Chaffinch with a flock of 20 Goldfinches last night  accompanied by a few Chaffinch and a single Yellowhammer. He also noted this evening a Magpie that popped in briefly.

This morning Tom Skinner reported an Osprey - first of the year - perched atop a telegraph pole near Loch Gorm enjoying a large trout. James H. saw the wintering Green-winged Teal plus White-tailed and Golden Eagles over the flats at Gruinart, while visitor Brock Lueck saw a Wheatear up at Ardnave.

Following on from Nick Bone's excellent talk last night at the INHT centre about Terns on Islay, Val Peacock saw our first two terns of summer off Port Charlotte today, but too far to identify specifically.

Mary Ann F. sent in the two gruesome photos of a raptor found between Port Askaig and MacArthur's Head - anyone want to suggest what it is?

For any keen birders just arrived on Islay - or residents who are still thinking about it, the new book on the birds of Islay and Jura is very much available and waiting for your purchase!

Thursday 2nd April

Another day with quickly changing weather - sunny and dry to start with increasing winds from the south with rain and cloud later in the day.

Clive McK. noted Barnacle Geese heading off north and west towards Iceland this  morning, plus a Merlin up at Gruinart, with another Merlin seen by David D. at Stremnish on The Oa. Other than that Lauren Stewart saw the resident, feral Chinese Goose hanging out with a few Greylags in its usual area between Bruichladdich and Port Charlotte.

Wednesday 1st April

Moderate  SW winds with overcast rainy conditions in the morning giving way to a dry sunnier afternoon.

Ed B. noticed the partially leucistic Barnacle Goose on his patch at Cornabus again this morning.

It was Mel Chown's last day on Islay today finding 150 Knot in Loch Indaal from the Gaelic College, plus 10 Common Scoter, a male Goldeneye and a lovely breeding plumaged Slavonian Grebe. Later at the Woollen Mill there were 3 Grey Wagtails and a Dipper. The day finished up at Ardnave with a White-tailed Eagle, 3 ring-tail Hen Harriers and this fine shot of a dapper male Wheatear.

Other records were all about a spring influx of Gannets, with several up and down Loch Indaal during the day and Mary-Ann F. counting at least 70 off Kildalton.

Tuesday 31st March

A grey, mostly cloudy and mildish, but not too awful day - lightish westerly winds, little if any rain.

Bird news today again comes from Mel Chowns who spent the morning on The Oa, where there are still 20 Twite at the RSPB Feeders in the car park. Later at Claggain Bay there were 8 Great Northern Divers, 5 Razorbills, 2 Black Guillemots and a lone Cormorant.

Malcolm O. was at Laphroaig and didn't like what he saw - 31 Canada Geese and 10 Greylags - some of the Canadas in pairs, but he hopes it is just a non-breeding flock rather than an increase in the feral breeding population.

Monday 30th March

No rain, but westerly winds still strong overnight, gradually dropping a little during the day, which became increasingly cloudy. 

Today's records all come from Mel Chowns who kicked off with 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on Loch Gorm, White-tailed Eagle, Black Guillemot, Common Guillemot and Carrion Crow at Ardnave Point. However, the top sighting was finally finding the wintering Red-breasted Goose after days of searching. Well done for perseverance Mel - and thanks for the photo!