Friday 12th & Saturday 13th June

Sunshine and Showers with southerly and westerly winds prevails.

Yesterday Jeff Duncan reported a Garden Warbler in the woodland at Gruinart - a very uncommon species on Islay. He also had a couple of Dippers at the Woollen Mill.

Nick Thomas wandered Bridgend Woods finding large numbers (50-60) of Chaffinches including young birds along with Bullfinch and Siskins.

Today I had the privilege of seeing Gordon Yates into a hide to photograph a pair of Hen Harriers bringing in prey to a nearby nest (all with due legal licensing in place of course!). Gordon has been filming, recording and photographing Islay's wildlife for 50 years - harriers, eagles, choughs, merlins, otters and all sorts of other special and iconic species. He feels this may be his last year. I hope not, but regardless, he is due a vote of thanks and gratitude for his long term dedication to promoting Islay's wildlife in such a creative way.

Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th June

Rain and showers on Wednesday gave way to more or less permanent rain with SW winds on Thursday.

With weather like this is not surprising that there are few bird records to relay. There have been a few reports from our visiting birders - Jeff Duncan and Nick Thomas who have been braving the elements and seeing some of the regular species - Choughs, Hen Harriers,  Cuckoos, Common Sandpipers and Spotted Flycatchers dotted about the island.

Here at Bruichladdich I noticed my first group of Eider ducklings being escorted by two females and male Eiders now going into moult.

Tuesday 9th June

The day started rainy and finished sunny. Light winds from a southerly direction throughout but still quite cool for June.

Mary-Ann F. took a group of High School kids on to Texa today and reports both Greylag and Canada Geese with goslings there, plus Cormorants.

Jeff Duncan counted Treecreeper, Siskin and Goldcrest in Bridgend Woods. Mark Crisp had a White-tailed Eagle over Machir Bay, Nick Thomas had a Hen Harrier on the Glen Road. Mary R. saw the best raptor though, with a Marsh Harrier at Claddach this afternoon.

Sunday 7th & Monday 8th June

Two further days of mixed sunshine and showers with light south and south-west breezes.

Bird reports of anything unusual have been few - though lots of notes on how some of our breeding birds are faring. Clive McK. has been monitoring several nests - Meadow Pipit, Willow Warbler and Blue Tit included with mostly poor results, possibly due to wet and cool weather making feeding difficult.

Elsewhere others have been noting the usual good mix of summer species around the island. Jeff Duncan found a Kestrel and Whinchat at Claddach and Nick Thomas noted the same strange behaviour of a summering Whooper Swan at Gruinart chasing away Mute Swans.

The fields on the seaward side between Bruichladdich and Port Charlotte are littered with families of Greylag Geese with goslings in various stages of growth - all looking very vulnerable to a multitude of predators!

Friday 5th & Saturday 6th June

Two days of mixed weather - sunshine and showers (mostly showers!) with a moderate breeze from various, mostly  southerly directions.

The only report yesterday came from Clive McK. who noted 3 Gannets flying south down Loch Gruinart then heading "overland" presumably to go out to sea down Loch Indaal. This has been noted once before on Islay in 2019 and more regularly from the Ailsa Craig colony crossing over the 8 km of the Kintyre peninsula to the Atlantic side which saves them a 55km journey around its tip.

Today there was a report from Jeff Duncan of a few birds (single Great Northern Diver and Manx Shearwater and 3 Common Dolphins from the ferry across to Islay.

Thursday 4th June

Westerly breezes today with rain in the morning, but brightening to a sunnier afternoon, but back to grey and rain by evening.

Graeme Glass found a Great northern Diver off Port Charlotte this morning, then a Treecreeper and Great spotted woodpecker at Loch Skerrols woodland. Mary R. watched a Great Skua being mobbed by gulls at Claddach and at the other end of the Rhinns, Clive McK. had an adult pale-phase Arctic Skua at Loch Gruinart and counted 115 Bar-tailed Godwits and 14 Curlews there.

Wednesday 3rd June

A day with slightly stronger winds from various southerly directions bringing with it rainy conditions throughout much of the day - some rain quite heavy at times.

Bird records have been understandably limited: Graeme Glass had one, possibly two Corn Crakes calling at the start of the Woodland Trail, Gruinart again today and Nick Webb had 4 Greenshanks near Bowmore Power Station.

The brief dry and sunny spells bought out some butterflies - Marsh and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries to keep people happy - photo c/o Mary Ann F.