Friday 25th September

A day of moderate SSW winds and some sunshine between heavy rain showers.

Thanks to Malcolm O. for blogging while I was away birding on Tiree for a few days.

A variety of sightings came through today, starting with David D. noting the drake Scaup still present on Loch Kinnabus. Clive McK. watched  an Osprey with a large fish at Bun an Uillt, Loch Gruinart and found House Martins still with young in the nest at a neighbour's house at Creag Mhor. Mary R. reports a Greenland type Wheatear at Claddach yesterday and a count of 7 Choughs there today, plus a male Hen Harrier at Loch Gorm. Visitor Pete McCormick took a good photo of one of two young White-tailed Eagles at Gruinart this afternoon.

 

Thursday 24 September

A rather wet day with a mainly SE breeze.

Unsurprisingly, there were few bird sightings. George Jackson saw 2 Grey Wagtails in the morning on the path down to Lily Loch, while, a little later, Rogs saw a Dipper at Cattadale on the burn which becomes the River Laggan, as well as 2 ringtail Hen Harriers close by, while there was a male Hen Harrier at Avonvogie. He later found a Coot on Loch Lossit, a bird that has become quite rare in recent years.

Here's a cracking photo by Rogs of the Dipper. There are an estimated 10-20 pairs on the island, widely scattered on the rivers and some burns.

 

 

Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd September

Tuesday started drizzly but cleared up as the wind went round to the north, where it stayed for much of Wednesday with very occasional slight showers.

The only observations on Tuesday were of a Turtle Dove at Ardbeg, seen by visitor, Ben McCook, perhaps the same as last Thursday's bird at Ardtalla, or perhaps a different one, a male Hen Harrier seen by Rogs near Bridgend and a Tawny Owl roosting near Lily Loch.

Wednesday began with Rogs counting a Moorhen, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Cormorant and a family of 5 Mute Swans on Loch Ballygrant, the three juvenile swans "looking good". In the afternoon, David D saw a Goldcrest at Kinnabus, while David W also saw a Goldcrest, plus a Wheatear, at Risabus, both on The Oa. Rogs counted no less than 32 Mistle Thrushes at Avonvogie Farm; flocks of over 30 are unusual here.

Finally, in the evening, Clive McK was watching lots of restless Common Snipe on the Gruinart Flats, with two flocks (29 birds) heading off, and another six flocks (a total of 61 birds) flying up high, then faffing around for ages before eventually dropping back in. Also, there was an Osprey hunting over the loch near Craigens.

Monday 21st September

The day started grey and drizzly, but cleared up to sunny, though with a persistent westerly/south-westerly wind.

Clive Mck reported that, yesterday, he counted 57 Choughs at Ardnave, the most he has seen there for some years. He also saw 2 Greenland Wheatears, while were 45 Linnets feeding on the weeds of Sea Sandwort. Also yesterday, he noted that there was a flock of c.300 Linnets on the headland overlooking Frenchman's Rocks.

At lunchtime, David D counted 35 Twite at the RSPB's Oa carpark, with a Grey Wagtail nearby, as well as, a little later, at Lower Killeyan, a Greenland Wheatear and a Kestrel. The final observation of the day was by Clive McK of 30 Light-bellied Brent Geese leaving Loch Gruinart and heading south.

Clive found himself reminiscing about the "best ever" seawatch at Frenchman's Rocks by him and Tristan ap Rheinallt, who carried out systematic seawatching there over several years in the 1990s and 2000s. This was on 21st September 2004, from 7am to 3.30pm, when they recorded 8 Sabine's Gulls, 143 Leach's Storm-petrels, 16 European Storm Petrels, 3 Grey Phalaropes, 76 Arctic Terns, 172 Red-throated Divers, 1,247 Light-bellied Brent Geese and 1 Pomarine Skua, plus large numbers of Kittiwakes, Manx Shearwaters and Gannets, all flying south in a WNW near-gale, with a grand total of  5,288 individual birds of 26 species. If you want to find out more about seawatching at Frenchman's Rocks, you'll find a detailed account, written by Tristan, in Peter Robert's book (details just to the right).

Sunday 21st September 

Mostly dry, with light to moderate west to northwest winds and the very occasional shower.

Light-bellied Brent Geese continue to arrive, with Clive McK reporting 22 flying into Loch Gruinart from the north in the morning and resting on the tidal island in the middle of the loch, followed by another 11 joining them about 20 minutes later, while, in between, an Osprey was hovering in front of Bun an Uillt.

Just after midday, Rogs heard a Chiffchaff singing from the trees close to the museum in Port Charlotte, and a little later saw 4 Yellowhammers close to Bun an Uillt, while small groups of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were moving south up the loch. In the late afternoon, James H saw 2 Whimbrel south of Bruichladdich, and David D passed on a reported sighting of a Glossy Ibis at Laphroaig.

 

Saturday 19th September

Still quite a strong westerly for most of the day, but with only a few showers.

Clive McK carried out a marathon seawatch at Frenchman's Rocks, starting at 07.30 and carrying on to 14.30. He was rewarded with high counts of 74 Red-throated Divers and 9 Leach's Petrels, as well as 2 Grey Phalaropes, 2 Storm Petrels, 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits and 28 Light-bellied Brent Geese, plus good movements of Kittiwakes, auks, Manx Shearwaters and Gannets. 

The only other records were of a Merlin at Kinnabus (seen by David D), 62 Brent Geese at Loch Gruinart (James H), a dark-phase adult Arctic Skua flying south up Loch Gruinart in the afternoon (Clive McK), and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls moving south down the Sound of Islay (Rogs). 

I can't resist adding one of my own photographs of a Grey Phalatope, though taken in Svalbard, not on Islay. There was one nearly as colourful as this one at Ballinaby in June 1986, demonstrating that the species was, of course, named when in its grey winter plumage.

  

Friday 18th September

A rather wet day with a westerly wind which, though, was less strong than the last two days, and, unsurprisingly, not many bird sightings.

Light-bellied Brent Geese were on the move in mid-morning, with David D reporting the first of the day, 24 moving south close in at Lower Killeyan, The Oa, and Fiona Morton had a single one on the beach  by the Maltings, Port Ellen. A little later, Clive McK watched two flocks, 23 and 26, fly into Loch Gruinart and rest there for a while. He also saw an Osprey catching a fish.

Around midday, Chris Adler found the Glossy Ibis still in the Eorrabus/Esknish area, while David Hunter, on his way home, saw 12 Manx Shearwaters from the ferry.