Wednesday 4th March

Rain overnight continued into an overcast and wet morning, gradually giving way to sunnier spells with a moderate southerly breeze.

Caroline Goodman was out birding today and noted 10 Eiders at Port Ellen and, as she put it, "the usual White-tailed Eagle passing, 2 maybe more" - how good to be living somewhere where WTE is commonplace and passe'!

Clive McK. counted gulls going to roost up at the top of Loch Indaal this evening and clocked up 1,410 Common Gulls, 75 Black-headed Gulls and 16 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Billy Stitchell sent the photo below of a Redwing in his garden to brighten up the blog.

Tuesday 3rd March

A cool, but sunny spring-like day with light winds.

 After a count of 6 White-tailed Eagles in the Lossit area on Saturday, there was a count of 7 in the air together over Port Ellen area yesterday.

Mary-Ann F. reports a male Bullfinch at Kildalton today.

Monday 2nd March

The day started off quite pleasantly with sunshine, but gradually clouded over with sporadic light showers as the wind picked up a little from the south.

David D. found a Magpie on The Oa this morning - still a very uncommon species here. It was Kathy Evans' last day on Islay today and she reported 6 Yellowhammers at pheasant feeders near Kildalton. Mary-Ann Featherstone and her friend Bob Brown were over at Sanaigmore where they found Peregrine, male Hen Harrier and over at Machir Bay a count of 100+ Jackdaws.

I took delivery of my book The Birds of Islay and Jura today, so am now able to start the process of distributing them to anyone interested in purchasing a copy. I've created another page on this blog that you can click on where you can find the various ways of obtaining one. You can find it towards the top right titled Birds of Islay and Jura.

Saturday 28th February & Sunday 1st March

Saturday was bright, dry and sunny with light winds. Sunday was a contrast with overcast skies, rain and strengthening winds from the south. Unsurprisingly, all the bird news came in from yesterday:

Ed B. reported good, close-in views on fairly calm waters at Blackrock, Loch Indaal of Long-tailed Ducks and 13 Common Scoters - 11 of them males. Mary-Ann Featherstone noted Dipper, Grey Wagtail and 30 Chaffinches at the Woollen Mill on the River Sorn - also seen by Kathy Evans who also noted a Hen Harrier on the Glen Road and a total of 6 White-tailed Eagles (5 adult, 1 immature) in the Lossit area of the Rinns.

Further news came in about the electrocuted Golden Eagle: it was a ringed bird and had been fledged on Mull in 2024.

There were a couple of notes in that perhaps need further corroboration as they involve odd dates and numbers: 2 Swallows apparently photographed by Nicol McKinnon on Islay on Thursday and a record of Lapland Buntings and Skylarks at Ardfin on Jura, but unclear as to numbers of each.

Thursday 26th & Friday 27th February

Two more days of mild, mostly sunny weather with light winds and a few showers.

The only report for Thursday was from David D. of a long-tailed duck on Loch Kinnabus - not a usual location for the species.

Today Caroline Goodman reported rings from a Chough seen at Kildnaughton Bay. It was a bird fledged from RSPB The Oa in 2025. After David W.'s excellent talk at the INHT AGM last night, which included some dismal notes about how few young were surviving after fledging, it is good to know that at least this one has made it thus far. Much more sad news was Steve Percival reporting an immature Golden Eagle electrocuted on power lines up towards Ardnave - a mercifully rare occurrence.

Kathy Evans noted 2 Little Egrets and the Red-breasted Goose up around Killinallan and Craigens. while David d. had the first report of an Adder sun-basking at Kinnabus.

Tuesday 24th & Wednesday 25th February

More of the same weather - light winds, showers, mixed with sunshine on Tuesday, but more overcast on Wednesday. Both days mild.

Regular visitors Michael Anderson and Elspeth MacArthur emailed to confirm another very enjoyable stay o Islay, reporting a flock of 40 Skylarks NE of Loch Gorm on Monday, with 8 Choughs and a Golden Eagle at Ardnave Loch on Tuesday and a Hen Harrier over Loch Gruinart.

On Tuesday Steve Percival reported that David D.'s colour-ringed Barnacle Geese sighting at Kintra was a female ringed in southern Iceland on 11th July 2023 that has been a regular winter visitor to Kintra/Cornabus area each winter since. Marcus Covell noted a couple of Grey Wagtails and a Dipper in their favourite haunt on the River Sorn by the Woollen Mill plus a possible Red Kite flying over.

Today there were more reports of early spring with Skylarks singing on The Oa and along the RSPB Morland Trail at Gruinart, though 100 Skylarks seen by Clive McK. in fields near Creag Mhor were clearly not pairing up t breed yet. Lingering winter birds included two pairs of Long-tailed Ducks on Loch Indaal seen by Caroline Goodman. Fiona McG. noted a flock of at least 100 Wood Pigeons going into the woodland around Loch Tallant. Mary R. had a couple of Pink-footed Geese near Port Mor along with that odd Chinese-type goose and Greylags. Over on Jura, Louise M. notes Tawny Owls in full voice this evening near Craighouse.

Sunday 22nd & Monday 23rd February

Two further days of moderate SW winds and a mix of sunshine and showers.

Yesterday's news was of a Canada Goose at Cornabus plus a couple of reports of what would be great rarities: a White-billed Diver seen from the ferry close to Gigha and a Hobby at Kildalton. It seems both were seen fairly fleetingly and not possible to confirm 100%.

Today there were reports of Hen Harrier at Blackrock, Merlin at Ghiol on The Oa, and the Red-breasted Goose seen again at Craigens, Loch Gruinart. An Icelandic ringed Barnacle Goose was found dead at Kintra, there were 25 Eiders at Blackrock this afternoon and over on Jura, Louise Muir saw a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Feolin.