Monday 21st April

Sunny with blue skies, and white fluffy clouds gradually giving way to overcast and even a few spots of rain in the evening, with light variable winds.

Last night on the Gurinart Floods, Clive McK watched 70 Redshanks behaving like migrants, with 35 flying off to the NW in a tight flock, followed by 57 Golden Plover on the same track. There were a further 100 which stayed on the Flats, together with 7 Whimbrel, 28+ Black-tailed Godwits, 6 Greenland Whitefronts and 1 Common Sandpiper.

Records from different parts of the island included the first Sedge Warbler of the summer at Loch Gruinart (Paul Miller),  a Cuckoo and Common Sandpipers at Kinnabus (David W), a single Golden Plover at Frenchman's Rocks (Mary McR), a Grasshopper Warbler at Lyrabus (Peter Gill), and a White Wagtail and a Whimbrel at Machir Bay (Clive McK).

To end the day, Mary McW reported a Corncrake calling away at Portnahaven. Around this time of year, one has to decide whether it was calling or singing!

 

 

Sunday 19th April 2026

I don't know whether to whisper it or shout it from the rooftops, but the sun shone all day, the skies were their bluest of blues, and the wind was a light breeze. What's more, these conditions look like continuing for the week, gradually warming.

This lovely weather brought with it the summer's first Corncrake, at Portnahaven, reported with delight by Louise M. Cuckoos were reported from Jura (2 on stereo at Ballard, according to Louise) and Ardillistry (Mary-Ann F).

Steve Rogers sent in his WeBS count from Loch an t-Sailein, finding: Oystercatcher 18, Greylag 25, Herring Gull 8, Heron 2, Curlew 2, Canada Goose 4, Shag 3, GBB Gull 2, Shelduck 2, RB Merganser 9, GN Diver 2, Dunlin 98, Sandwich Tern 2, and Common Gull 2, also seeing 2 Otters and 15+ Common Seals, while a Willow Warbler was singing close by. Steve also had his first-ever Twite in the mixed finch flock in his garden at Emerivale on The Oa side of Port Ellen. Thanks, Steve.

At lunchtime, Ed B reported his first Orange Tip butterfly of the summer at Cornabus and the 'ping' of his WhatsApp message disturbed me as I was watching my first one at Bruichladdich. 

 

 

 

Saturday 18th April 

High pressure moving in, at last, with the wind dropping and the sun coming out, though still not warm.

New migrants arriving by the day, with Ed B kicking off with a Grasshopper Warbler singing at Cornabus, and Clive McK seeing a Little Tern at Killinallan, as well as a Whimbrel there, with a single Curlew.

Peter Gill saw a Cuckoo fly over Lyrabus in the morning, while Ed B had a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming for the first time at Cornabus where he has seen them but not heard them before.

Here's a Gordon Langsbury photo of a Little Tern.

 

 

Friday 17th April 2026

Nothing new about the weather with strong mainly southerly winds carrying squalls.

Clive McK reported that "their" Cuckoo was back on the powerlines behind their garden at Gruinart for its brief summer sojourn on Islay. Peter Gill found both Blackcap and Chiffchaff at Lily Loch/Loch Allan in the morning and heard a Tawny Owl calling around midday from the woodland above the Port Askaig Hotel. Ed B. flushed a Jack Snipe at Cornabus in the afternoon,  while James H. had another at Gruinart as well as a White Wagtail, 2 Cuckoos and still 19 Whooper Swans, 8 Barnacle and 6 White-fronted Geese, together with 58 Black-tailed Godwits. Towards the end of the day, Mary McR saw a Common Sandpiper at Claddach, while Clive McK watched an Osprey fly south over Loch Gruinart, while 8 Gannets flew up the loch and then back out again.

One of our local photographers, David Livingstone, sent in a photo of a female Hen Harrier hunting close to the Singing Sands, respectively. Thank you, David, for enlivening this blog.

 

Thursday 16th April

The same strong SE wind continued with showers, sometimes wandering around to SW.

Hirundines were mainly in evidence, with a House Martin at Cornabus seen by Ed B, another prospecting at Clive McK's house at Creag Mhor, David W saw 4 at Kinnabus, and Peter Gill saw "some" at the Woollen Mill. Later in the day, James H reported over 100 Sand Martins feeding over the Loch Gruinart floods, which also held 7 Gadwalls. Nick Bone had a Cuckoo at Gruinart in the morning, while Steve R watched a White-tailed Eagle being mobbed by gulls as it flew from Port Ellen towards Kilnaughton.

Clive McK filmed Linnet courtship in his garden, commenting that the male still had some "reddening up" to do.

 

Wednesday 15th April

The weather was on repeat, plus a bit of thunder in some of the afternoon squalls.

Only a few observations were sent in today, Peter Gill finding 3 Brent Geese at Blackrock in the morning and, later, 2 Sandwich Terns below the Gaelic College. Mary McR. had 2 Swallows at Claddach, while Nick Bone heard a Cuckoo at Gruinart.

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

Morven Laurie (NatureScot) reminds anyone finding dead birds on the shore to not handle them but to notify this link

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-dead-wild-birds

Finally, this fine photograph of a White-tailed Eagle carrying a rabbit was sent in on Sunday by David Livingstone. Sorry it got overlooked, David, but many thanks for it. 

 

Tuesday 14th April

The strong south-easterlies continued all day with some rain, mostly in the afternoon.

If you're a Greenland White-fronted Goose on Islay in spring looking to head to Iceland on your way to where you breed in west Greenland, then a south-easterly wind is what you want. So, when Ed B. reported first thing that the last of the geese tagged during the winter at Cornabus was heading north, this was certainly to be expected, as was its arrival in Iceland later in the day. The details are wonderfully revealing. It left Glenastle on The Oa at about 4 am and arrived in south-east Iceland, a distance of c. 800 miles/1300 km, at about 5 pm. This suggests an average speed of 100 kph, or 62 mph. The south-east wind probably provided a boost of about 50%. Well done, that bird, and the rest of the flock it will have been in.

David W. reported 400+ Golden Plovers and a Swallow at Kinnabus in the morning, while Peter Gill had a Great Spotted Woodpecker by the carpark entrance to Loch Ballygrant and a Common Sandpiper beside the loch. Pat Jackson found the first Cuckoo of the year, also at Loch Ballygrant, where there were also "lots" of singing Willow Warblers. Billy Stitchell's garden was invaded by 10-15 Swallows around 6 pm in the evening. 

Finally, one of Ed B's neighbours at Cornabus think they saw a Red Kite, so something to keep an eye open for.