Sunday 21st June

The summer solstice and a scorcher of a day with bright sunshine all day with heatwaves predicted further south in the UK.

Malcolm O. reports hearing Corn Crake from his house in Bruichladdich last night - a bird moving closer to the village from Conisby perhaps.

Stephen Garner was up at Ardnave again today, primarily looking at orchids but sent in the following bird notes: 

Just beyond the lobster pens a flock of 4 choughs above the dunes. A bit further on two choughs working the tide line, one un-ringed the other colour ringed single green on the left leg, 2 rings, pale blue over orange on the right (photo available if needed). Adult White-tailed Eagle on the central dunes seen 3 times, with a splendid flyby next to the car park on our return. Female Hen Harrier also near the point but assume same one seen again scaring the young rabbits in the field above the car park and again beyond the loch. Return along the Gruinart side very quiet with a pair of Ringed Plover and a single Dunlin working the tide line.

Jackie Wedd is on a return visit and noted 2 Arctic Terns and 4 Red-throated Divers off Port Charlotte by the lighthouse.

Here at Bruichladdich the House Martins are belatedly back trying to make a nest on the house, but it seems a real struggle as the material they are gathering is so sandy that once it dries it falls off the wall.

Friday 19th & Saturday 20th June

 Drizzly on Friday, bright and sunny on Saturday.

Today David Jardine was on Jura and counted 66 Canada Geese plus 2 pairs with broods of 2 & 4 young on Eilean Glas - or is it Glas Eilean?

There were no sightings sent in yesterday, but regular visitor Stephen Garner sent in his records for the past few days:

16th June: Port Mor campsite - Corn Crake calling  all night

17th June: Ardnave Point - 2 male & 1 female Hen Harriers, 1 Cuckoo  and a Shelduck with very young ducklings. White-tailed Eagle and 8 Chough in group. 2 Great Skuas flew south from direction of Nave island. 1 Little Tern feeding near Nave Island and Eilean Beag

18th June: Big Strand to Laggan river - a party of 4 and another of 5 Sanderling, 1 Little Tern and 3 Chough near Laggan river mouth. Portnahaven - a Grasshopper Warbler singing near the Community Hall

19th June: Kintra - 2 Chough above the beach beyond the car park and 4 Twite. The Oa - 1 male Whinchat singing near to RSPB Car Park, 4 Twite and a pair of Reed Buntings just before car park

20th June: Killinallan - pair of Curlew displaying beyond the gate across the road end, 1 female Teal on the beach

Wednesday 17th & Thursday 18th June

Further days of mixed showers and sunshine with light winds from a mostly southerly direction, sometimes quite breezy.

No sightings for Wednesday, but some sightings for Tuesday from Rogan Wolhuter, visiting the island. Amongst other things he saw a Guillemot at Port Askaig, 27 Oystercatchers at Bowmore and 2 each of Little Grebes and Grey Wagtails at Loch Ballygrant.

Today was Nick Thomas's last day on the island before heading home. He found a few species of interest up at Loch Ballygrant and Loch Lossit - such as  a flock of Long-tailed Tits, 2 Common Sandpiper, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Red-legged Partridges (it has been quite a while since the latter have been recorded on Islay).

Tuesday 16th June

More unsettled weather today, fine to start with but deteriorating into rain and blustery SE winds.

Val P. and friends went up to Ardnave for a walk and had 3 Swifts flying south overhead.

Simon Cunningham was on Jura and had an Arctic Skua, working down the Sound of Islay close to the Jura shore from Inver towards Feolin.  Sadly he lost sight of it before he could see if it showed any inclination to head inland, which might of course indicate breeding!

Sunday 14th & Monday 15th June

Two days of sunshine - very warm on Sunday, but windier from the SE on Monday.

Despite the gorgeous weather, there were few bird sightings on Sunday other than Steve & Lyn Rogers WeBS count at Loch an-t-Sailean recording many of the summer resident and breeding species and from David Livingstone who took this photo of a Lapwing escorting its chick across the high road at Leorin in the morning and a couple of Otters at Carraig Fhada in the evening.

Today Mary R. had a Swift an Currie Sands - always a good find on Islay.

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.