Tuesday 10th March

The day slowly developed into an overcast, rainy and windy affair with winds strong enough to cancel the evening ferry.

Theo of Nature Scotland was out and about relocating two of the previously three Ring-necked Ducks (an adult male and adult female) on Loch Ballygrant where there were  also 31 Tufted Ducks and a Little Grebe. Later, at Ballinaby he noted 2 Choughs plus 8 Fieldfare, then a Slavonian Grebe at Port Ellen, and a semi-leucistic Starling at Lagavulin. At each location he recorded a small number (2-5) of "normal" (aka feral) Canada Geese. Over on Jura, Louise Muir noted a count of 130 "normal" Canada Geese - one of the larger counts of late.

Steve  & Lyn Rogers counted 10 Eider at Port Ellen marina and David D. kindly sent in some excellent photos taken recently on Islay. I'll include a couple tonight to brighten up the blog!

Sunday 8th & Monday 9th March

Two further basically dry, sunny days with a moderate breeze.

Thanks to Malcom O. for blogging while I was away giving a talk to the Argyll Bird Club about the new Birds of Islay and Jura book.

Yesterday Billy Stitchell  had a couple of fine Grey Wagtails on the Sorn by the Woollen Mill (photos below) and a Great Spotted Woodpecker at East Lodge. Today he heard another Great Spotted Woodpecker at Lily loch.

Other news for today is of a Mallard with a clutch of 15 eggs at Cornabus and a Greenland White-fronted Goose at Corsapol that had been ringed by Ed B. at Ballinaby in 2012. Hannah D. found a Slavonian Grebe in Lagavulin Bay while David d. had the Long-tailed duck on Loch Kinnabus - again associating with Tufted Ducks.

Theo De Clermont of Nature Scotland is back on Islay and already finding some much less common species: a Red-necked Grebe and 2 Velvet Scoters off Blackrock. He also had a count of 29 Brent Geese between Islay and Jura and a Hen Harrier crossing to Islay from Jura. On Loch Skerrols were 27 Tufted Ducks and 7 Goldeneye, while at Blackrock there were totals of 10 Long-tailed Ducks, 15+ Slavonian Grebes and 80 Common Scoter. finally over at Machir Bay he tallied 13 Chough and 5 Ringed Plover.

Saturday 7th March

A second dry sunny day in succession, though with a stronger SE breeze. 

 
The only records received were from Bob Brown who saw 30 Fieldfares at Kilchoman and from visitor, Ella, who reported 2 Dippers at the mouth of Loch an t-Siob on Jura.

 
There are some disturbing signs that bird flu might be back among the geese, though not with the devastating effect that was experienced in winter 2022/23 when c.5000 Barnacles are thought to have died. A very few geese, including this time Greenland Whitefronts and Greylags, have been seen with possible symptoms, sitting at the edges of flocks, showing uncordinated head/neck movements, and being unusually tame. Please keep an eye open for anything similar and let us know.

Thursday 5th and Friday 6th March

Thursday was quite a wet day,  with variable winds, but on Friday we were blessed with wall-to-wall sunshine and a south-east breeze.

No records were submitted on Thursday, but Friday was busier, with Mary McR. seeing a pair of adult White-tailed Eagles and a male Hen Harrier at Claddach in the morning and then, in the early afterrnoon, 5 Whooper Swans flew over heading NW, having presumably come from Ireland. Peter R. spotted 4 pairs of Black Guillemot by Bruichladdich Pier, a regular breeding site, and Mary-Ann F. saw a Treecreeper at the Battery, above the High School, where there are plenty of small trees, though few larger ones, nor for some distance around. Redwing are on the move, as 40+ were reported from near Coullabus, while I saw 6-10 at Kintour.

Morven Laurie (NatureScot) has kindly sent the results of the latest island-wide goose count, held on 24th/25th February, revealing totals of 29,461 Barnacle Geese, 4,950 Greenland Whitefronts, and 1078 Greylags. Thank you, Morven. 

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.