Friday 13th & Saturday 14th March

A couple more days of turbulent and changeable weather - sunny at times in between cold squally showers.

Yesterday's main news was a sighting of a Nuthatch at Craighouse, found by Theo's Nature Scotland group and photographed by Tim Wilson. There has been just one previous record on Jura of a single bird logged during the BTO 2007-11 Winter Atlas, with a likely date of 10th December 2008. Similarly, there is only one Islay record of a bird at Bunnhabhain on 2nd June 2020. The species is spreading fast into Argyll, so it has long been anticipated that more records and possible future breeding will occur here and on Jura.

Another minor rarity yesterday was a Magpie at Laggan Bay Distillery near the airport, first seen by Clive McK, who also had a large count of 130 Wood Pigeons at Loch Tallant. 

Steve & Lyn Rogers noted a Cormorant off the Gaelic College and today watched two adult White-tailed Eagles perched up near their home at Emerivale.

Harry & Denise Failey returned for another week of birding today and sent a good count of 150 Skylarks along the Ardnave road. David Dinsley was delighted to be able to get a proper photo of a Red Grouse today on The Oa - they are usually flying away at speed seconds after being seen!

Thursday 12th March

A blustery, windy and cold day with sunshine and squally rain - more rain than sun!

The only bird news comes from Theo and his Nature Scotland group who found the Green-winged Teal from the South Hide at RSPB Gruinart.

Wednesday 11th March

Quite strong SW winds, cool, with intermittent squally rain between sunnier spells for much of the day.

David D. started the records off today with a count of 61 Golden Plovers feeding on in-bye land at Kinnabus, and Mary-Ann F. noting 30+ Lapwings and 200 Starlings north of Port Ellen this morning. Marcus Covell at the Woollen Mill saw the usual Grey Wagtail on the sorn and a Golden Eagle overhead.

Other records came from Theo with his Nature Scotland group, finding 7 Great Northern Divers, 24 Eider, 3 female Common Scoter, 4 Kittiwake, 6 Choughs and a Gannet at Sanaigmore. Later, the Red-breasted Goose showed up on the flats at Gruinart (photo below), along with an adult Russian White-fronted Goose and Brent Goose near Craigens. Up at Ardnave were 3 more Great Northern Divers and a Greenshank, with 2 more of the latter at Bridgend and a female Merlin at Uiskentuie. For "the goose fans" as Theo puts it, he sent in a photo of a strikingly pale White-fronted Goose (photo below) near Kilchoman Distillery.

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.