Friday 20th February

A day of showers and sunshine with winds coming more from the SW making temperatures a bit milder.

An extra note for yesterday came in from Clive McK. of a Water Rail between Blackpark and Uiskentuie and his first Lesser Black-backed Gull of the year at the Bridgend gull roost.

Today there were notes of Golden Eagle at Port Wemyss from Mary R. and another at Lenavore, The Oa from Charlie Aspinwall. Clive McK. noted Mistle Thrush singing in the woodland at Gruinart this morning while Steve had the Red-breasted Goose on Gruinart flats towards Craigens and a lone Brent Goose at Bridgend. Steve Percival notes drumming Snipe at Gruinart this evening - further suggestions of spring at last!

From Jura come reports of 3 White-tailed Eagles, single Golden Eagle and Hen Harrier, 2 Kestrels, 28 Brent Geese and a flock of Canada Geese.

My news is that my book on the Birds of Islay and Jura has finally arrived - at least 100 advanced copies! This is in time for me to give a talk about the book at the Argyll Bird Club Spring Meeting on Seil Island on Saturday 7th March and another Talk/Book Launch here on Islay for the Islay Natural History Trust at Port Charlotte on Thursday 12th March.

It is the first complete account of the comparatively under-recorded bird life of Jura and gives the first detailed and complete account under one cover of these two island’s avifauna, using data gathered from historical records, earlier publications on the birds of Islay, plus a wealth of present day surveys and observations up to the end of 2025.  

416 full-colour pages include brief descriptions for both islands on habitats, land use and geology and detailed text for each species giving historic and current status.  Many graphs, charts and maps depict monthly and annual occurrence and population trends, breeding distribution details, breeding and peak counts for many species and protected areas on Islay and Jura. The book includes over 180 photographs, all taken on Islay and Jura, illustrating many species and habitats.

I will post details of how you can order your copy (£25 plus p&p) in the next day or two.

Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th February

 Two quite wet days with cooler winds from the SE.

Yesterday's reports c/o Mary Redman & Steve include a Russian White-fronted Goose at the Craigens turn off at Gruinart, a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Cornabus, Whooper Swan at Claddach Loch, Merlin at Craigens and an immature White-tailed Eagle and Hen Harrier at the RSPB Gruinart hides.

Today Richard Grimmett recorded a Greenland White-fronted Goose with neck collar CST near Sanaigmore. Malcolm confirms it as being ringed at Ballinaby in winter 2019/20, returning to the same area each winter up to 2023/24, but not seen in 2024/25. Richard also reports 25 Eider and 2 Great Northern Divers at Saligo Bay with 3 more Great Northerns at Sanaigmore and 2 Golden Eagles.

Steve confirms that a male and female Ring-necked Duck are still in residence at Loch nan Cadhan plus a Great Spotted Woodpecker in Bridgend Woods.

Tuesday 17th February

 A bright and sunny day with light winds.

Thanks to Malcolm O. for writing the blog over the past two weeks while I've been away birding in Ecuador. It was an exciting trip with c.450 species seen including 70+ species of hummingbirds - but always good to be home.

Various reports in today focus largely on wildfowl: 4 Scaup, 12 Long-tailed Ducks, and "plenty" of Red-breasted Mergansers, Eiders, Common Scoters and Goldeneye along with 6 Slavonian Grebes and Great Northern & Red-throated Divers, plus odd Razorbills and Black Guillemots in Loch Indaal this morning under ideal, calm viewing conditions. Ed B. had the "small" Canada Goose at Cornabus and the Red-breasted Goose was again showing well at Craigens.

Clive McK. reports from Creag Mhor  that there have been up to 80 Chaffinches regularly at his feeders - but virtually no other finches accompanying them. He also saw a Barn Owl there today, successfully hunting in daylight and immediately being hassled by a Hooded Crow.

Monday 16th February

Quite a bit of rain accompanied, if briefly, by a southwest wind, though it is now working its way back east again via north.

Plenty of observations today, starting with Steve R. finding only a female Ring-necked Duck on Loch nan Cadhan, but no sign of the pair on neighbouring Loch Ballygrant, where, though, he saw 12 Tufted Ducks. He flushed Woodcock from the woods around the lake, and then had a flock of several hundred Golden Plover along the High Road on his way back to Port Ellen. New visitor Richard Grimmett found the male Green-winged Teal in front of the south hide at RSPB Loch Gruinart at lunchtime, also seeing 2 White-tailed Eagles, as well as Golden Eagle, Hen Harrier and Merlin.

In the early afternoon, David W. counted 115 Lapwings at Kinnabus and Steve Percival found a Cackling Goose at Starchmill in a flock of Barnacle Geese. At about the same time, David Jardine was photographing 3 Russian White-fronted Geese at Gleannagaoidh on the Rhinns. Later in the afternoon, on the ferry to Jura, he spotted 31 Brents beside the small island of Glas Eilean. Having watched an adult and an immature White-tailed Eagles flushing the Cackling Goose and the Barnacles at Starchmill, Steve R. moved to Gruinart and found the wintering Red-breasted Goose on the flats looking from Craigens.

And here's David Jardine's long lens photo of the 3 Russian Whitefronts. Their black belly markings are heavier than is perhaps usual, as one thinks of Greenland Whitefronts having more obvious bars, but the larger white foreheads and pinkish bills are very obvious.

 

Sunday 15th February

A wet morning was followed by a slightly brighter afternoon, but the major weather news is that the wind was from the west!

David Jardine reported a Carrion Crow with Hoodies at Ardnave yesterday. This species is more or less annual here, usually in ones or twos, very occasionally more, with distinct autumn and late winter peaks. Mary McR. reported a largish gathering of 34 Oystercatchers by her Port Wemyss house this morning, while David checked out the three Ring-necked Ducks still on Loch nan Cadhan.

Saturday 14th February

The morning started well with blue skies and sunshine, but all too quickly it clouded over with the wind getting up and the rain arriving later in the day.

Visitor Gill filed a late report of 4 Golden Eagles in the air at Ardnave yesterday, along with ringtail and male Hen Harriers, also 2 males seen near Cornabus, a Barn Owl the previous day at Ardnave, and a Greenshank near Bowmore.

Jim Wells was over on the rib from Ballycastle with members of the Northern Ireland Ornithologists Club and, despite having to leave earlier than planned because of the deteriorating weather, reported seeing no less than 5 White-tailed Eagles, 3 on Nave Island and 2 by the Gruinart hides. They also saw plenty of Choughs, a couple of Hen Harriers and several Roe Deer.

 

Thursday 12th and Friday 13th February

Thursday's weather continued the run of easterlies with some rain, but Friday saw an abrupt and very welcome change to a glorious sunny day after a very slight frost, with a light north to northeast breeze.

Owls dominate the sightings, with Clive Mck. seeing 2 roadside Barn Owls on Wednesday evening, 1 in the shelter of Eresaid wood,  the other on the fence outside the RSPB office at Gruinart, while David Jardine saw another Barn Owl at Blackrock at 2.20am on Thursday morning; I'm unsure whether David was out very late or very early. On Thursday evening, Mary McR. spotted a Tawny owl with prey at Ellister, then a Barn Owl just outside Portnahaven.

During the day on Thursday, Clive McK. was out and about, finding 1 Merlin, 85 Skylark in a flock, a possibly influx, and 12 Reed Buntings at Craigens, as well as 30+ Ravens and 2 White-tailed Eagles at Gearach.