Wednesday 28th October

A dry, but damp and cloudy day with much lighter winds - almost pleasant after the previous few days of storms and rain!

Not too much reported today, though I believe the Red-breasted Goose was seen at Gruinart.

David D. reports a male Bullfinch at Kinnabus and Clive McK. had a Coal Tit in his garden up at Creag Mhor - first of the autumn. Rogan W. had 2+ Bramblings with Chaffinches in the woodland behind Dunlossit and 2+ Water Rails calling close to the track leading down to Lily Loch from the road. Loch Indaal was covered in thousands of Barnacle Geese on the flats this morning, and with them a discrete group of 9 large/feral Canada Geese.

Mike Bell sent in some interesting records - single Gadwall and 2 Goldeneye at Ardnave Loch. At Traigh Nostaig were single Merlin and Grey Plover and 52 Bar-tailed Godwits. Off Ardnave point were 10 Great Northern Divers and a White-tailed Eagle coming over from Nave Island. There were 2 Hen Harriers at Coullabus, another at Sanaigmore with another Merlin. Cherckling out Loch Skerrols he found the Ring-necked Duck among 68 Tufted Ducks.

In the morning Audrey & Bob Turner saw a Barn Owl near the road at Gruinart, and Clive saw one hunting at Lyrabus. There have been a number of day time sightings recently suggesting that their feeding patterns have been messed up with this horrible weather? On Sunday Neil McMahon saw a Peregrine going after, and hitting if not actually catching a flushed Barn Owl at the RSPB Gruinart viewpoint. Today Mike Bell saw another day-time hunting Barn Owl at Blackpark/Blackrock and Paul Handyside got some remarkable photos of yet another Barn Owl (or is it the same unfortunate individual?) out in the daytime and being caught/nearly caught by an immature White-tailed Eagle. Paul is hoping to share the photos with the group in due course.

Tuesday 27th October

Winds still very blustery and gone more to the west again as the low pressure systems pile through. Mostly grey and rainy, but a period of bright sunny weather with isolated heavy downpours in the middle of the day.

Mike Bell, arrived recently and mentioned the following birds of note today: 116 Whoopers around Kilchoman, 101 Pintail, 41 Shoveler, c.1,500 Teal and a single Gadwall on the floods at RSPB Gruinart.

Steve Percival found the Red-breasted Goose at Gruinart and I noted the SDnow Goose still in the same fields at Leorin during the morning.  Further Whoopers were 36 at the top of Loch Indaal and 10 at Loch Kinnabus (3 young) c/o David D. Mary R. had a male Hen Harrier at Tormisdale and 3 Choughs at Claddach.

Below are some further great photos from Neil McMahon's recent Naturetrek tour here.

Monday 26th October

The winds decreased a little and turned generally southerly/south-easterly, but it was an overcast, almost solidly rainy dark and dreary day!

Mary-Ann Featherstone reports that the Snow Goose was still present yesterday.

As usual, Rogan W. set things off with a count of 63 Shags and 12 Greenland White-fronts heading south down  the Sound of Islay, while Ed B. kept us updated on the tagged (at Cornabus) Greenland White-front flying towards us from Iceland. It did indeed go too far south, reoriented to the Kintyre peninsula and may yet make it to Islay! (Photo below).

Frank Cavanagh set off by ferry to the mainland this morning having a productive sea-watch along the way: singles of Little Gull and Pomarine Skua, 4 Leach's Storm-Petrel and 3 Little Auks. Nick Martin was pleased to find Merlin near Gartnatra - the last raptor to complete his Islay list for this visit. Down at Claddach, Mary R. had 12 White-fronts over the house early on followed by a family of low-flying Whoopers - possibly the 6 she saw in Claddach loch later.

Neil McMahon's Naturetrek group also exited today, sending in this last report of 34 Whoopers at Kilchoman with a single Pink-footed Goose, several more Whooper families on Loch Gorm and on on the stubble field with another lone Pink-footed Goose at Ballinaby. Up at Ardnave they counted 35 Choughs, a male Hen Harrier and a Little Grebe. Off Carnain and Gartnatra in Loch Indaal Nick found 20 Red-breasted Mergansers, 12 Brent Geese, 27 Whooper Swans, 2 Red-throated divers and 2 Black Guillemots. On his ferry journey back to the mainland Neil's group encountered a Storm-petrel, 12 Great Northern Divers, 40 Kittiwakes and a handful of Gannets and auks at the south of the Sound of Islay.

Many thanks to Frank and Neil for their sterling efforts in birding in such dodgy weather and for contributing their records to the group and blog. Here are some photos sent in by Neil from his visit.

Sunday 25th October

Another day of Storm Beolo producing extremely strong, gale-force or more winds, from a WNW direction with plenty of heavy rain between patches of clearer weather.

Several of the more intrepid birders ventured out and found some interesting birds despite horrible conditions. Rogan W. set out this morning finding White-tailed Eagles over the Woollen Mill and Loch Skerrols where he scored bird of the day - a 1W Ring-necked Duck with the Tufties. Later he noticed a Greenshank off the Gaelic College where a Great Skua was being blown about Loch Indaal.

The strong NW winds were blowing one of ED B.'s radio-tagged Greenland White-fronted Geese fast towards (or just past) Islay from Greenland as can be seen from the map tracking its course.

Neil McMahon witnessed a sad event with a Barn Owl flushed from gorse bushes at Gruinart and being struck by a Peregrine - the owl escapes but the final outcome not known. Neil also noted c.85 Whooper Swans close to Kilchoman distillery - a favourite spot for these passage birds to linger and feed this autumn. A further c.40 Whoopers were seen by his group at Gruinart, with 7 (3 adults and 4 young) c/o David D. at Kinnabus and, rather bizarrely, 19 sat on a raging sea off Frenchman's Rocks when Clive McK. braved a sea-watch this afternoon for an hour. Clive's fortitude produced 1,165 Kittiwakes and 3 Black-headed Gulls, but little else and confirms that this masochistic pastime is better done on Tiree where 24 Grey Phalaropes, single Sooty Shearwater and Pomarine Skua and 5 Little Auks were highlights offshore today!

Other stuff: Rogan finished the day with a group of 14 Long-tailed Tits and the first Brambling at Dunlossit Cottages. Mary R. had a Snow Bunting down at Claddach and Frank Cavanagh saw an "interesting female/ringtail type harrier all too briefly, that put him in mind of perhaps a Pallid - something for birders to keep an eye out for tomorrow............

Saturday 24th October

Storm Boelo built up during the day from being overcast, very windy from the south/SW and raining in the morning to drier at time with a little sun attempting to peek through with ever-increasing winds from the west rising to storm-force by evening.

Remarkably, despite the weather several people braved the storm and did a bit of birding, at least in the morning before it became too dangerous to be outside. Rogan W. did a watch on the Sound of Islay at Port Askaig early on and noted a flock of 31 Kittiwakes heading south. Frank Cavanagh found the Snow Goose still at Leorin and 21 Brent Geese and a Pink-footed Goose at Gartnatra. Later he found one of Snow Buntings remianing near Blackrock.

Nick Martin found the Red-breasted Goose on the same RSPB fields near Gruinart plus a bedraggled juvenile Peregrine (photos below).

Neil McMahon and his Naturetrek group also braved the elements and found all 13 Little Egrets present and correct on the flats at Gruinart and saw a Water Rail cross the road near the TRSPB offices. They also had 12 Whooper Swans - apparently 2 pairs with 8 young between them. Neil shared some photos taken during the last week with us - but I'll save them for tomorrow which promises to be equally stormy, if not more so.

Male and female Hen Harriers were noted by Audrey & Bob Turner who managed to arrive via what must have been the last ferry that will run until Monday or later.

Finally James H. noted 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Ruff and the juvenile Peregrine again at Gruinart in the afternoon - perhaps he was out checking that the hides hadn't yet blown away!

Friday 23rd October

Light NW winds with overcast, showery and cold conditions to start the day, becoming drier with a bit of sunshine in the afternoon.

Nicky Betts was birding before leaving for home before the impending Storm Boelo. Birds found included Scaup at Blackrock and 7 Great Northern Divers in the Sound of Islay.

Nick Martin has been active today, firstly looking at Loch Indaal from near Bruichladdich finding 30 Common Scoter and 2 Scaup. He watched a young White-tailed Eagle take down a Greylag Goose on Loch Indaal, which the eagle then left as it couldn't get it out of the water. He had another young WTE, a Golden Eagle, Sparrowhawk and Grey Wagtail around Gruinart at the hides and car park then c.20 Fieldfares at Kilnave.

Neil McMahon and his Naturetrek group were on Jura and report the following: 2 adult WTE, 2 Grey Wagtails, 200 Fieldfares, 50 Chaffinch, and 3 Great Northern Divers in the Craighouse area. 6 Yellowhammer, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Siskin and adult WTE at Tarbert and a further 50 Chaffinch and 3 Bullfinch between the two locations (plus a couple of Otters which no doubt kept the group happy).

Rogan W. counted 243 Wood Pigeons at Cattadale this afternoon. There have been occasional flocks of over 200 before, but none since 1988, so this is unusual.

Clive McK. counted 55+ Snipe in front of the S. Hide Gruinart and 290 White-fronted Geese and 13 Little Egrets on the Gruinart floods.

Frank Cavanagh back on Islay found the Red-breasted Goose near Craigens this afternoon (photo below).

Other folks have commented on their being large numbers of thrushes - Fieldfares, Redwings and Blackbirds on Islay and Jura today.

Thursday 22nd October

A pleasant dry and sunny day with moderate winds - but possibly just "the calm before the storm" as some dire weather is forecast in the coming few days.

Neil McMahon with a Naturetrek group are on Islay and finding plenty of good birds starting this morning with Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher by the bridge over the River Sorn at Bridgend. Further round Loch Indaal towards Bowmore they saw 5 Pink-footed Geese and 2 White-tailed Eagles and a Buzzard feasting on Barnacle Geese. At the Gaelic centre one (or possibly two) feral Chinese Goose was noted plus groups of 9 & 12 Whooper Swans 40 Brent Geese and 4 Canada Geese. Further on they drove the High Road and connected with the Snow Goose at Leorin with Greylags. (Nick Martin noted that male Hen Harrier spooked the Snow Goode and Greylags later). At The Oa were Golden Eagle, Merlin and Twite at the feeders in the RSPB car park. At some point they were in the Ballygrant area too and found 2 more White-tailed Eagles, 10 Fieldfares, while off Blackrock were 3 Great Northern Divers, 4 Red-throated Divers and 8 Long-tailed Ducks.

Elsewhere other observers were birding. Nicky Betts counted 13 Common Scoter and 6 Twite at Blackrock and found one of the Snow Buntings at Carnain. Up at Ardnave Point she found 2 White-tailed Eagles, 55 Golden Plover and 2 ringtail Hen Harriers - several more being noted about the island today. Andy Howard was over on Jura and were surprised by a day-flying Barn Owl. Mark Whitcombe noted a Buzzard disturbing a substantial number of Choughs (45-50) at Ardnave Loch, and David D. had Peregrine hunting Rock Doves at The Oa RSPB car park. Wendy & John Mattingley counted birds offshore between Uiskentuie and Blackrock of note being 13 Slavonian Grebes. Gary Douglas clocked 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers on the High Road and Clive McK. had a Woodcock near Creag Mhor at Gruinart. 

A note on the Argyll Bird Club website mentions an unknown observer reporting elsewhere- perhaps on eBird or Birdtrack (either way, not very helpful towards other birders on Islay!) - that there were 2 Cackling Geese present today.

So, a lot of predator activity today in all corners of the island. Eclipsing this was the total of goose species seen - the star attraction being found by James How who confirms the return of the Red-breasted Goose by the RSPB Visitor Centre at Gruinart this afternoon. That makes a likely tally of 10 species of goose on Islay today - assuming that the Cackling Goose report is correct and you consider Chinese Goose valid!!