Friday 4th September

Fairly strong blustery westerly winds brought plenty of heavy rain showers between sunny spells.

Jim Dickson the Argyll Bird Club Recorder is over for a week and began finding a few birds of interest despite appalling weather: 5 Curlew Sandpipers (phot below of 2) and 3 juvenile Little Stints at Carnain and a Great Skua, Little Egret and 8 Black-tailed Godwits on Loch Indaal off Bridgend plus 2 Hen Harriers at Cruach to start with. This was followed by 10 Pintail up at Gruinart and a Peregrine at Craigens.

There had been suggestions that sea-watching might be productive today and the only to follow this up was David W. watching off The Oa who noted an expected constant stream of Manx Shearwaters and a few Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and auks, with a trio of Arctic Skuas being the best find in a 2 hour watch.

Rogan W. counted 68 Gannets heading south down the Sound of Islay and David D. reports a Corn Crake seen by one of the stockmen on the RSPB The Oa reserve.

Thursday 3rd September

Another changeable day - light winds with rain and cloud between sunny periods.

Rogan W. saw a Kingfisher plus a fishing Cormorant on Loch Allan and 3 Little Grebes on Loch Ballygrant. Later a White-tailed Eagle flew over Keills.

Wednesday 2nd September

Breezy with rain showers and cloud between bouts of sunshine.

Today's notes come from Rogan W. who heard the Tawny Owls calling at Dunlossit last night and then 2 Whimbrel calling as they passed by Port Askaig this morning. In the garden at Dunlossit were 2 Crossbills, single Spotted Flycatcher, Great spotted Woodpecker, a small flock of Redpolls and an Arctic Skua seen flying along the sound.

He also sent in the non-avian, but appealing photo below:

Tuesday 1st September

Overcast with light winds but rain throughout much of the day - quite heavy at times.

Rogan W. had a Great Spotted Woodpecker and Spotted Flycatcher in the woodland around Lily Loch.

I had a quick look around Gruinart and found a flock of 32 Black-tailed Godwits with an accompanying Ruff on the floods near to the Visitor Centre. On the way home I checked Blackrock and counted 26 Common Scoter offshore.

Monday 31st August

Rain overnight and a few further light showers during a day of variably breezy westerlies and mostly cloudy skies.

Colin McGregor sent in  a sighting of the Kingfisher at Bowmore and a Golden Eagle over the Machrie Golf Course on 28th August.

Rogan W. found the leucistic Greylag again on Loch Indaal and Ed B. had a Corn Crake at Cornabus.

Billy Stitchell sent in some photos of bow wave-riding dolphins to brighten up the blog. 

Sunday 30th August

A dry, fairly calm day with patchy sunshine between cloudier skies.

All observations today are from Rogan W. who had some good sightings around Loch Indaal. This morning he spotted a couple of White-tailed Eagles perched up on the rocks towards Bridgend with the Kingfisher still at the Gaelic College where he heard a Quail calling. A little later he found the first Little Stint of autumn with other waders out on the mud and sand flats. Later still he carefully watched a duck that looks a good candidate for an immature American Wigeon, though there is the possibility of a Eurasian x American hybrid, so perhaps further scrutiny will be required - but nevertheless an intriguing and unusual sighting. Below are some of his photos taken today.

Saturday 29th August

 A dry, fairly calm, cloudy sort of day.

Mary R. was out and about today finding 3 very vocal White-tailed Eagles around Claddach and the islands this morning, a Golden Eagle over Sanaigmore and a record count of 119 Collared Doves at Octofad in the afternoon. Presumably the doves are gathered there to feed on barley split from the trailers going in to Ocofad to be dried.

On Loch Indaal, viewing from the Gaelic College where some of us were gathered for the Islay Book Festival, Fiona McG. noted the first Wigeons of the autumn/winter - a count of 41 birds. Rogan W. was watching here too and recorded a Kingfisher, a Greenshank, 4 Black-tailed and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits. He also noted a female Common Scoter, Tufted Duck with chicks and a White-tailed Eagle on Loch Gorm.