Tuesday 26th May

Good friend, Karen Graham from Bearsden was in touch earlier on this evening...

"Making tea and tiny male Goldcrest on back door harling. Looking back it was early April when last spotted one in exactly same place. Must still be a nest around.

Very warm this afternoon and more to come. Family of Starlings including 4 youngsters enjoying a bath too."

Just been watching "Springwatch" on the TV, the first program of the current series, and personally, I thought that it was a lot better program than some seen in other series... no stupidity between the presenters!!!!

Monday 25th May

Gary emailed some sightings seen by himself today...


"Down at Carnain, 9 Whimbrel on the grass, 1 Moorhen in the ponds & a Water Rail flying across the pond from muddy area to thick vegetation."

Sunday 24th May

Before I forget there will be no meeting (again!!!) of the Bird Nerds  this coming Tuesday due to the dreaded Coronavirus and the lock down regulations in place...

I was speaking to David Barr earlier on this evening, and he has been seeing some tremendous sightings of a Green Woodpecker close to where he now lives close to Lochearnhead.

Peter e mailed me that he has had another new bird on his garden list, an Oystercatcher...
"While I see Oystercatchers passing by on the shore beyond the garden every day, yesterday and today were the first time I’ve actually had an Oystercatcher come into the garden. There was one yesterday feeding on the lawn, and two together today. They stayed quite a while and seemed to be finding plenty of food. Whether they are finding feeding elsewhere more difficult and are driven into the garden in desperation – or whether they’ve just realised that there is plenty of food in this new place, I’ve no idea – but it is fun to watch them plodding about with the Song Thrushes, Blackbirds and Starlings on the grass."

Saturday 23rd May

Well the weather has not been that great out on Islay today, wet and very windy to put it mildly. I believe that Dr Matt Jackson had a top wind speed of 60 mph recorded earlier on today!!!

No word, as of yet, as to whether anyone else saw the Hoopoe over in the Ballygrant area today...

Friday 22nd May

James today had seen an adult White tailed Eagle on the floods at Gruinart. The weather  has not been that great today as forecasted mainly wet and windy...  Dr Matt Jackson's weather station recorded a wind speed of 59mph just around 6 pm this evening!!!  No wonder Calmac changed the ferry times for returning back to Kennacraig...
Armin kindly sent through this image of a grass snake swimming in the canal seen when he went out on his morning walk on Wednesday.

Another piece of news was that, this morning there was a reported sighting of a Hoopoe over close to Ballygrant.

Thursday 21st May

Speaking to Peter earlier on, and he saw an Osprey overfly his garden in Bruichladdich yesterday while sitting outside having a cup of coffee. It was being mobbed by a bunch of Common Gulls. Peter, like me, wonders how long will it be before we have a pair of Ospreys breeding on Islay???Another interesting piece of information that came out during the conversation was that Peter reckons that the Dave Wood's Common Rosefinch was only the fourth recorded sighting of one on Islay...

Wednesday 20th May

Good friend Armin was in touch earlier on this evening...
"Not sure if you can see it in the picture, but plenty of insects in the air here at the moment. "  No doubt it will provide some great food for the birds.

This afternoon when loafing around, I saw a Grey Heron, a Kestrel, a Swallow and also 2 House Martins flying over our garden...