A blustery day with quite strong SE winds, cloud and a fair bit of rain.
The only bird note sent in is of an uncommon non-breeding species for Islay - a Magpie! First seen by David D. at Cragabus, then again (or was it a second bird?) by Ed. B. at Cornabus. On the one hand it would be good to think there were two - "one for sorrow, two for joy" etc, but the thoughts of two birds staying and starting to breed is probably less welcome?
Mostly rainy and cloudy with moderate winds seemingly discouraged anyone from birding today. However, visitor Mark Avery sent in some notes from the previous few days. Noteworthy among them are:
Friday: a Kingfisher at Gartmain
Saturday: a Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Knot, and single Greenshank at Gartmain and a Great Northern Diver at Carnain. At Bruichladdich were 3 Brent Geese and a White-tailed Eagle at Gruinart.
Sunday: a Gadwall at Ardnave Loch and Golden Eagle on the west side of Gruinart, with 5 immature White-tailed Eagles together feeding on a couple of goose carcasses on the Killinallan side where there was a Merlin and 2 Canada Geese.
Another couple of days of mixed weather - rain and shine - with a few birds being noted.
Billy Stitchell saw a total of 5 Buzzards on Saturday morning: one on its usual pole at Limekiln, two on fence posts at Cluanach, one on road-kill at the cattle grid near Barr and another one taking off with its road-kill at the cattle grid at Knocklearoch.
Today Ed B. reports a Jack Snipe at Cornabus and Martin A. had a Pink-footed Goose near Kilchoman distillery.
Visitor Rudolf Hummel sent in more records: 2 Brent Geese at Port Charlotte on Friday afternoon, 4 Whooper Swans at Ardnave yesterday and 5 at Gruinart today where he also saw a Pink-footed Goose. A couple of Great Northern divers were seen up towards Nave Island, with Gadwall on Ardnave Loch. He reckoned that 3 Golden Eagles were feeding on a dead Barnacle Goose at Gruinart where he also mentions two further dead Barnies and one looking sick. I hope this is not a further outbreak of Bird Flu? Other birds of prey seen by Rudolf were White-tailed Eagle, a male and female Hen Harrier and Sparrowhawk at Sanaigmore.
A brighter, sunny day for much of Thursday, but more variable with sunshine in the middle of the day, but cloud and rain with a light SW breeze otherwise.
Morven sent in the January International Goose Count totals, the census carried out on 13th & 14th January. There were 27,731 Barnacle Geese, 4,093 White-fronted Geese and 659 Greylag Geese.
Billy Stitchell sent in a photo of another bird species visiting his productive garden up at Caol Ila:
Today's weather grew increasingly blustery and rainy from late morning onwards, so no records of any birds came through.
A bit of news from James H. for yesterday (13th) mentions 2 White-tailed Eagles at Loch Gruinart, 2 Golden Eagles and another White-tailed Eagle on the other side of Gruinart at Killinallan, and a further one of each up at Ardnave. James also located the elusive Red-breasted Goose at Gruinart along with a Water Rail.
Having asked about Chaffinches at other folk's bird feeders I had a note from Malcolm O. just up the road from me in Bruichladdich saying he is regularly seeing 15-18 in his garden - about 10 more than in recent winters. He also lamented the decline in Greenfinches: he used to have 3 pairs nesting in the garden.
Billy Stitchell sent in the following count from his garden and feeders at Caol Ila for yesterday: Chaffinch c.40-50 plus 4 Blue Tits, 6 Coal Tits, 5 Great Tits, 1 Siskin and 3 Greenfinches, 1 Treecreeper, 10 Blackbirds, 1 Bullfinch, 4 Collared Doves, c.10 Dunnocks.
He also commented: "I usually chop the Buddleia and Chinese Honeysuckle back at the end of the year, but not last year due to the weather. I hadn’t realised the Sparrows love the seeds, the branches were buckling under their weight and the noise! Same with the Honeysuckle; that’s what attracts the Bullfinch"
Very little to report on the bird front over the past few days. Weather has ameliorated from the colder conditions of last week into something more typical of an Islay winter - milder, quickly changing between clouds and rain and sunnier spells with mostly moderate winds.
Daavid D. noted a Merlin at Sanaigmore on Saturday. Yesterday (12th) Gary T. had a pair of Choughs out at Finlaggan and Steve & Lyn Rogers noted 2 White-tailed Eagles and a Kestrel over their garden at Kilnaughton. Also yesterday, Martin Armstrong had a Yellowhammer near the Round Church at Bowmore. Today David D. reports that the small Canada Goose was present at Kinnabus.
Mary Ann Featherstone sent in a couple of photos of some colourful, regular species in her garden at Kildalton to brighten up the blog.
Here at Bruichladdich I had a count of 7 Greenfinches on the feeders and there are 35-45 Chaffinches on my bird-feeders each day. It would be interesting to have counts of Chaffinches from other feeders.
While other large areas of the country experienced strong winds and snow, it was a calm, and at times sunny day here - though temperatures almost at freezing point at times.
Clive McK. reported a White-tailed Eagle predating a Barnacle Goose on Loch Gruinart and Ed B. saw the parvipes Canada Goose again at Cornabus. Gary T. watched a lone Brambling among a flock of c.50 Chaffinches at Crosshouses and I took advantage of the flat calm waters of Loch Indaal to check birds off Blackrock. There was the usual good selection of Eiders and Red-breasted Mergansers with counts of 22 Red-throated divers, 16 Long-tailed Ducks, 14 Slavonian Grebes and c.45 Common Scoter.
