Mon 18th- Fri 22nd June 07

Hold my hand up for the wrong ID of the gull in the previous entry, it was a Herring gull, not a Common gull!
The Barn owl that I told you about in an earlier blog that laid 7 eggs, a record number for Islay, well 5 of the eggs hatched and were succesfully reared. Although one of the chicks was a little smaller, it was well fleshed when it was rung along with its siblings midweek. No cannibalism here on Islay in the nest, compared to the BBC Springwatch owls down in Devon! In the same vein, our swallows here at the house, were hatched on the same day, and fledged on the same day as the Devon swallows, with 4 fledglings here.
The shelducks at the top of Loch Indaal at Carnain, do not appear to have many ducklings with them, so have they been predated already, thinking of how quickly the brood of 4 on Springwatch soon became a solitary duckling!
A basking shark was seen from the ferry close to Colonsay on Wednesday.
There is a good showing of flowering foxgloves as well as honeysuckle too.
Over at R.S.P.B. Loch Gruinart reserve, there has been several sightings of an Otter from the hide. 4 Black tailed Godwits and a shoveler with 5 young were also seen. Up at Ardnave Loch, a Tufted Duck was seen with 2 young. There have been several sightings of Short eared Owls reported this week around the island. Down on the Oa, 3 Swifts were seen and a Turtle Dove was at Kinnabus. A Dipper was on the small burn in Port Charlotte too. Pied Wagtails are out in force carrying grubs etc back to their ever increasing (in size) youngsters, as are the Swallows and House Martins here at home. I.K.B., G.K., J.R.H., P.Y.