Wed 16th - Sat 19th Jan

On Wednesday, a few Whooper Swans apperaed over at Loch Gruinart, heading South possibly before colder weather had come to where they had left! There were still 3 on Ardnave Loch on Thursday afternoon. Also on Thursday there was a Canada Goose in amongst the Barnacle Geese on the reserve at Loch Gruinart. In the fields there had been a count of 90 Twite, a good count for time of year, other counts produced 140 Common Gull inland, and 60 Reed Bunting. On the flats a Peregrine was seen in pursuit of a Mistle Thrush, but I did not hear who won! The wind that got up briefly on Friday, it reached Force 8 on the Beaufort Scale at around 17.30, enough to cancel the evening sailing from Kennacraig. As I write, my other weather friends, the fulmars are back in again, so winds up again by the middle of the week possibly. It is great to see them soaring on the air currents, and never flapping their wings. A female Siskin was in a garden on the feeders, the first there this year, usually they have been seen earlier on. On other feeders at other locations, they certainly have been seen already. Over at Loch Gorm there were 5 Red-legged Partridge, possibly some of the birds that were released back in 2006 for game, although some do breed. JRH, MS, MAB