Sunday 6th October

Peter and Pia had been up to Gortantoid today, not a tremendous lot around, but their tally included 4 Wheatear, over 20 Pied Wagtail and a cracking male Hen Harrier. On the Gruinart flats , on the Craigens side, a flock of over 200 Greylags along with a large hybrid Greylag x Canada Goose! Mid afternoon, back down at home at Bruichladdich, Peter had 80 Pale bellied Brent flying South down Loch Indaal. James had done a quick look round the reserve at Gruinart and saw the following, 40 Pale bellied Brent, 84 Barnies, 3 Whitefronts, 322 Golden Plover, 465 Wigeon, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Blackwits, 1 Hen Harrier and 9 Pintail. Here at home mid morning there were around 45 Rock Doves in a flypast, and as I was speaking to some visitors up at the old church, some Chough flew past, noisy and nosey as ever, they sure are great characters ... Turn back the blog exactly 1 year and 20,000 Barnies had arrived at Gruinart, perhaps they will come later this week once the wind changes round a bit....