Thursday 18th October

Rather a lot of rain through the night, but it turned a not bad day once it cleared up... Yesterday afternoon, the Horwich birders had seen the following, 1 GND at Saligo  along with Black Guillemot, Guillemot, Shag and Eiders. Above Traigh Fleigien Beag were 90 Golden Plover and in the dunes behind were 2 groups of Twite on the grass, one tallied at 36, the other 12. Other visitors had told them of seeing Snow Buntings further up the coast from Saligo as well. Peter had a Sparrowhawk on his garden at Bruichladdich today and Bob saw his first Woodcock of the Autumn along with a few Snipe just up behind his house at Port Charlotte. Andrew and Jane had 8 Sanderling and 41 Ringed Plover down on Machir Bay, at Loch Gorm they had a male Goldeneye, pr of Tufted Duck and 8 Reed Buntings. They saw a Merlin opposite Kilchoman Distillery, a ringtail Hen Harrier and a Kestrel at Ballinaby and then a Peregrine at Grainel road end. Finally on the former distillery pond at Port Charlotte 2 Moorhen were present. Coming back home this evening we had a Barn Owl on the flats at Gruinart and another just before Sunderland Farm. There was also a reported sighting of an American Golden Plover down on Machir Bay by a visitor, but no more details apart from that.