Tuesday 15th October

Ann and Noel Hands from Warwickshire who had been staying over on Jura last week sent some of their sightings through... On their last day, on their way down to the ferry they had 3 different Owls within 2 miles of each other. It started off with a Barn Owl, then a Short eared Owl and finally a Tawny Owl on a fence post at the side of the road. They had been over on Islay one day and had been down at Gruinart and had seen the WTSE putting the geese about, "a re run of the clip seen on the Hebrides, Islands on the edge"...The geese were put up again by a Peregrine and by the Eagles another time. On their way back to Jura they had 3 different male Hen Harriers.  Natalie and Emily had carried out a count on Loch Gruinart yesterday with their tally being as follows, 1 Cormorant, 3 Shag, 11 Heron, 19 Shelduck, 132 Wigeon, 18 Teal, 46 Mallard, 51 RB Merganser, 28 Pintail, 16 Shoveler, 182 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover, 231 Golden Plover, 86 Sanderling, 228 Dunlin, 84 Barwits, 216 Curlew, 9 Redshank, 28 Turnstone, 7 Greenshank, 87 BH Gulls, 70 Common Gulls, 172 Herring Gulls and 7 GBB Gulls. Early this morning Andrew and Jane had seen a Barn Owl and Fieldfare down at Portnahaven. Later on they had a walk round Ardnave with over 30 Twite seen, 15 Chough, 2 male Snow Buntings, 6 Yellowhammers (inc 3 males). Also seen were Great Tit, Stonechat, Goldfinch, and a female Merlin. Finally down close to Gruinart Farm they saw a Sparrowhawk and close to Port Charlotte a Peregrine. Peter, this morning had a young Golden Eagle being mobbed by a pr of Buzzards and a Raven on the High road just behind Bowmore and this evening there were 8 Pale bellied Brent on the shore at Bowmore. George had a Tufted  Duck on his ponds, a new tick for the ponds, and he also saw a Buzzard following the Barnies today....Visitors from Lancashire had a great sighting of 2 WTSE flying in the Sound of Islay as they came in to Port Askaig this afternoon. Been a great day, look at all those sightings....