Wednesday 16th October

The Horwich birders had a Swallow at Smelly corner this morning, down on the Rowans at Foreland they counted 20 MistleThrushes. On Loch Indaal, just after "Cash Kelly's" former house at Blaskrock, a male Goldeneye was  present with some Red breasted Mergansers. On the  River Sorn they had a Dipper and also a Grey Wagtail. Coming back along the top of Loch Indaal they had 6 Barwits and "hoards" of Barnies and also Wigeon. Along on the stubble below Rock Mountain, 4 Whoopers were present and a ringtail Hen Harrier was out over the pools along beside Loch Gorm. The "vols" at RSPB had been out on the Oa doing a "field survey" yesterday with their tally being 322 Twite, 24 Reed Bunting, 66 Linnet, 150 Starling, 14 Stonechat and a Yellowhammer. A Merlin and a Hen Harrier were also seen. Andrew and Jane today 9 Pale bellied Brent at Bowmore along with some Turnstone, at Craigens a Merlin, over the flats a ringtail. On the flats, 4 Pinkies and a leucistic Barnie. The floods held  2 Blackwit, 2 female Pintail, Shoveler, Teal and Snipe. James carried out a count late afternoon at Gruinart, his birds tallied up as 28,980 Barnies, 18 Pinkies and 1 Canada hutchinsii sp. Coming home this evening, we had a Barn Owl was sitting on a fence post at Ballinaby.