Saturday 28th June

Yesterday the Horwich birders had seen a male Hen Harrier close to Foreland. At Blackrock, they counted 25 Eider and along on the River Sorn 2 Heron were present, and at the mouth of the River Sorn an Oystercatcher with young was seen. Along the shoreline on Loch Gruinart, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover and Redshank and up at the gate at Killinallan, Linnets and Wheatear were seen. Large numbers of Skylarks were singing over the dunes there and a count of the Sand Martins, around 25 were at nest sites there in the dunes. The show of Orchids in the dunes there was as good as they can recall over a period of visiting over a 30 year span, with Frog and Pyramidal Orchids to the fore, also seen were Twayblade and heleborines amongst the clover, bedstraw, bird's foot trefoil and numerous other species. Mary yesterday had 2 Swifts down at Portnahaven. The Horwich birders had seen a single swift amongst the House Martins and Swallows over Coullabus.