Monday 1st September

Today is the first day of Autumn, or so they tell us, not too bad a a day here although it was overcast, no blue skies, at least it stayed fair. The rainfall for last month came to 3.75 inches, slightly more than last August. Yesterday Bob and Martin walked out to Ardnave point, birds seen were over 40 Chough, 3 Wheatear, 6 Razorbill, a Kittiwake, some Curlews, Redshank and a Greenshank. In the channel between Ardnave Point and Nave Island they saw 3 Porpoises. Today Bob had gone round Loch Gorm in an anti clockwise direction from Sunderland and up here to Kilchoman. Around 400 Greylags were on the barley stubble at Sunderland, 800 on Loch Gorm itself with another 400 on the grass aftermaths at Ballinaby! Also on the water on Loch Gorm were 80 Mallard and 30 Teal. Bob also had spotted 2 Blackwits. Here at home today, Margaret spotted a young Goldfinch on one of the fence posts begging to get fed. There was also a Whitethroat and also a Willow Warbler lurking about in the bushes.