Monday 20th October

Steve Percival who is over at present sent through this image of a Canada Goose which he had taken down below Rockmountain at Sunderland Farm. Steve reckons that it is one of the small "Todds" species. Later on Albert, his father was telling me that they had seen a Barnie that they had rung 20 years ago, and a pair that were rung 15 years ago, the pair are very true to their location, being caught in the same field and also seen there too over all their visits to Islay! The Barnie that Andrew and Jane saw last week, Steve had caught and rung back on October in 2008! George Newall from Dunoon was on the phone this evening and said that the day that they had the Snow Buntings and the Choughs over at Ardnave was last Tuesday, we had a good blether great when you folk out there speak rather than just an email! Yesterday the Horwich birders had a Dipper on the River Sorn. From the old hide, they saw a great mix of birds, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Snipe , Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler and Mallard. Good sightings of Barnies and Whitefronts close at hand. They spotted one of "Ed's" whitefronts with a collar numbered 22 there too, if I recall it was caught and rung the last winter. They also saw Mute and Whoopers there as well. Over at Loch Skerrols they counted 24 adult Mutes along with 5 young. 1 Gadwall, 3 Dabchick, 4 Tufted, 8 Wigeon,70 Whitefronts, a Buzzard and 2 Whoopers. Down at Bridgend, on the "pink berried" Rowans had feeding Song Thrushes, Redwing and Fieldfare in small numbers. The reason I have put pink berried rather than ordinary Rowans is that back home the birds do not eat them apart from Waxwings when they come. They also saw Siskin and a Goldcrest, Blue Tits, Great Tits as well as some Coal Tits. Martin from close to Aberdeen had a White tailed Sea eagle on Loch Gorm. Emily had 5 Whoopers come in to Gruinart this morning while we had 2 different groups of 6 Whoopers fly over en route to Ireland. Ann and Noel Herd returned home at the weekend after a great week's birding. They had 2 Golden Eagles on Jura, with another 3 around the Loch Gorm area. Where they were staying, they often saw Hen Harriers, a flock of 40 Golden Plover and also the big flock at Gruinart. Merlin were seen a plenty as well as many Chough. In the wee burn going in to Machir Bay, a Grey Wagtail was added to their list. On Loch Indaal, (14th) 4 Slav Grebes, 45 Scaup, RTD and GND were seen, also on the 14th, a Wheatear was seen down on the Oa. 16th, a mixed flock of around 30 Redwings and Fieldfares, Goldcrest, Blackbird, Robins and Stonechats around the Rhinns. The following day down at Machir Bay, 3 Sanderling and 44 Ringed Plover, over on Loch Indaal, 50 Scaup and 40 Eiders were seen. From their cottage they had a count of 145 Twite and also a Brambling. Finally on their way out to the early ferry, they saw 2 Barn Owls! There are some sightings from today which I will keep for you tomorrow as I am getting tired...