Thursday 6th November

Not the best of days out here today, the wind has dropped a bit with ferries sailing from 13.00 onwards, and oh yes as forecast the rain has been falling all day, there had been quite a lot overnight, over an inch and it just keeps coming.. The windows, looking out at one point was just like a fishmonger's window of old with the water streaming down!!! Yesterday the weather was kinder and some sightings through for you. Paul had seen a Slavonian Grebe and 5 Long tailed Ducks from the Power station first thing. Later on along the shoreline, south of Bowmore, he saw a Snow Bunting. Ken and the his group had made the most of the good weather and had headed over to Jura. Their top sighting was a Snow Bunting along the shoreline at Feolin. Michael had a good morning's walk into Killinallan, the first time he has done it... He has a great list of birds for us, 11 Whitefronts, 135 Greylags, around 2,600 Barnies resting on the shore, 2 Mallard, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 120 Lapwing, 4 Snipe, 4 Curlew, 4 Ringed Plover, 1 Sanderling, 40 Common Gull, 5 Herring Gull, 6 GBB Gull, 35 Rock Dove, 14 Skylark, 4 Rock Pipit, 4 Pied Wagtail, 2 Pheasant, 7 Red legged Partridge, 3 Wren, 3 Dunnock, 1 Robin, 14 Stonechat, 1 Blackbird, 175 Redwing, 7 Chough, 23 Jackdaw, 4 Hooded Crow, 7 Raven, 190 Starling, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Twite, 1 Snow Bunting and also 16 Reed Bunting. This morning looking out his cottage window, Michael spotted a Siberian Chiffchaff sheltering up. This morning also, Martin, been parked up for a few moments close to Kilarrow at Bowmore and a quick look out on Loch Indaal produced 8 Red breasted Merganser, 2 Goldeneye, 2 Long tailed Duck, 1 Eider and a GND.