Tuesday 11th November

Just as well that I kept some sightings back from yesterday, as the weather here today has not been that great, although some hardy souls may well have been out... Down on the Oa, Dave and his team had been out carrying out webs counts as well as Farmland Bird surveys as well. Highlights were as follows, 540 Twite, 120 Rock Dove, 40 Fieldfare, 1 Goosander and also 51 Teal. Also seen were a Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, 2 Hen Harriers, 3 Buzzards and also 2 Golden Eagles. Over on the Rhinns, up Glen Mhor, Bob had a female Blackcap, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Golden Eagle, male Hen Harrier, an adult Rough legged Buzzard being mobbed by 3 "local" Buzzard and then it was pursued by a pair of Sparrowhawks! Yesterday the "vols" at Gruinart had carried the webs count on Ardnave Loch with the scores on the doors tallying through at 2 Mute Swan, 3 Whoopers, 51 Wigeon, 70 Teal, 2 Mallard, 7 Tufted Duck, 6 Goldeneye, and a Dabchick. On Loch Gruinart, they had 6 Whoopers, 4 Greylags, 54 Shelduck, 202 Wigeon, 10 Mallard, 17 RBM, 1 Cormorant, 1 Shag, 10 Heron, 155 Oystercatcher, 1165 Golden Plover ,297 Lapwing, 90 Sanderling, 20 Dunlin, 30 Barwit, 325 Curlew, 1 Greenshank, 178 Redshank, 5 Turnstone, 2 BH Gull, 19 C Gull, 25 LBB Gull 4 GBB Gull and 12 H Gulls. Here at home this morning a ringtail Hen Harrier flew past putting up all the of the birds on the ground up in a flat spin... This afternoon, the Jackdaws were mimicking the Starlings with a synchronised flypast, not quite as nimble as the Starlings but quite impressive all the same...