Thursday 19th February

A mixed sort of a day with the weather, but certainly not a heat wave... The Rochdale birders on their travels today had seen a female Sparrowhawk and a cracking male Hen Harrier on their way round Loch Gorm. Down at Bruichladdich, they had a count of 71 Curlew and on the shore there were 11 Purple Sandpipers. Mick Hemingway had seen a great sighting of an Otter on the Sound of Islay and later on, some Black Guillemots up at Bunnahabhain. He also saw a juv. Iceland Gull in the fields between Bridgend and Ballygrant. The juv. Glaucous Gull was still present along the head of Loch Indaal. Out on Loch Indaal itself, Mick saw a Slavonian Grebe. The Hampshire birders had seen a Golden Eagle over the hills as they went along the Glen road. They also had a Sparrowhawk there as well, with a Skylark feeding on the roadside. While they were out walking they spotted an Adder sunning itself on the heather... Over at Ardnave Loch around midday, we had Mute Swans, Whoopers, Teal, Mallard, Goldeneye, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Redshank and Oystercatcher, not sure of a right count as the loch was rather choppy... On the way down the road, there was a flock of around 40 Skylarks in a field just after we came over the cattle grid from Ardnave. Earlier on this morning, here at home, Margaret saw the Brambling out feeding, a Wren on the dyke with 7 Fulmars seen over on the crag.