Monday 23rd March

Catch up time, first with some birds that you have not heard about as they were stuck on my "dead inbox"....A week ago Peter had seen the Cackling goose along the flats at Gruinart, Alistair Hutchison had seen a Barn Owl out over the fields behind his house in Bowmore earlier last week. He also had heard a Woodpecker drumming away in Bridgend Woods up towards Daill. Yesterday, he found a freshly dead Waxwing in his garden. Also yesterday, Wally and Jude had 3 Treecreepers in at The Woollen Mill and later on, 4 Moorhens on the "Distillery pond" up behind Port Charlotte. Today, close to Avonvoggie, they saw 4 Siskins, 7 Whoopers along the flats at Gruinart with a flock of 64 Golden Plover at Ballinaby.. Bob yesterday had a new garden tick, a Snipe was beside his pond!! He also had a Golden Eagle high over Octomore Hill and also a pair of Goldfinches along the Bolsay track. Yesterday too, the Horwich birders had seen a Hen Harrier behind Ardnave Loch where they also saw a Wheatear. On the Loch there were 4 Mute Swan, 2 Whooper Swan as well as Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Teal and Wigeon. They also saw 4 GND off Ardnave Point with 12 Turnstone near to the Point itself. At RSPB Gruinart, they had a Greenshank, a Snipe along with Redshank, Lapwing, Pintail, Shoveler, Teal and Wigeon. Over the other side of Loch Gruinart, at Bun an Uillt they had a female Sparrowhawk feeding on a Rock Dove kill. Finally at Saligo they had 12 Ringed Plover with 10 Turnstone. Before I forget, there is wee change for the Islay bird nerds, as there are quite a few visiting birders around, we will be meeting tomorrow night (Tuesday evening) at 7.30pm at the Gaelic College just outside Bowmore. All our meetings are completely informal, so if you are around, see you there...