Monday 20th April

A wee shower of rain through the night, but followed by a great day with a beautiful sunset as the blog goes out to the world... Some sightings from yesterday, so here goes... yesterday morning I went and acted as Bob's secretary and helped out with the odd bird here and there as we did the WeBS count from Bowmore down to Gartbreck. Our tally was 7 Shag, 1 GND, 6 Barnies, 15 Shelduck, 2 Mallard, 120 Eider, 1 Red breasted Merganser, 52 Oystercatcher, 1 Barwit, 4 Redshank, 22 Dunlin, 30 Ringed Plover, 37 Golden Plover, 5 Lapwing, 4 Turnstone, 3 Sandwich Terns, 4 GBB Gull, 2 LBB Gull, 12 BH Gull, 4 C Gull and 4 Herring Gull. Off our beat but further out on Loch Indaal, there were 56 Red breasted Mergansers. In the afternoon, Bob had been along the top of Loch Indaal from the coalyard along towards Traigh an Luib seeing 2 White Wagtails, 12 Dunlin, 20 Ringed Plover and 16 Turnstone, 2 of which in full summer plumage. David Formby heard a Cuckoo over at Balitarsin. Visiting birder, David Jardine, one of the committee members of the Argyll Bird Club had been over at the weekend. On Saturday, on the reserve at Gruinart, a Cuckoo and 5 Blackwits, at Bruichladdich 5 Sandwich terns were present with a House Martin and Blackcap over at Bridgend. On Sunday, David saw a Mallard with a brood of 7 ducklings on the reserve at Gruinart, with 8 White Wagtails and a Whimbrel along the top of Loch Indaal. No word of the Great White Egret, so I had better check with Gruinart tomorrow to see if anyone has seen it of late.....