Sunday 21st June

A mixed day with the weather, with squally showers all around... Plenty of sightings from all around too. David Main and a friend from Elgin, came late Friday and left on the 0945 ferry this morning. The stay was short, but they still managed 77 species, the advantages of a long day!!! From the ferry on their way here, they saw 6 Manx Shearwaters, down on the Oa, they had a Hen Harrier, Cuckoo, Whinchat and heard a Grasshopper Warbler, a great start... Highlights from yesterday included an Osprey at Ardnave along with Chough, Sedge Warbler, Wheatear, Twite and some Greylags. 2 Golden Eagles seen, one on the Oa, the other along the South East coast, 2 Merlins, one at Ardbeg, the other on the Oa where they also saw some Rock Doves. At Gruinart, they heard a Corncrake, saw 2 Hen Harriers and some Lesser Redpolls. Going home late last night they saw 2 Short eared Owls at Glenegedale. Speaking with them, they certainly had a great time, no doubt they are away home, well pleased with their time spent here! Tom from Cumbria yesterday had seen around 50 male Eiders off Kintra, Port Ellen on Loch Indaal, inland a Cuckoo and 5 Ravens were seen. Further on at Soldier's Rock there were large numbers of Black Guillemots, Guillemots, Razorbill, Fulmar, Kittiwake, GBB Gull and Shag on and around the stac. Walking back to their car they saw a juvenile Peregrine. Mandy from RSPB yesterday had been over at Claggain Bay where she saw 2 RT Diver, Oystercatcher on nests, Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Mute Swan, a Grey Heron flypast, female Eider, Redpoll, Song Thrush, Pied Wagtail, Pheasant, Meadow Pipit and a Buzzard. Mandy was saying that visitors had been at Claggain Bay and they had seen Gannets fishing there as well as an Osprey. Yesterday, still not finished yet.... George E Jackson had seen a Whichat on the garden fence of his son's house, down at the Rockside road end. Down at Uiskentuie he had a Sand Martin. Coming back home, George had an Osprey flying in towards Loch Gorm. Later on, he briefly saw a distant Peregrine over Rockside farm steading itself. Last night on our way home, round the far side of Loch Gorm ,we saw several families of Stonechats out with some Sand Martins over the reedbed down at the Coastguards. A single House Martin present down there this morning, and later on we heard a Corncrake calling while we were walking along the Distillery pathway from Port Ellen out to Ardbeg. It was in the field on the right hand side of the road just before the Laphroaig Distillery bonds....