Thursday 15 October 2015

Thursday 15th October

Another great day with the weather and also some good birds as well, long may it last... Yesterday, returning birders, Wally and Jude had spent a very productive hour in at Loch Skerrols. Jude had seen a Kingfisher and while Wally was watching the geese and other ducks present on the water, they were all spoofed and took off, a quick scan into the sky, with a White tailed Eagle seen being chased by 5 Buzzards...Later on, over at Craigens, on the overhead wires were some Linnets, that was before a Merlin came along and spoofed them all away! Louise, while waiting at Feolin on Jura for the ferry coming over from Port Askaig, had counted a flock of 52 Goldfinches. Noel and Anne Hand had seen the Rose coloured Starling along with 2 Collared Doves down at "The hedges" below Sunderland. Bob had seen 8 Redwings down towards Laggan Point, at the Point itself 2 Cormorant, 20 Shag, 2 Heron, 3 Whoopers flying South, also seen were 18 Golden Plover,40 Rock Pipits, 6 Stonechats and 4 Chough. On the Laundry Loch, 13 Mallard, 20 Wigeon and 8 Teal were present. Returning back to the road a Peregrine and 3 Buzzard were seen. On Loch Indaal, from the ICCI, 458 Wigeon, 10 R b Mergasnser, 40 Eider, 125 Golden Plover, 164 Barwits with 24 Pb Brent were there amongst the Barnies. From the road, leading to Gruinart from Loch Gorm, a Peregrine and a Kestrel were seen Finally, Bob had a Grey Wagtail along at Bruichladdich. The Bowland birders had 3 Dabchick, along with Tufted Duck and Goldeneye on Loch Gorm, while on the roadside there 30 Chaffinches with some Dunnock and Reed Bunting. Down on Machir Bay, 5 Sanderling, 39 Ringed Plover and 6 Turnstone. On their way back to their cottage, they were checking out the Starlings, looking for the Rose coloured Starling when a Sparrowhawk put them all up and away! Mike and Elspeth had counted at least 20 Whooper and 12 Mutes on Ardnave along with the Wigeon. They also had 2 Swallows hawking over the Loch too this morning. They also saw a ringtail Hen Harrier as they headed back, between Ardnave and Gruinart. This morning, earlier on there were 8 Whoopers resting up on the stubbles at Rockside. The sky last night was a sight to be seen, full of shining, twinkling little stars and the International Space Station was seen, last night and again earlier on this evening.

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