Tuesday 13th October

Yesterday Mike and Elspeth had seen 4 Mute Swan, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe and a Cormorant with a Great Tit carrying food close by. Along at Loch Allan, they had a further 2 Mute Swan with a Treecreeper present there as well. From Blackrock today, they saw 32 Scaup, 10 Red breasted Merganser and 3 Slavonian Grebe with a further 5 divers out on Loch Indaal but identifying them proved difficult because of the sunlight! Down on the Rhinns they had 2 Golden Eagles on the wing and also 2 Chough and returning later on through Bruichladdich, 13 Ringed Plover and 3 Turnstone were present. "Our" George Jackson had been up at Ardnave Loch and counted 30 Whoopers, 12 Mute and 140 Wigeon. Returning birders, Anne and Noel Hand had seen the Rose coloured Starling at "the Hedges" below Sunderland Farm this morning. Gary had been over at Gruinart on the Eastern shoreline where he saw a small Canada Goose amongst the Barnies and also 3 Pink footed Geese amongst the Brent Geese there. The Bowland birders had 35 Scoter as they set out this morning on Loch Indaal, over on the Oa their birds included 2 Ravens, 12 Eider, 10 Chough, Rock Pipits,40 Twite, Kestrel, 2 Buzzard, 1 Golden Eagle, with a Wheatear seen at Mid Cragabus. On their way home, with the tide coming in on Loch Indaal, birds seen included were Barwits, Barnies, 150 Golden Plover, 8 Ringed Plover, 25 Dunlin, 4 Knot, Teal, Mallard and Wigeon. Here at home 2 flocks of Lapwing flew past early this morning, of 50 Birds and other group being only 12 in total, no sign of any Whoopers on Loch Gorm, 13 Chough tumbling around late afternoon. Earlier this morning the "local" pair of Chough, were sitting on a wall, cheekily watching me as I walked by them, less than 5 metres away, no need for the bins!!! By the way, it has been another great day with the weather again, working away outside in shirt sleeves, not bad for almost the middle of October....