Wednesday 28th October

Some birds gleaned from the bird nerds meeting last when there were 18 folk in attendance... Yesterday afternoon, there had been a count of 179 Whoopers on Ardnave Loch and also further 50 on Loch Skerrols as well as more over the Coull/ Loch Gorm area. The small Canada Goose was still present on the flats at Gruinart, while 45 Scaup were seen at Uiskentuie/ Blackrock. James had seen 8 Hen Harriers on the reserve, 16 Whoopers, a Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk, 260 Lapwing and his tally for the geese on Gruinart was 19,280 Barnies, 628 Whitefronts, 121 Greylags and 7 Pale bellied Brents. On the way down to Bowmore to the meeting, before Erasaid, we saw 2 Barn Owls and a Tawny Owl, and coming home with weather now being drizzly rain, a Barn Owl and a Tawny were noted, possibly some of the Owls we had seen earlier!!! Back on Monday, Mandy had seen 3 Red legged Partridges after Bruichladdich on her way back from her work. Danny and Wanda had a White tailed Sea Eagle as they headed over towards Bunnahabhain. This morning, the Rochdale birders had a count of 189 Whoopers on Ardnave Loch. Up past the farm steading, there was a Whimbrel being mobbed by a Hooded Crow. In the fields around Cluanach, up behind Bridgend, they had flocks of Redwings totalling 800 as well as 12 Fieldfares there too. Bob, this morning had seen, what he thought was a Great Snipe close to home, but after further watching, it turned out to be a Snipe. He also had seen many groups of both Redwings and Fieldfares flying overhead, proving great temptation to a male and also a female Sparrowhawk... but with no real success!! I see in the current edition of the Birdwatching magazine, that there is an "interesting" page on the proposed cull of the Barnacle geese here on Islay.