Friday 6th November

On Wednesday, Bob saw a White tailed Eagle when he was in at Loch Skerrols. Coming home on Wednesday evening, we saw 2 different Barn Owls between Port Ellen and Bowmore. Yesterday, on the Oa, Dave had 13 Whoopers and 300 Greenland Whitefronts. Yesterday, Mike had walked in towards Coal Ila from Port Askaig and saw 4 Goldcrest, 6 Long tailed Tits and a Mistle Thrush. Back at Mulreish, there were 200 Fieldfare and 500 Redwings present. At Ballygrant, a further 40 Redwing and along at Kepolls, 120 Fieldfare and 20 Redwing, and also 3 female Sparrowhawks chasing after each other... A Golden Eagle was seen over the hills and also pair of White tailed Sea Eagles. At Eorrabus, 200 Redwings were noted. At The Woollen Mill, a Dipper was present on the River Sorn and also seen were 5 Long tailed Tits, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Siskin and a Mistle Thrush. 2 Whoopers were on the stubble fields at Cattadale with 69 Ravens seen down at Cluanach. Round Loch Gorm, Mike saw 2 Greylags with neck collars on at Coulererach amongst the Barnies and Whitefronts, both the geese were rung here on Islay and have not been seen off Islay! Finally Mike had walked out to the pond behind the dunes behind Machir Bay where he had 56 Whoopers (including 5 broods), 308 Teal, a female Pintail, a male Gadwall with 70 Twite, 17 Chough and 55 Golden Plover seen on his way back from the pond. This morning, a male Hen Harrier skimmed over the garden here at home, and then late afternoon a large number of Whoopers flew in from the sea, and we located them in 2 groups, one of 64 on the water on Loch Gorm, the other party was of 25 along at Sunderland along with some Whitefronts and also the 3 Pinkfoots.