Saturday 14th November

Dave and Pat Wileman, visiting birders from Norfolk have been over for the past few days and in between the showers yesterday, from their "mobile hide", (their car), they saw the following between Bowmore round to Port Charlotte, 8 Whooper Swan, 60 Pale bellied Brent Geese, 20 Wigeon, 40 Red Br Merganser, a female Goldeneye, 3 Long tailed Duck(2 m + 1f), 50 Eider, 3 GND, 3 RTD, 5 Slav Grebes, 1 Razorbill, 40 Barwits, 1 Knot, 4 Cormorant and 15 Shag. Elsewhere during their stay they saw lots of Redwings and Fieldfares all over, 1 Buzzard at Redhouses and a further 2 close to Storakaig, a Golden Eagle out over the hills at Storakaig with a Dipper seen on the River Laggan above Cluanach. Thanks folks, hope the weather did not put you off! Yesterday afternoon, Martin saw some Waxwings as he came out of Bowmore, but he was in traffic and could not get a right count let alone turn back...This morning, the wind has dropped and the Whoopers have made the most of the lull. Here at home alone we had seen a total 365 Whoopers fly out past us, out to sea and then head South. James had counted 258 on the reserve at Gruinart, so possibly we had seen some of James' Swans. Bob had 56 fly over his house and a further 37 resting up in the fields at Port Charlotte with Dave Protherough seeing 40 fly out over Kilnaughton bay at Port Ellen, so one way or another I reckon that at least 500 or thereabouts were seen. Bob this afternoon had a Kestrel over at Blackrock and seen some Redpolls at Martin's house at Glenegedale this morning.