Saturday 21st November

We had 2 groups of Whoopers fly past on their way South yesterday, one of 8 and then later on a 9. There was a small family of 3 down at Rockside this afternoon. On Thursday afternoon Mark Sullivan arrived over for the weekend along with his group from the Aberdeen members group from Aberdeen and had a great start by spotting a Golden Eagle and also a distant White tailed Sea Eagle and that was even before the ferry tied up!Yesterday, they were not to beaten by the poor weather and by close of play they were up to 66 species seen. Round Loch Indaal, they had good views of Whooper and Mute Swans, at least 50 Pale bellied Brent, the flock of 44 Scaup close inshore at Blackrock, 3 Long tailed Duck, a Goldeneye, several R B Merganser seen in the distance, a GND, 2 Slav Grebes, 2 Little Grebes, a good cross section of waders and gulls with a flock of 200 Ringed Plover along with similar number of Dunlins at the head of Loch Indaal. Highlights seen at Loch Gruinart included 9 Pintail, 7 Shoveler, and 4 Greenshank. Along the flats, they had seen a flock of 350 Golden Plovers and they also saw 2 ringtail Hen Harriers over the moor. Gary today had been at Loch Finlaggan, almost his home patch now! His birds were as follows, 1200 Barnies, 100 Whitefronts, 57 Mallard, 23 Teal, 10 Tufted Duck, a male Goldeneye, 3 Dabchicks, a Buzzard, numerous Redwing & Fieldfare, 12 Blackbirds, 4 Dunnock, 12 Hooded Crow and 2 Ravens.