Sunday 13th December

Who needs to speak about wind chill when you get ice here on Islay, puddles frozen over, the council even had the roads boys out with the gritter, and to drive the point home our wee pond even had ice on it as well... But the cold snap did not deter Bob and myself carrying out the WeBs count this morning, so are the birds we counted...8 GND, 1 RTD, 1 BTD,1 Slav Grebe, 1 Cormorant, 24 Shag, 23 Greylag, 7 Whitefronts, 921 Barnies,1 Shelduck, 105 Mallard, 115 Wigeon, 410 Teal, 5 Goldeneye, 10 RB Merganser, 22 Eider, 42 Common Scoter, 51 Oystercatcher, 77 Curlew, 1 Barwit, 18 Knot, 52 Dunlin, 11 Turnstone,2 Snipe, 6 Mute Swan, 3 Heron, 6 BH Gull, 10 C Gull, 70 H Gull and 3 GBB Gull. Gary has now started to do another 2 areas round Loch Indaal from Blackrock down to Port Charlotte, so possibly Gary will send his figures through to the blog. The conditions today were ideal, flat calm with good visibility, pity the temperature was a bit cool for the finger ends.... it made the cuppa at the end back at Bob's that bit more welcome!!! This afternoon Peter and Pia counted 22 Chough heading into the roost at Kilchoman.