Monday 17th October

Yesterday, visitor Jesse Wilkinson had a good time down on the Oa seeing no less than 3 Merlin, 2 ringtail Hen Harrier, 2 juv White tailed Eagles and 2 Golden Eagles. Today, he had seen a male Pergerine close to Kinnabus with a Lapland Bunting  spotted near to the burn that takes the water away from Loch Kinabus. Down fields close to the Machrie, he saw a male Hen Harrier flushing out 2 Lapland Bunting and then a male Merlin flushing Starlings! Jesse also saw a "mobile group" of over 100 Skylarks along with some Reed Buntings also there. James was in touch to say that the Barnacle Geese had started to arrive in larger numbers today, at close of play over 3,500 Barnies had arrived today with 15 Whitefronts and 3 Pinkies as well. On the floods, James saw a Peregrine and back at his house, in his garden, 3 Blackcaps were present. Peter Donaldson had gone up to Sanaigmore, but nothing much of note apart from a Wren, round close to Craigmhor, on a fence line, 24 Twite were spotted. Peter also witnessed the continual arrivals of the geese at Gruinart. Some birds through from Phill on the Oa, 5 Chough were seen out towards the American Monument, with the Snow Bunting noted, being seen on the way to the monument. 2 Hen Harriers seen with the Twite count now 250 and at Upper Killeyan, 120 Starling were counted. Doreen and James Main today had seen 2 BTD and 6 Black Guillemots off Bruichladdich, on the merse at Bridgend over 300 Barnies and 60 Greylags were present. Down on the Oa, highlights included seeing a total of 12 Stonechat, a Buzzard, a ringtail Hen Harrier, 2 Peregrine, a male and an imm. bird, the Snow Bunting and 2 Raven. In the afternoon, back at Bridgend, 500 Barnies, 100+ Greylags were counted with 4 Whoopers flying past and a flock of 70 Golden Plover in the air too. Back at home, there was a Brambling amongst the finches at breakfast time, and better still, it was still present, late afternoon. Bob, had commented on seeing more Great Tits and Greenfinches on his garden feeders.