Monday 3 October 2016

Monday 3rd October

Sorry folks about the lack of the blog over the weekend, but fingers crossed the problem has been identified and hopefully should not arise again, see these computers....
Back on Friday, Mary was bringing the sheep in at Claddach at Portnahaven when she saw a tight flock of 13 Snipe fly overhead. On Saturday, along with some friends we walked round Ardnave Point. We had 5 Barnies out on Nave Island, 4 Greenland  Wheatear, a close sighting of a Merlin chasing a Meadow Pipit, 35 Chough, and  a Ruff were our top birds, we had around 35 species on our walk, great company, the craic was good too... not forgetting our sandwiches either!!! Mandy counted 160 Pale bellied Brent up at Bun an Uillt on Loch Gruinart. Mike Peacock returned home on Saturday, and saw a pod of 8 Bottle nosed Dolphins in the bay at Port Charlotte below his house. On Sunday morning, Mike counted 34 Common Scoter out on Loch Indaal. Around midday on Sunday, Mandy had seen 60 Barnies on Loch Gorm, and then 44 Pale bellied Brent at the head of Loch Indaal later on that afternoon. We saw a Wheatear on the road at Ballinaby on Sunday morning with Dave Maynard from RSPB spotting 2 Golden Eagles soaring out behind Ballinaby. This morning, Bob had seen an adult White tailed Sea Eagle on the wing, between his house and Port Charlotte. He also saw a couple of Hen Harriers and several Golden Plover. This morning at Gruinart, James saw 12 Barnies, 15 Greenland whitefronts, 5 Whooper Swans, 965 Teal and a Peregrine. Yesterday out from the North Hide (new hide) we saw a flock of several hundred Golden Plover. Finally some sightings from Gary and Wendy, "the Hampshire birders". At their holiday cottage at Carnain they had 30 Pied Wagtail coming in to  roost in their garden, today they had a ringtail Hen Harrier fly over the cottage and they saw a Dabchick at Loch Skerrols. We had been over the The Woollen Mill and saw several Coal Tits and Great Tits on the feeders there, well worth a visit...
Almost forgot, the rain gauge was emptied out here the other day, and it had a mere 4 inches in it.. our good friends who live at Mulindry had a lot more rain than us, with their tally coming to 6.68 inches for the month....

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