Saturday 21st October

As promised the sighting that folk had sent through from yesterday....Peter and Janet had seen 16 Scaup and a GND out on Loch Indaal and then counted 26 Ringed Plover together down at Port Ellen. In the Ardbeg area, they had seen over 500 Redwing along with only 6 Fieldfares. Along at the area around Kildalton, 2 Golden Eagle were seen soaring high, also present was a flock of 30+ Redpoll with 5 Long tailed Tits and 3 Goldcrests. Another flock of  20+ Chaffinch, a few Goldfinch and Siskin was also seen there as well. Yesterday was Eddie and Elaine's last day.. Down on the Oa, they saw 2 Golden Eagles, a juvenile Peregrine landed close where they were and remained there for around 30 minutes, appreciating the sun  they also had a small flock of 15 Redwing and then 4 Swallows, a sight that they had not seen before, Swallows and Redwing together! They also heard a Water Rail calling there too. On their way back over to Gruinart, they had 3 Slavonian Grebes at Blackrock. From the viewing platform at Gruinart while watching the geese coming in, they saw a Golden Eagle which flew in below them and landed on a distant fence post, soon afterwards another Goldie flew along and landed 3 fence posts away... Richard and Pat had seen 5 Chough on the Oa, and noted Fieldfare as they came back off the Oa. They too had seen the flocks of Redwing & Fieldfare along the South coast, at Lagavullin, Laphroaig, Kildalton and along to Claggain Bay where 8 GND were present. James had carried out another count at the reserve at Gruinart yesterday, with his goose tally coming to 20,165 Barnies, 274 Whitefronts, 30 Brent Geese, 6 Greylags and a Canada Goose, hutchinsii sp. Other birds of note were 2 Golden Eagles, a Ruff, a Blackwit and a Hen Harrier. Back on Thursday, Gary saw  2 Common Terns off Bruichladdich and yesterday up at Kilchoman, he saw a Brambling, a Greenshank at Bun an Uillt with 17 Slavonian Grebes on Loch Indaal. He commented that the numbers of Grebes and Divers present are starting to rise.

Today, first full day back home a rather wet day, a very wet day and this evening the wind has started to pick up... While having a catch up with Mandy over a cuppa at the back of lunchtime, amongst the Chaffinches Mandy spotted a male Brambling, a tick on Islay for her. Later on, we had a Blackbird gorging itself on the cotoneaster berries, suppose that was why they we planted the catoneasters ... a ringtail Hen Harrier glided past and finally 30 Chough flew into the roost...