Tuesday 24th October

Yesterday over at Gruinart Al Hart saw a Whitefront with an orange neck collar on... Back on Sunday returning birder, Lee Thickett had seen a Jack Snipe over at Ardtalla, and yesterday, he had seen a Lapland Bunting while walking up from Machir Bay towards Granny's Rock. On Sunday, Dave Pierce, Neil McMahon along with their group from Naturetrek, had counted 39 Scaup and also 2 Common Scoter at Blackrock while at Gruinart they saw a juv. Golden Eagle and also 6 Grey Plovers. As they headed to Jura, they had 3 White tailed Eagles. Yesterday, up at Lealt  on Jura they saw 3 Ring Ouzel as well as many Redwing and Mistle Thrush with a Dipper back at Craighouse. Yesterday also, Peter and Janet Roworth had a male Merlin at Gruinart while at the top of Loch Indaal, they had 4 Barwits, 10 Pintail, 6 Knot, 16 Whoopers, 138 Wigeon and 34 Brent Geese. Today, Gary had a Todd's Canada Goose amongst the other geese present below Rock Mountain and then later on, he saw the Little Gull along on the pool at Saligo. Dave Pierce, Neil & co had a dark morph Arctic Skua on the Sound of Islay and also saw Golden Eagles and White tailed Eagles on both Islay and Jura. Botswana Dave had a male Ring Ouzel close to Lagstoban. On the guided walk down on the Oa, Dave was able to show folk on the walk a Golden Eagle being harassed by 3 Ravens, forcing the Eagle off its' kill. Other birds seen on the walk included a Peregrine hunting Redwing & Fieldfare, a ringtail Hen Harrier, Stonechats, Twite and a pair of Chough. Bonnie Wood, Dave Wood's wife spotted a Ring Ouzel while out walking their pup. Other birds seen on the Oa this morning included 2 Brambling, a Chiffchaff and 5 Goldcrest. The Redwing flock is up to around 3,000 birds along with several hundred Fieldfare, with more birds arriving in from the North. This morning Richard and Pat Howells managed a count of the wee waders on the breakwater at Bowmore counting 50 Ringed Plover and 24 Dunlin. While waiting at Port Askaig, they saw a White tailed Eagle flying up the Sound of Islay. A Peregrine was seen hunting along the shore as they headed up to Craighouse where they saw a Dipper and then 2 GND further out on Small Isles Bay. Today, Mike and Elspeth had been round the loop on the Rhinns, not as many birds seen compared with other visits, but a fall of Redwing at Claddach, a Peregrine, a Merlin with 28 Whitefronts seen at Octofad. The GND was present again in the harbour at Bowmore this afternoon. and a smaller flock of waders seen there as well. Peter and Janet had seen a White tailed Eagle while they were driving over the Glen road up close to Storakaig this afternoon. Graham and Jo Morton today had 40 Scaup and 4 GND at Blackrock, at Bruichladdich, they saw 10 Ringed Plover, a Redshank, a Rock Pipit, and a Common Guillemot. Along at Sunderland 50 Whoopers were present amongst the mixed flock of Whitefronts, Greylags, a few Pinkies and a lot of Barnies. Close to the pool behind Machir Bay, 20 Chough and 25 Ringed Plover were seen. Finally, they saw a RTD up at Sanaigmore

                  

The image is of our 2 Brambling, seen regularly along with the Chaffinches