Monday 4th February

Yesterday, Mike and Val Peacock saw 29 Fieldfare, 7 Redwing, a Mistle Thrush, a Greater    spotted Woodpecker and also a Treecreeper, all down at Foreland. Yesterday, Gary Turnbull had seen a nice male Goosander coming to land on the water at the mouth of the Margadale River, over at Bunnahabhain. A  real busy day yesterday, with Gary and Wendy seeing Teal and also some Pale bellied Brent Geese from Carnain. As the light started to fade, early evening, they saw a Barn Owl, over the pool behind their cottage. Here at home, we had a Kestrel on top of the electricity pole.

This morning, we saw a couple of Golden Eagle soaring aroundout over the crag in the beautiful sunrise, with no wing beats to help them to fly.  Bob was up this afternoon, and the Eagles were out again in roughly the same place, but, ( there is always a but!!) there was a Buzzard flying close to them before it peeled off and returned to its' own "patch". James had seen a Golden Eagle over the reserve at Gruinart, and also the Little Egret was still present. Mike and Peter had seen a Tystie in breeding plumage at the top of Loch Indaal, between Blackrock and round to the Gaelic Colege, out of Bowmore. Other birds of note included 15 Scaup, 8 Long tailed Duck, 20 Slavonian Grebe and also 12 Common Scoter.

***  Stop the press, breaking news** 
Ashley Saunders is over on Islay this week leading a group from Oriole Birding and had seen a Cackling Goose just at the start of the High road, in from Springbank. Keep them coming Ashley...