Monday 28th October

Before I forget, please remember to come along to the Islay Bird nerds monthly catch up. We will be meeting up in the Visitor centre at RSPB LOch Gruinart at 18.30 tomorrow evening, for a cuppa and a catch up, so hopefully see you there... Please mind to bring your money to help pay our way!!!

The Rochdale birders are back again arriving yesterday... They had seen a Sparrowhawk up behind Port Charlotte yesterday. Today, they had a flock of over 50 Fieldfare up beside the former Kilchoman School as well as plenty of Redwings present on their travels around today. 

Another fellow visitor JW had been up for a visit this afternoon, and gave me some birds seen by his wife and also some seen by their fellow birders. Up at Ardnave, they had seen 3 Snow Buntings as well as a ringtail Hen Harrier. Down at Gruinart, they had 8 Whoopers and also 20 Whitefronts. On Loch Indaal, they had 22 Scaup, 40 R B Merganser with 40 Ringed Plover seen on the shore.

MB had an early start this morning ... At 7.50 am, he had counted a flock of 47 Fieldfare along with 2 Redwing out from his cottage at Kilchoman. Down at Machir Bay, he saw 2 Snow Bunting just at the car park, with 3 Pb Brent Geese, 24 Ringed Plover and 16 Curlew seen out on the tide's edge in the bay. Along at Rockside road end, he had counted another 25 Fieldfare with  48 Tufted Duck seen out on Loch Gorm. Down on the Oa, he had seen 3 Golden Eagles (2 AD + a juv)and also a male Merlin and counted 47 Hooded Crows on his way through the Oa. He saw 10 Whitefronts fly in from the South. Finally, at Kinnabus, he counted 300 Twite and 35 Redwing. Kilnaugton Bay held 3 GND, and also 2 Tysties. Up past Island House, he had a male Hen Harrier. Over at Bun an Uillt, MB had a Long tailed Duck, 3 Goldeneye, 19 R b Merganser and also 39 Knot present there as well. Down at the head of Loch Gruinart, on the floods , he had seen 44 Pintail, 25 Shoveler, 6 Blackwit, 5 Greenshank and also 1200 Golden Plover.

JD had been out and about as well, counting 42 RTD, 37 GND, 2 BTD, a Long tailed Duck and also 108 Common Scoters, all present on Loch Indaal 

Some sightings through from RAFOS for you now... They had counted over 1,000 Barnies seen at Leorin. Out past Ardbeg, they had  a Kingfisher flypast over at Loch a' Chnuich. Shortly afterwards they spotted 2 White tailed Eagles perched out on some rocks. Then a Golden Eagle was seen and almost the same place, 3 Buzzards were seen as well...Back up at Smelly corner, another Kingfisher was present with 150 Oystercatcher, some Barwits and some Knot seen along the top of Loch Indaal.