Tuesday 22nd October

Another big whack of birds to report through to you all... better late than never!!!

On Monday, Dave Pierce and Naturetrek had seen the following birds.. 2 common Guillemots, 6 Tysties, a single Common Scoter, and also RTDs and also GNDs off Bruichladdich. Over at Bunnahabhain they had a White tailed Eagle, while down at Carrabus, 2 Merlin were seen. Finally at Gruinart, they saw an immature Golden Eagle as well as an adult White tailed Eagle.

Also on Monday, Nick Skilbeck and the Worcs RSPB group had hired a boat and on a trip up the sound of Islay and into Loch Tarbert on Jura and returned out had seen 9 White tailed Eagles, a Merlin, a Peregrine, 2 Golden Eagles, 15 GND, 2 RTD, c. 20 Tysties and a dog Otter as well, just fantastic!!!

Today, Nick and his fellows had 25 Twite down on the Oa, 2 Golden Eagle, 2 Chough, a Merlin, a Peregrine. Offshore they had Gannets, Kittiwakes and Fulmars feeding. At Claggain Bay, they had 3 GND, Aros bay held 30 Curlew, and along on the Pheasant feeders at Kildalton, they counted 12 Yellowhammers. At Kintra, they saw 2 RTD. Nick also said that they had seen several flocks of geese around on their travels as well.

Dave Pierce and the Naturetrek group had seen an adult White tailed Eagle over the Sound of Jura and then another at Craighouse. Back on Islay, 3 Hen Harriers were seen between Gruinart and Ardnave plus an immature Golden Eagle at Ardnave which flew cross the loch  towards Killinallan. At Ardnave they had 12 Choughs present, while over the raised beach at Gruinart, they had another immature Golden Eagle.

James had seen a Bairds Sandpiper on Loch Gruinart along with some Dunlin and also 6 Grey Plovers. The Bairds Sandpiper was also seen later on by Nick and his group as well.

David Clugston along with his wife Pauline and also Val Wilson from the Clyde branch of the SOC are over for another "Islay fix". I was really pleased to meet up with them and an e mail later on from Val told me that they had a Kingfisher seen on the shoreline below the Generator station as you go into Bowmore. Val also told me that the record of the Kingfisher was their 88th species seen since they arrived only 2 days ago....