Sunday 3rd November

Back on Thursday evening when driving home, James had seen 2 Tawny Owls and also a Barn Owl, all sen on the reserve at Gruinart. He has had a "regular"  visitor of a Grey Wagtail of late in his garden.

MB had counted 29 Ringed Plover down at Machir Bay. When driving up to Ardnave, he had a Golden Eagle sitting perched up. In the garden at Ardnave House, he counted 64 Redwing present.  Over at Traigh Nostaig, he had seen 29 Ringed Plover, 3 Grey Plovers, 5 Sanderling, 5 Barwits, 13 Turnstone, 40 Twite and also 39 Chough. Back down on the floods at Gruinart, he had 37 Pintail and also 32 Shoveler. Out on the estuary, he had counted 22 Shelduck, 254 Barwits, a Knot, 11       Turnstone, 117 Ringed Plover, 18 Sanderling, 490 Dunlin with 1870 Golden Plover present as well. A count out on Loch Indaal from Bruichladdich back round to Bowmore provided him with some more birds... 21 RTD, 7GND,  8 Slav Grebes, 34 Common Scoter, 5 Long tailed drakes flew in, 2 Goldeneye, 67 Eider and 97 R b Merganser. Below Carnduncan, he had 2 Chough while along at Coull, he had counted 60 Curlews together.

The Rochdale birders had seen seen a total of 6 Eagles when they were out and about yesterday, they also had seen a Sparowhawk in Port Charlotte as well.

Yesterday also, Colin Bushell and his group from Limosa Holidays had a great day again, not just with the weather... But they had been on the Oa and at around Kinnabus, they had a male and also a ringtail Hen Harrier, with 284 Whitefronts, a L t Duck and a Tufted Duck seen on Kinnabus Loch. They also counted around 75 Twite and at least 20 Rock Doves close to the steading there as well. Along the Cornabus valley towards Kintra, they saw 351 Whitefronts, 8 Mistle Thrush, a Fieldfare, 5 Ravens and also they watched a Merlin hunting Mipits over towards the Machrie Hotel. Later on up at Ardnave, they had counted over 110 Redwings in and around the house there, with 2 Dabchick seen out on Ardnave Loch itself. They had counted 26 Ravens mainly in small groups of 3 to 4 birds flying South along the West side of Gruinart, they also saw another ringtail .. Down at the reserve at Gruinart, they had seen another male Hen Harrier, a White tailed Eagle, 6 Whoopers and also the large flock of Golden Plover.

This morning, Gary had seen the Kingfisher seen down at Carnain this morning. Up here at home, we have been seeing  both  ringtail and male Hen Harriers as well as that pesky Sparrowhawk for good measure, just enough to keep the wee birds on their toes...