Tuesday 18th February

Gary and Wendy emailed the following to me last night, referring to their change of plans for yesterday,

"The weather turned out worse than we thought it would today and we didn't in the end get to Portnahaven on the bus. Very little to see around Carnain but we did have a visit for about 8 minutes from a ringtail hen Harrier over the pond behind the cottage. Also seen were some Barnies, Shelduck, Oystercatchers, Jackdaw and Blackbird.  A Hare was also seen."

John and the team of the "Port Ellen 4" had ventured out in the atrocious weather and managed to see the following birds yesterday:

"Loch a'Chnuic: Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, R b Mergansers. Claggain Bay: 5 GND & 1 BT Diver, Tysties, Shag, 10+ Oystercatcher & Ringed Plover. WT eagle over woods to the South of Cluanach. Bunnahabhain: 4 GND, Tysties, Cormorant. Caol Ila : Shag.

Obviously the main 3 geese sp, Buzzards, Hoodies, Ravens etc all over."

Chris Corrigan had been out yesterday as well

"A blowy and showery walk round Ardnave today where we managed to see a flock of 20 Choughs. 

2 Long-tailed Ducks (1 from the Gaelic Centre and 1 from Bowmore) along with Common Scoters, Red-breasted Mergansers, Eiders and Goldeneyes.  All out on Loch Indaal. Needs to be a bit calmer!"

Mike Russell was in touch last night, again Monday's sightings 

"My partner Lesley and I are on Islay this week, up from Sussex. Today we walked through Bridgend Woods, lots of song, Song and Mistle Thrushes, Chaffinches, Wrens and Robins and we also  heard  a Treecreeper. Really pleased to get a great view of a Dipper as well.

In the afternoon, went to Laphroaig where on the beach had good view of 2 Otters, also number of Rock Pipits."

Many thanks to our visitors for sending their birds through and allowing me to share them with you...

Good friend, Lesley Silcock was in for a cuppa today, and she told me that she had seen a group of  7 Blue Tits together on her feeders at McNichol's Croft. This morning, as she was driving up to here at Shepherd's cottage, Lesley watched a Merlin zip into the verge of the road and emerge out unscathed a moment or two later, with its prey being proof that it had been successful in its acrobatics!!