Good friend Armin Grewe sent me through the following e mail last night... Armin often visits Islay, but not so far this year...
"This morning I
noticed a pair of Tufted Ducks during my walk along the canal. While I've seen
them on some lakes around here regularly they're fairly uncommon on the canal,
where it's mostly Mallards.
Yesterday
morning I watched a horse chasing three pairs of Canada Geese on its paddock.
When I passed again half an hour later on the return leg the geese were gone, so
seems the horse was the winner.
Last Saturday I
saw two Pigeons chase a Magpie, first time I think I've seen that happening. Not
sure what the Magpie did to cause the chase, they suddenly flew across the path
as I was approaching home.
On Easter
Monday I saw the first duck with its ducklings for this season, unfortunately
haven't seen it since. A few days ago I saw a lone duckling in small stream next
to the canal, not sure where mother was or if it was the same family as this was
about a mile up the canal.
A few weeks ago
on my way to my weekly shop I noticed some roadkill (couldn't make out what it
was) on the A4. More interestingly on my way back an hour later I watched a Red
Kite unsuccessfully trying to pick it up, it got disturbed by an approaching
car. May be it was more successful on a later attempt? (I had to drive on, so
couldn't watch if it made another attempt)
Most mornings
during my walk I say good morning to the rare Roof Duck (see picture). It's
keeping a watchful eye over the canal below the roof where it lives. Sometimes
the female comes out as well, but most of the time it's just the male.
Also a few
weeks ago a pair of Long Tailed Tits visited me at my fake balcony, I think only
the third or fourth time since I live here that I've seen some at my flat. I
usually only see Blue Tits and Great Tits from the flat, so that was a welcome
change. One even seemed to want to come in, it landed on the railing and then
lightly flew against the door.
Other than the
birds I've seen a Muntjac and a Roe Deer on the "fenced off" section of the
towpath (some old gravel pits on the other side, fence was put in for safety
reasons a few years back).