Saturday 7th November

 Yesterday was Mike Bell's last full day here on Islay for this visit.... so here are Mike's birds..

Bowmore to Gartbreck: 6 GND, 1 Slav Grebe, 19 Greylag, 109 Greylags, 3,900 Barnies, 26 Wigeon, 85 Teal, 32 Mallard, a male Pintail, 15 Eider, a male Lt Duck, 3 Goldeneye, 25 RBM, 36 Oystercatcer, 52 R Plover, 5 Grey Plover, 245 Lapwing, 51 Knot, 60 Dunlin, 27 Barwits, 64 Curlew, 12 Redshank and also 21 Turnstone 

Gartmain to Bridgend held the following birds: 68 P b Brents, 129 Wigeon, 84 Malard, 4 Goldeneye (incl. a drake), 2 ad WTEs, 157 Oystercatcher, 55 R. Plover, 75 Knot, 290 Dunlin and  960 Golden Plover.

At Gruinart, Mike had 18 Whoopers arriving in, 740 Lapwing and only 200 Golden Plover, a Hen Harrier and also a  Golden Eagle, and a Blackwit.

Loch Gorm a WT  Eagle flushed around about 90 Teal

Mike kept the best birds to the end as he had seen a Short eared Owl being mobbed by 2 corvids in the sky above Kindrochid. A few moments later,Mike watched the S e Owl being caught in flight by a WTE...

Many thanks for your birds Mike, stay safe, hope you had a safe journey home...

Last night I had an email through from Dave Jackson who has been over here for the past 2 weeks, and heads home tomorrow..  "We've had an interesting - and occasionally somewhat feisty couple of weeks, but haven't managed to see anything that has not already been reported on your blog ... although we were fortunate enough to see at some distance what appeared to be an altercation between an immature WTE and an Otter on the flats at Gruinart at 7.45am on Monday!  There was what appeared to be a Grey Phalarope surfing the waves on the beach on Monday afternoon"

Dave Pierce sent this through last night as well...

"Our daily holiday cottage White-tailed Eagle didn't arrive until c0900. Again perched on rocks in Loch Indaal below Bridgend, but also on to the boat wreck briefly.

Down at Kildalton a Redwing flock was in excess of 130. A Sparrowhawk was in the same area. Another Sparrowhawk at Leorin.

On the Oa there were White-fronts at Cornabus c70, plus c120 at Kinnabus mixed with Barnies & Greylags. An adult male Hen Harrier was hunting here. At Upper Killeyan a flock of about 110 Twite were buzzing around.

Finally a Merlin was on a roadside post at Glenegedale by the High Road."

Dan  Brown had seen "2 Blackwits on the Cornabus burn flood, American Wigeon still  present on Loch Skerrols plus possible 1cy female Lesser Scaup though distant, Todd’s Canada with Barnies north of Gruinart farm."

  

Dave Dinsley who  now works  down on the  Oa for RSPB had a Glaucous Gull seen down on Kilnaghton Bay yesterday

This afternoon, Margaret had seen a male Blackcap out in the garden up here at home, initially on the garden wall before flying into a bush for some cover, great to watch, yes i saw it as well, no need for the bins!!! We also saw 5 Red Deer away out on top of the far crag as well...