Sunday 1st November

 Some sightings seen by Mike Bell yesterday..

"Definitely the wildest day I've ever had here. Thought I'd send this morning's sightings in case  the  power  goes off again...... 

An early trip into Bowmore  Co-op in case they sold out of bread etc. Shelter was very relative. I could only see 58 Pbb Geese today. The Long tailed Duck is still by the pier, at least 18 Common Scoter in the waves plus 31 RBM and 10 Scaup below the power station. 

A good hour and a half at Gruinart with 97 Pintail and 35 Shoveler today. Managed to get a good look through c900 Teal from the south hide but no GWT. Also 1 Grey Plover and 1 Blackwit in the field with the Curlews by the north hide. An adult Golden Eagle came through and a Hen Harrier which was almost blown to standstill."

Ed Hutchings who is leading the group over from Wildlife Worldwide sent through the birds seen by them yesterday..  "A filthy day weatherwise but I braved it and saw a few birds: 1,300 Barnacle Geese on fields near The Machrie Hotel mid-morning. Drake Long-tailed Duck in the harbour and an adult Glaucous Gull near the breakwater late morning. 9 Turnstone feeding near Machir Bay car park at lunchtime. GND feeding just off Port Charlotte Hotel early afternoon – this is a species that isn’t fazed by bad weather!  Half a dozen Gannet flying between Port Wemyss and Orsay mid-afternoon. 8 Grey Seals playing in the surf too."

James's top birds today seen by him on the reserve at Gruinart included a total of 15 Grey Plover. Also seen today by John Aitchison were 4 W T Eagles, with Dan Brown seeing 2 Greenshank back on late Friday afternoon.

The total rainfall that fell in our rain guage in October  came to 9.1", only to be beaten by Eric Bignall's rain coming to only 10.25", the highest monthly figure that Eric has ever had since he started to record this statistic...