Saturday 17 April 2021

Saturday 17th April

An e mail came in today from George E. Jackson with some birds seen by himself and also his wife Pat...

"Not a lot to tell - weather been fine for 2+ days, so garden has had priority. Keep hearing Curlews in the distance then when I look around there's just a cheery Starling laughing at me!!!

Wednesday evening Pat was pleased to hear 4 Chiffchaffs and 1 (our first for the year) Willow Warbler at Foreland. Then I read James's comment about the big arrival yesterday, Thursday. So this morning, Friday, I headed to Foreland again to encounter about 30 Willow Warblers on the same route Pat took, but only heard 1 Chiffchaff. A Grey Heron upped and departed northwards from the small lochan near the 'Tile factory' ruins. [Looking at the remnants of the wall buttresses etc, I wonder whether some speculative archaeologist in a few millennia will claim it as a rectangular stone 'circle' carefully oriented on something!].

Meanwhile, back at Coultorsay there were ca. 90 Greylags on the field below he house, with 14 large Canadas - have to wait and see whether all these move off before long.

The finches continue to clear the sunflower seeds at a prodigious rate.. need to order some more!!!!"


This evening, I received a list of birds seen/ heard around Islay today through from Peter...

"Jack Snipe between Port Charlotte and Bruichladdich seen by Dave Dinsley. First Blackcap of the year at Cornabus seen by Ed Burrell. Cuckoo at Kildalton sent through to Peter by Mary Ann Featherstone"

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