Thursday 8th April

George E. Jackson had sent me through the following,  seen by himself and his wife Pat over the past few days... 

Saturday 3rd - Finlaggan, midday - 7 Tufted duck and a pair of swans (at the very far end of the loch, so didn't confirm species); a Curlew singing/bubbling vigorously somewhere over to the east side; one Buzzard the only raptor over the plantation trees. Driving out there were at least 5 Redwings (they kept popping up from the tussocks so perhaps more), and one Wheatear, just past the Finlaggan House. Further along the road 3 Golden Eagles soaring/displaying at times quite low.

Back at Coultorsay, a hectic couple of hours late afternoon - caught and ringed 27 birds [11 Chaffinches; 6 Goldfinches; 6 'various' garden species and best of all, 4 Siskins which we hadn't seen till then in the garden].

Tuesday 6th - am. a R t diver very close in to the rocky spit at Uiskentuie, where there was also a male R b merganser. At dusk over Foreland plantation a Gt spotted woodpecker headed towards the trees round the main house, presumably to roost. Pat had seen Tree sparrows there a couple of days earlier.

Wednesday 7th - late morning at Foreland again, in the plantation, a Stonechat and two Goldcrests. All afternoon at Coultorsay there was a build-up of Starlings in the garden, probably about 200, being very noisy.

It looks as though things are really on the move.