Saturday 15th May

George E. Jackson sent me through the following, sorry about the delay in posting this one, George.... 

"Grasshopper warblers (4 reeling away with one seen); Sedge warblers (at least 4 in territories); Willow warblers (of course - a lot, with at least 4 seen); Whitethroats (2 heard, 1 seen); Dunnock; Robin; Reed buntings (3 very bright males); Stonechat (1 behaving very territorially); a Treepipit ; 2 Cuckoos singing energetically; 1 Gt sp. woodpecker drumming; scattering of Redpolls; 4 Blackbirds; 2 Song thrushes; 1 Great tit; Chaffinch; several Goldfinches; Starlings; 1 Swallow; Buzzard; 1 Pheasant heard. No doubt there was more about but it was plenty to keep me distracted.

Driving up to Rockside, there were a good few Swallows (20+) feeding around the edge of Loch Gorm; also a pair of Greylags and 2/3 Common gulls probably on nests.

Back at Coultorsay, the Willow warblers are still singing away in the garden; Siskins still on the feeders, but no Redpolls today. The Starling that was pretending to be a Curlew has changed its tune the last couple of days and it's now doing a convincing Lapwing. There are 3 Starling and 1 Blackbird nests with young, also 2 families of Song thrushes in the garden. Calling Whimbrels been passing over all day."

Yvonne McCrone sent this list of birds seen by her over the past few days...

"By Machrie bay/ Big strand...peewits on nests , 4 choughs feeding plus Jackdaw, stonechat, wheatear wren, pied wagtail and what were the ‘warblers’ making such a fuss in the reeds?

Later at Craigens a Golden Eagle flew over Gruinart where 20 Peewits were resting on the mud flats. Male Hen H. at Gortantaoid.
Evening another m.Hen H. On golf course......hard to concentrate on the golf with a group of 7 whimbrel seeming to follow us around. Female H.harrier 1 mile from Port Ellen

Today same whimbrel? On golf course....geese with multi goslings.

Out the Oa 9 gannets flying round the headland and male H harrier speeding with the wind across the moor.Also wheatear and a wonderful No of skylarks everywhere......we don’t see them in Otterferry."