Monday 2nd August

 

The only birds flagged up today come from David Wood: 3 Greenshanks at Kinnabus

Since Ian Brooke’s last post on the Islay Bird Blog on 8^th June, there has been a long gap in reporting birds of interest, so here is a summary of the more noteworthy sightings. This midsummer period has been a fairly quiet time for birds, but a series of Rose-coloured Starlings stole the show:

Mid-June: A Turtle Dove in Port Ellen

13^th June: A Spotted Crake heard near Gartmain at the top of Loch Indaal

14^th June: Grey Plover at Kintra

17^th June: Bright pink and black adult Rose-coloured Starling seen at Ardnave and Barnhill Jura. 2 Black-tailed Godwits at RSPB Gruinart South Hide

18^th June: Several Crossbills near Loch Skerrols

20^th June: Another (or the same) Rose-coloured Starling at Port Charlotte

22nd June: Single Carrion Crow at Kinnabus and the drake Velvet Scoter paired with a female Common Scoter back at Easter Ellister for another season

25^th June; Long-eared Owl at Kinnabus

26th June: 3 Grasshopper Warblers still singing at Cornabus/The Oa

30^th June: Two Rose-coloured Starlings appeared in a garden at Conisby plus one at Craighouse on Jura – so apparently at least 3 birds involved in this series of sightings. (These were part of a large influx this spring of this Asian/Eastern European species into Western Europe and the UK)

3^rd July: A Swift over Kinnabus with another on 10th

5^th July: A Great Skua over the American Monument at the Oa, with another on the Oa on 27^th

18^th July: Single Great Northern Diver off Port Charlotte

24^th July: A dark-phase Arctic Skua off Port Askaig, plus a Sandwich Tern

26^th:July 3 Greenshank at Kintra

29^th July: Post-breeding Twite flocks building up, with 60 near the Car Park at RSPB The Oa

In addition:

Ospreys continued to be seen occasionally throughout mid-June into late July in widespread locations across the island. Some seen fishing at Finlaggan, Loch Gorm, Loch Nan Chadian, Loch Gruinart

Several observers noted renewed singing in mid-late July from our warblers – Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Chiffchaff included

(The Ardnave Rose-coloured Starling courtesy of Brian Small & Naturetrek)