Wednesday 8 September 2021

Wednesday 8 September

 Very muggy and hot all day here, at least for me, I'm a bit too Celtic for anything above 14c. It certainly isn't autumn yet! The birds will be pleased with the rowan and brambles when they arrive soon.

Visitor Andrew has been in touch during his stay on Islay - He and his wife were walking at Saligo bay this morning and saw an egret there, we presume little! Many thanks Andrew, alway nice to hear from visitors.

The local WhatsApp group was a bit busy today, had to put it on silent! Here goes:

Jim was watching over the high tide roost at Loch Gruinart yesterday as the waders just got settled, when suddenly 2 peregrine started their attack! The osprey was still present, he has spotted it has a leg ring. Too far away for ID however a good thing to look for if we want to know if it is the same bird being spotted each day.

More from Jim: at Coullobus - 95 linnet, 60 swallow, 15 house Martin, 8 sand Martin. Craigens- 2 juv whinchat. Head of Loch Gruinart 1 ruff, 8 blackwits, 15 teal, a sparrowhawk (between 10 and 12 seen this week alone by Jim) and over 60 alba wagtails. At Carnain the juvenile curlew sandpiper (pictured). 


On Loch Indaal, watched from Uiskentui Jim counted 49 common scoter and one summer plumage slavonian grebe;]. At Gartmain, Loch Indaal 2 juv greenshank and71 wigeon. Off Bowmore 87 barwits, 10 blackwits, 3 shelduck. At Bridgend merse the little egret was present, and an adult white-tailed eagle casually perched on the wreck at the head of Loch Indaal watching around 300 greylag geese overhead.

Clive was out and about today too, encountering an osprey with a fish on a telegraph pole out towards Loch Gorm. Also a whopping 650 linnet on a winter bird crop on RSPB Loch Gruinart reserve.  An other nice count of 155 curlew on the western side of Loch Gruinart. On Machir bay, 11 twite.

No comments: