Sunday 3rd October

 Another day of sunny patches between heavy downpours, with winds mostly from the west. But first, a few additional bird notes for yesterday:

David Wood saw 2 Grey Wagtails at Coullabus, plus 5 Whooper Swans flying over as well as a Snipe drumming – an odd time of year to be doing that?

Visitor Sam Hood called in with a sighting of a Curlew sandpiper at Loch Gruinart along with 70 or more Brent Geese and a first autumn/winter record of Redwing.

Finally, David Dinsley reported Barn Owl at Kinnabus on the Oa.

This morning, with South-westerly winds, turning more directly westerly, it seemed a good idea to try another seawatch at Frenchman’s Rocks. Martin Armstrong and I dutifully arrived by about 8am as the heavens opened and a Snow Bunting flashed past off the track. We waited for the weather to improve and got into position by about 8.30am in another torrential downpour. But it did brighten up thereafter, allowing us to spend 1.5 hours watching not much other than many Auk sp. fly by eastwards – about 725 in total, along with 125 Kittiwakes, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers and 7 divers, including a single Great Northern and 3 Red-throated. We both agreed that the best sightings were of a lovely Twite perched up directly in front of us in a moment of bright sunshine and a close group of 9 Choughs over our heads.

Also this morning, Mark Shields had a look on Loch Gruinart reporting an increase in Barnacle Geese to 146 along with 106 Brents.

Down at Shepherd’s cottage (aka Kilchoman Reserve) Margaret Brooke saw a very close male Hen Harrier pass by and at least 9 Goldfinches enjoying the niger seed at the feeders.

Visitor Richard Willis kindly sent in notes of great views of Peregrine and a pair of Chough at Kilinallan and another male Hen Harrier near Balaclava Croft.

FOOTNOTE: As a slightly demoralising contrast, here is what a seawatch at Tiree produced yesterday (posted on the Argyll Bird Club website); An early morning seawatch from Hynish produced; 1 juvenile SABINE’S GULL, 1 Grey Phalarope, 1 Leach’s Petrel,  11 Sooty Shearwater, 2 Pomarine Skua, 8 Arctic Skua, 12 Great Skua, 6 Arctic Tern, 4 Fulmar, 8 Black Guillemot, 4 GN Diver, 1 RT Diver, 68 Eider, 30 Shag, 190 Manx Shearwater, 1,230 large auk (mostly Razorbills), 1,835 Gannet, 3,630 Kittiwake.