Monday 1 November

Pinch and a punch for the first of the month.  A nice nip in the air, though it is still relatively warm and plenty of rain with it. Chatting to someone from the Ballygrant area today, they were telling me they had hailstones this morning! It's been a very odd year, weather wise.

Mike Bell got in touch with his sightings:  "2 golden eagle at Kilchoman first thing. The cackling goose was by the road at Aoradh at 0900 hr, the long-billed dowitcher was on the flood with 5 black-tailed godwits, more ducks with 1600 teal, 280 wigeon  57 pintail, 18 shoveler, 1 little grebe and a male hen harrier. 23 Whoopers on the estuary with another 26 arriving at 1325 hr, 1480 golden plover on the fields. In the channel at the mouth of  Loch Gruinart there was a little auk which gave nice views, a lot of seabirds far offshore." Dan Brown also had the dowitcher, seen from the North Hide at Loch Gruinart.

The drake American wigeon was sighted today (Neil McMahon) at Loch Skerrols, and the Cackling goose was very obliging today with good views from the roadside for many.

Julian Cook

Neil also reported 4 golden eagles, one WTE and a merlin looking towards Jura from Port Askaig this morning, at Loch Skerrols a ring-tailed hen harrier and 30 siskin.  5 pochard on Loch Gorm, 2 WTE from the South Hide at Loch Gruinart, and one golden eagle above Kilchoman Distillery.

Dan was at Ardnave, noting an exceptionally quite day with only 4 chough and 55 twite.  On the drive up, a male hen harrier.  This evening at Loch Gruinart flats, an other male hen harrier plus a ring tail, 4 golden eagle and one barn owl.

Driving from Bowmore this afternoon around 4pm, the tide was very high though I still spotted a WTE opposite Whin Park turning and a little egret at smelly corner. No need to even stop the car.

Teresa shared an other stunning shot of the heavy squalls overlooking Loch Gruinart from Craigens. She noted 31 whooper swans heading south today.

A small pod of bottle nose dolphins were high into Loch Indaal around lunchtime today with good sighting from Bruichladdich pier for those lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. As I was waiting in Port Charlotte, a heavy shower was making its way up the sound. A large flock of geese flew over the village heading east towards Laggan Point. Not much salt marsh to roost on with the high tides, so Plan B is in place for the night.