Monday 8 November

 

White-tailed eagle, Peter Hughes. He counted 2 from the hides at Loch Gruinart this morning, as did Mark Sullivan, plus one at the top of Loch Indaal.

At Currie Sands this morning, I watched a juvenile white-tailed eagle acting oddly, rising and falling just out of sight on a small hill.  My terrier was missing at this point so, fearing the worst, I ran over only to discover the dog apparently had stolen the young birds breakfast! As she was tucking into what was left of a fresh rabbit, the young eagle was rising and falling above her. It did give me an incredibly close encounter though, and I was able to 'call off the dog' and the eagle returned once we left.

Driving back from Bowmore around lunchtime I saw an other WTE over Gortan, escorted by hooded crows.

Mike Bell had a good day:  "Today I had a male hen harrier at Carnain. Along the sheltered Bowmore shore of Loch Indaal around midday there were red-throated diver 2, great northern diver 7, slavonian grebe 2, whooper swan 16, brent goose 64, wigeon 374, scaup 8, eider 22, common scoter 24, long-tailed duck 11 (9 drakes), goldeneye 4 and merganser 77. On the Loch Skerrols circular walk there were fieldfare 40, redwing 40, goldcrest 1, siskin 19, redpoll 9, linnet 40 and bullfinch 4 with a white-tailed eagle over Cnoc Dun Mor at c.1400 hr and a golden eagle there at 1545 hr."

Peter H. continued his day out and just NE of Bowmore had 'tremendous' view of a male long tailed duck (photo), 7 common scoters, 45 pale-bellied Brent, eider and goldeneye.  On the beach a male merlin tucking into a goldfinch lunch. At Bruichladdich a flock of around 20 twite were feeding on the shoreline.

Phil Hyde was checking out Loch Gorm for the ring-necked duck without joy, however he did count 90 tufted duck and 4 pochard.  At Loch Skerrols the American wigeon, long-tailed duck, and little grebe were seen. Mark Sullivan was also at Skerrols and was able to spot the lesser scaup still present there. 

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