Sunday 2nd January

A slightly cooler day with the SW winds increasing in the afternoon when a few quite heavy rain showers set in and continued into the evening. 

Visiting birder Phil Edwards took advantage of the relative calm early morning with a trip to South Hide at RSPB Gruinart. He supplys us with this interesting account and further great photos:

“On the way had a Raven at Smaull, Barnacles, Greylags and White-fronts (photo) at Ballinaby with 51 Lapwings (63 yesterday), and a male Hen Harrier hunting over the fields/moors below Carnduncan.  At South Hide we were treated to an immature White-tailed Eagle <100m from the hide (photo) which later became 2 (sub-) adults and 2 immature a little further away.  The adults brought an Oystercatcher*** in and after much calling and displaying (photo) left it for the two immature birds to devour – whole episode lasted over an hour.  Wonderful.  Also 41 Pintail (photo), 2 Little Egrets, and distantly some 600 Golden Plover, 400 Lapwing and 300 Dunlin.  Then a quick diversion to Ardnave Loch to take advantage of the nice light to try and get photos of Chough (absent) – but 12 Whooper Swans (different from yesterday with two all brown juveniles, 2 muddy-headed immatures and 8 ads) plus 3m 1f Goldeneye.  Then on the way back to Smaull, we had a ringtail Hen Harrier over the fields at Ballinaby.  An Islay morning at its best.”

*** - It is always interesting and of value to know what the White-tailed Eagles are eating!

There are just a few additional notes from some of the resident birders today:

George Jackson writes: “Hi there and Happy New Year. This morning (11.30ish) there were about 70 White-fronts in the field north of the road at Uiskentuie. Then at Loch Skerrols a dozen Mute Swans (no Whoopers), small numbers of ‘expected’ ducks and a single female American Wigeon. The boggy area at Crosshouse produced 12 Snipe. Not a huge day’s tally but didn’t want everything straight away - there’s another 364 days left this year!”

Note: The American Wigeon is a new rarity into Skerrols (the earlier one this winter was a male), so well worth going to take a look at.

Gary Turnbull was also out this morning and noted a White-tailed Eagle perched on the grassy and rocky islets at the top of Loch Indaal, with a “very large” Peregrine chasing Teal nearby.

Mary-Ann Featherstone had a flock of 50 mixed thrushes at Avonvogie on the glen Road – mostly Redwings, but also Song Thrushes and 2 or more Mistle Thrushes.

I saw what is presumably the same 1W Iceland Gull along the coast just north of Bruichladdich this afternoon.

(Peter Roberts)