Thurs 24 Feb

 

Mary-Ann sent the attached image of two WTE seen over Fairy Hill to the SE of the island.  She also counted 22 curlew at Ardbeg.

Gary had a nice count of 8 snow bunting in flight near Ballygrant.  At Scarabus an Iceland Gull, while at Gartmain he spotted a Glaucous.  Steve Williams reported 2 Iceland gulls at Uiskentui/Black Rock area.

Will Scott reported his highlights: 9 GN diver at Kilnaughton, WTE near the airport, 2 Slav grebes and 5 GN diver off Bowmore, and a long tail duck in flight.  Ring-tailed hen harrier and a little egret at RSPB Loch Gruinart. Over on the eastern side of Loch Gruinart, a GN Diver, both golden and WTE, merlin and 110 pintail.  At the Oa, a young WTE, peregrine and 50 twite.

Thanks to all for their contributions.

Very cold tonight, and the hailstones hammering the window don't encourage the notion that Tomorrow is to be a nice day! We shall see...

Perhaps inevitably though nonetheless sadly, bird flu (HPAI) H5N1 has been recorded on Islay from a Barnacle goose tested on the 9 February.  Nature Scot reminds us of the advice not to touch dead birds at this time, and report any single dead waterfowl, single bird of prey, or five or more dead wild birds of any other species to DEFRA 03459 33 55 77.