A slight change in the weather today as it becomes slightly colder and with a little rain and cloud - but still not too awful and a few more spring/summer birds arriving to give us an impression of warmer days to come.
Some late news for yesterday from Ken Reeves who saw a Barn Swallow at Easter Ellister, a Wheatear at Tormisdale and 3 Crossbills at Finlaggan. (I thought the Swallow was going to be the first for the year, but Jim Dickson, checking on the Birdguides website tells us there was one reported at Loch Gorm on 26th March by someone unknown).
Turning to today's highlights: David Dinsley sent in a report of a substantial flock of 56 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on Loch Kinnabus this morning.
Martin Armstrong, heading off the island for a short break this morning saw Islay's first Sandwich Tern of the year at Port Ellen.
Derek Coleman emailed in the following "Purple spot on east side of Loch Gruinart produced 26 Bar-tailed Godwits, 60 Ringed Plover, 60 Sanderling, 10 Dunlin, 20 Turnstone, 1 Greenshank and a very disoriented Razorbill walking across the mud flats. Last night, there was a lonely looking Barnacle Goose in Bowmore Harbour. Would bird flu be a cause of these last two odd sightings".
I went to Bowmore this afternoon and can confirm that the "lonely looking" Barnacle Goose in Bowmore Harbour that Derek saw last night is now an "ex-Barnacle Goose" floating face-down on the tideline being tucked into by the 2cy Iceland Gull - so quite possibly another victim of bird flu?. On my way to Bowmore I stopped at Gartmain where several hundred Barnacle Geese were stood out on the flats along with the diminutive little Cackling Goose.
No comments:
Post a Comment