Monday 5th September

Heavy rain and easterly winds again in the morning, giving way to a bright sunny day with winds dropping by the afternoon.

A bit more of interest on the birding front today:

James, returning to Islay on the 7am ferry from Kennacraig saw 7 Sooty Shearwaters and then an Osprey at Bridgend on the way home.

A WhatsApp note from Mary this morning alerted us to an odd/unidentified passerine at Claddach that Jim and I went in search of. We couldn’t relocate it, but it was thought to be an immature Pied Flycatcher. On the way down there Jim had seen the first Pale-bellied Brent geese of the autumn – 2 birds at Carnain and single Whitethroat and Whinchat at Cladville.

In the afternoon Jim made his way up to Gruinart finding another 3 Whinchats at Craigens and a colour-ringed Knot at Carnain bearing an orange flag UXV over a yellow ring on the left leg. We’ll be trying to find out where it originates from and let you know.

I joined Jim on the road between the hides in mid-afternoon and thence to the north Hide. Despite maintenance work going on on the reserve, we managed to find a good selection of waders on the floods (which are now quite full due to the heavy recent rain. There was a total of 4 Ruff, 2 Greenshank, a Spotted Redshank and 6-8 Black-tailed Godwits – all allowing good size- comparisons to a smaller wader in their midst which proved to be a Pectoral Sandpiper. There was also a Curlew Sandpiper out on the flats.

(We met up with Graham Cundall and his wife in the North Hide who had seen a Hen Harrier pass by and corrected his record of yesterday, confirming that the geese seen at Kilchiaran weren't Pink-footed - many thanks for letting us know)..