Tuesday 8th November

News through from Morven at Nature Scot that last week's island-wide goose count was 39,156 barnies, 3,782 white fronts and 2,236 greylags. Thanks very much to Morven and Nature Scot for sharing this with us. This is an extra, earlier, count designed to give Nature Scot more info on the effects of last winter's bird flu outbreak in the barnacle goose population here. This is a high count of barnies, though we know from ring re-sightings that many birds that will ultimately winter in Ireland and other places are still on Islay at the minute. It's also low for white-fronts - fingers crossed for these numbers increasing, if and when there's an easing of the strong southerly winds that we've had for what seems like weeks now.

Elsewhere, Nick Skilbeck and pals from Worcester and Malvern bird group enjoyed their first day on the island, with 80 species seen and highlights being "Loch Indaal, Several GND’s, 2 slavs, 30ish common scoter, also 31 whoopers over, then on to Gruinart, male and female hen harriers, 2 merlins, a Wt tailed eagle, 100’s redwings, a dozen pintail, two gadwall, 1000 or so golden plover, several barwits, one blackwit, plus many other common waders. Also a bullfinch. Then to Ardnave point, 15 chough, 30 twite."

pic from Neil McMahon

Mike Bell had a trip up to Ardnave and saw 5 grey plover and at least 6 purple sands at Traigh Nostaig, with at least 31 chough in the wider area. Back down at Gruinart, there were 11 blackwits. Notably, Mike had zero WTEs for the first time in his holiday, which shows how prevalent they are becoming. 

That's all folks, thanks to all the above for their sightings.