We've got birding visitors here for Christmas scouring the island and making the most of the limited daylight. Steve Wignill was around Loch Gruinart finding 20 Whooper Swans, 350 Lapwing, 100 Dunlin, 4,000 Golden Plover, a Greenshank, 20 Ringed Plover, the Marsh Harrier, a male Hen Harrier, single Little Egret, 2 White-tailed Eagles and 3 Brent Geese. He also noted a sickly Barnacle Goose, presumably afflicted with Avian Flu. It had a transmitter on its neck and a white ring on its right leg bearing letters EPB. I'm sure we can quickly work out where this unfortunate individual was ringed and its life history so far (not that it will have much of a life history to look forward to!).
Wishing all blog readers a very Happy Christmas.
(with thanks to Steve Stansfield from Bardsey Bird Obs for my "borrowing" this wonderful image - it is rare to find Choughs wearing any sort of headgear, let alone Christmas hats - well done Steve!)
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