Monday 27th & Tuesday 28th March

A lovely sunny day on Monday gave way to cloud and rain today.

Bird news for yesterday included a count by Marc Eden of 7 White-tailed Eagles (1 adult, 1 sub-adult and 5 immature birds) on the ground near Loch Ruime near Sanaigmore – a slightly different location for these winter gatherings. Later, Marc saw the first Sandwich Tern of the year for Islay at Loch Gruinart and 5 White-tailed Eagles eating a Barnacle Goose at the end of the Killinallan road – were these the same as those seen earlier at Sanagimore? There was also a Greenshank up that way and a Richardson’s Cackling Goose and lone Brent Goose at Craigens. He also saw the old faithful Glaucous Gull at Uiskentuie.

Wheatears were found down at Claddach by Mary R.and at Glenegedale by Jarred Johnson, who also had a Chiffchaff at Kilnaughton and no less than 13 Sand Martins and 2 House Martins at Loch Skerrols. A couple of Sand Martins were also seen up at Ardnave by Steve & Lynn Rogers.

Today, despite the much less pleasant weather, a few folk were out there finding further summer migrants. The Glaucous Gull had moved up to Bridgend for a change of scenery, while Sand Martins and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were found at Loch Skerrols and David Dinsley had his first 2 Wheatears down on The Oa.

In other news, we had reports of Islay being “surrounded” today by more Alpine Swifts – 4 over at Ballycastle, Northern Ireland and 2-3 in Oban and elsewhere in Argyll. Surely there must be one here too?

Thanks to David Livingstone sent in these photos of one of his recent rambles: