Saturday 9th September

The weather was a bit more autumnal today - less heat, more cloudy spells and an attempt at times to rain.

Some of the bird sightings were distinctly autumnal too, with Jim Dickson, on his last day on Islay kicking off this morning with a second calendar year Glaucous Gull down at the favourite hang-out of Uiskentuie.In the same area from there up towards Carnain were 3 Wheatears  and then a sizeable flock of 350 Linnets at Coullabus. The winter feel was emphasised further when, up at the top of Loch Indaal at Gartnatra a flock of 79 Wigeon were counted, and with them a young American Wigeon. 

James How continued the autumnal theme by finding the first of the usual small passage of Pink-footed Geese - 4 of them on Gruinart flats.

Val Peacock, Lesley Silcock and I took a walk out in the afternoon from Gartbreck along the coast to Laggan Point. A flock of 50 Ravens were gathered along the shore where scattered Wheatears and White Wagtails were noted. Up at Laggan there was a perched Peregrine on the point and an adult Whooper Swan on the loch. On the return was a decent count of 11+ Greenshank amidst the usual waders and ducks.

While doing that walk, Jim was sailing back towards the mainland noting a Golden Eagle on the Jura side of the Sound out of Port Askaig and a male Hen Harrier over Jura itself. At the same sort of time James How took another look over Gruinart finding 2 White-tailed Eagles, 3 Curlew Sandpipers, Peregrine, 23 Turnstone, lots of Knot, 65 Teal and a Carrion Crow. But best of his finds by far was a Pectoral Sandpiper.

On my return homeward, I stopped at Gartnatra and managed to locate the, by now, very distant flock of Wigeon including a very distant view of the American Wigeon still with them. While watching that a splendid Osprey came over, hovering over the water in search of fish. 

So, all-in-all, a good day's birding with some scarce finds. But if it is rarity we are after, then the prize goes to Mary-Ann Featherstone who found a Vestal Moth in her moth trap today - apparently the first record for the vice-county and a genuine Scottish rarity.