Sunday 3rd September

A dry, mostly sunny day with light easterly winds again. 

Jim Dickson was up and birding first today, back to Loch Gruinart where a few raptors were noted - White-tailed Eagle, large female Sparrowhawk hunting Linnets and a Peregrine making a kill. Yesterday's female Goosander was still there along with 129 Teal, 5 Black-tailed Godwits and a juvenile Ruff. Looking at the top of Loch Indaal from Carnain to Bridgend he found 55 Goldfinch, 49 Red-breasted Mergansers an plenty of Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Knot and Bar-tailed Godwits. Back at Gruinart this afternoon was a very impressive total of 15 Greenshanks - 11 of them were at Bun-an Uillt. (There have only been two larger counts, both in the 1970s). On Loch Gruinart with the tide far out, were 149 Knot and 9 Black-tailed Godwits.

I walked up to Ardnave Point, but it was fairly uneventful. Sparrowhawk, male Hen Harrier, 2-3 Buzzards annoying the Ravens and 15 Sanderling at the point was about the lot. Back at Ardnave Loch a group of 14 Black-tailed Godwits with a large Ruff were flying about. On The return down the road towards Gruinart RSPB were two flocks of Linnets totalling at least 175 birds.

At the other end of the island, Mary-Ann Featherstone reports another Sparrowhawk - a male this time - at Kildalton.

Below is one of today's Whinchats photographed by Jim at Craigens.