Monday 23rd October

Many Thanks to RSPB's Annie Rudd for being thrown in at the deep end and doing such an excellent job on the blog for the last 10 days or so. She (and others hopefully) will be back at the end of the month to cover another few weeks into late November.

Visitor Jeremy Watkins - noted the following yesterday: Mute and Whooper Swan, Teal, Tufted Duck, female Goldeneye and Little Grebe at Ardnave loch and 2 female Hen Harriers, Golden Eagle and 8 Chough towards Ardnave Point along with Red-throated and Great Northern Diver and 8 Common Scoter from Bruichladdich pier.

Today's weather was a little less idyllic, though not too bad compared to what the east coast of UK has had to tolerate of late. But with a good crowd of visiting birders coming and going there has still been plenty reported.  The Naturetrek group led by Neil McMahon did a "night drive" last night finding 3 Barn Owls and a squashed Tawny Owl on the roads between Port Ellen to Bowmore. today they were up at Bridgend seeing the usual couple of White-tailed Eagles out on the flats, followed later by 5 up on Nave Island and a further/different 2 adult birds at  Ardnave Point which also turned up 50 Twite and a couple of 1Y Ring Ouzels with Fieldfares. Ardnave loch briefly held a Long-tailed Duck which didn't hang around too long. They rounded the day off nicely with revisits to Sanaigmore to see the Lesser Grey Shrike and the "resident" Glaucous Gull at Uiskentuie.

Their total of at least 7, possibly 9 White-tailed Eagles was added to by Ed Burrell noting  3 more adult birds at Cornabus.

Mark & Alison Cockburn reported "another great day on Islay" including a few similar goodies, but added today's sighting of Red-breasted Goose in fields near the RSPB Visitor Centre. they looked for the L.G. Shrike at Sanaigmore but only found a male Hen Harrier and 14 Choughs.

Elsewhere, Martin Armstrong continues to have a couple of Greenfinches at his feeders at Glenegedale, Louise Muir notes Brent Geese on Jura and Mary Redman had a "mystery bird" along the Cultoon road - with a finch-like bill, dark head and some rusty/red colouration noted in flight.