Monday 27th November

Firstly a huge thank you to Mary Redman and Annie Rudd for keeping the Islay Bird Blog going in such good style over the past four weeks during my absence and at a busy time of year with lots of bird sightings to report when so many birders visit Islay to see the newly arriving wintering geese and swans.

It was a bright, cool and sunny day today, with David Dinsley finding a late migrant or perhaps wintering male Blackcap at Kinnabus on The Oa. Up at Kilchoman Margaret Brooke had both male and ring-tail Hen Harriers passing by her house. Regular visitor Steve Lister scanned and counted Loch Indaal from the Gaelic College, reporting 62 Whooper Swans, 60 Brent Geese, 18 Shelduck, 18 Red-breasted Mergansers, 4 Slavonian Grebes, 88 Curlews, and c. 40 Bar-tailed Godwits. As light faded at 4.30pm, he also noted a Barn Owl between the Gaelic College and Bridgend.