Wednesday, 8 November 2023

Tuesday 7 November

 

A nice day here today, looking ahead perhaps the nicest day of the week with a forecast of wind and rain expected. Todays striking image kindly contributed by Jim taken last week on his day trip over.

Neil had a good start to his day with 5 waxwings overhead at Port Charlotte and an otter at the pier, then a merlin at Bruichladdich.  Later while exploring Loch Gruinart he noted that the barnacles had largely moved out from the reserve, but did find a flock with a cackling goose, a lesser Canada-type and a pink-foot. Then in the afternoon, 2 peregrine, and a ring-tailed hen harrier.  At Ardnave Point he had a juv WTE, a ringtail hen harrier, c10 chough, and 25 twite.  Stopping for a scan of Loch Indaal on the way home he recorded "ridiculously high numbers of red-throated divers", 5 Slavonian grebes and around 40 eider.

Gary also had a good day.  South of the coal yard there was a flock of gulls including the glaucous gull, along with good numbers of divers seemingly on a shoal of fish. At Carnain there was good numbers of ringed plover, dunlin, turnstone and knot.  Then a snow bunting among a flock of skylark nearby at 'Smelly Corner', 47 Brent geese, a merlin, and 10 twite.  Offshore nearby there was common scoter, long-tailed duck, and Slavonian grebe.

Mike Bells highlights: Today 46 Brent Geese at Gartmain, a Hen Harrier south of Bowmore on the low road. The female American Wigeon was still on the Cornabus pool. At Kildalton 4 Yellowhammer at the keeper's cottage. At Claggain Bay 14 Great Northern Diver, 2 Black Guillemot, a male Hen Harrier,  a Merlin and an adult White-tailed Eagle flying north. Back west an imm Golden Eagle and a male Hen Harrier on the Coullabus road, and finally a Merlin on a roadside fence post near Saligo Bay

Finally, Fiona observed an 'interaction' between a barn owl and a small cat on the Rhinns playing field...who was stalking who?


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