Sunday, 25 February 2024

Sunday 25th February

A cold but sunny and dry day.

Martin Armstrong saw a couple of Red Grouse at the Ard, Port Ellen this morning, while James How reports Golden and White-tailed Eagles at Gruinart, 10 Slavonian Grebes, 15 Long-tailed Ducks, single Scaup and the presence of Common Scoter, Red-throated and Great Northern Divers on Loch Indaal.

I took a walk up to Killinallan this afternoon and noticed 3 White-tailed Eagles together at the north end of Gruinart. All three flew off towards Ardnave as the tide rose and pushed them off the sand banks.

Visitor Valerie Wilson started her visit to Islay well, with the young Glaucous Gull asleep at the top of Loch Indaal, then the Red-breasted Goose on the west side of Gruinart in the afternoon. A little later she was at Blackrock where the Slavonian Grebes were accompanied by a Great Crested Grebe - quite a rarity here. It was rare enough for me to go straight out on receiving the Whatsapp message and go on a "twitch" for it. Unfortunately, despite close scrutiny of the various assembled ducks, grebes and divers there was no further trace of it.

This evening Mary-Ann Featherstone heard a couple of Tawny Owls calling at Kildalton.

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