Sunday 17th & Monday 18th March

The nice sunny weather yesterday lasted until lunchtime today, then deteriorated into rain and wind this afternoon.

No bird news for yesterday, though several of our regular contributors sent in notes about interesting moths and seeing their first Adders of the spring.

Today, Morven from NatureScot kindly sent in the counts for the final international goose count of the season, carried out on 12/13 March, totals as follows: 27,648 Barnacle Geese, 4,926 White-fronted Geese and 918 Greylag Geese.

Continuing the goose-themed blog, Jim Wells, who was over from N. Ireland on 11th March, sent in details he'd received back from Steve Percival on colour-ring sightings of Barnacle Geese his group noted while here. There was an interesting mix of birds:

• 5 were only ringed on Islay this winter
• 1 was ringed at Inishkea, Ireland in March 2019 and was wintering there until winter 21/22, since when it seems to have been wintering on Islay
• 1 was ringed in Donegal in March 2018, but all other sightings each winter have been on Islay, apart from one in Iceland
• 1 was ringed on Islay in 2018, was on Islay in subsequent winters, but had spent time on N. Uist in winter 20/21 and 21/22 and has returned to Islay to winter since
• 2 birds ringed on Islay in October 2019 have been returning here each winter since
• Another ringed on Islay in October 2018 has been seen here in each subsequent winter
• 1 ringed as an adult here in October 2014 has been here each winter since