Sunday 21st April

 A very fine, dry day with sunshine and a good temperature - very summery.

Amongst the continuing reports of the usual and expected summer migrants such as Cuckoos, Blackcaps and Common Sandpipers, there were Grasshopper Warblers reported at Cornabus and Glen Astle on The Oa. There were a few other interesting sightings: Ed Burrell had a flock of Redwings at Cornabus and David D. noted Fieldfare on The Oa. It can't be long now before they are away for summer. Ed also had a total of 23 Black-tailed Godwits on Loch Cornabus, which is not a usual location for the species, especially in that number. More unusual still was a pair of Tree Sparrows seen by David D. at Kinnabus. This species appears very erratically on Islay, but did breed on The Oa in 2009.

Here at Bruichladdich there is Collared dove nest-building in the hedge around the garden and a small group of drake Mallards gathering on the sea, numbering 12 today. Presumably these are males that have bred and now left the females to do all the hard work.