Monday 29th, Tuesday 30th & Wednesday 31st July

 A further three days of reasonable summery weather with some decent spells of sunshine and warmth plus odd cloudy rainy patches.

Clive Mc. has been noticing wader movements over at Gruinart - A Greenshank heard on Monday evening and influxes and small flocks rising high and heading south yesterday evening: several groups of Oystercatchers and Bar-tailed Godwits. He also recorded 90 Sand Martins feeding at the north end of Gruinart Reserve on Monday plus another small colony in sand dunes along the Big Strand. (There also seemed to be plenty in small colonies in the Ardnave area when I wandered up there on Sunday).

Today's news came from David Dinsley who counted 45 Twite and a White-tailed Eagle at The Oa RSPB car park, while Mary Ann-Featherstone had 3 Chough feeding on Kintra beach.

Over on Jura Martin Douglas sent in an action-packed horror movie of a video clip of a young House Sparrow fluttering outside against the lit window of their holiday cottage followed by a totally unexpected sudden flash of wings and talons as a Tawny Owl swoops past and grabs it - job done in 100ths of a second just like the Olympics!

Much rarer than all the bird sightings was a find by Tony Davis of a Bedstraw Hawkmoth at Callumkill - only the second Islay record, the first being reported at Port Charlotte 21 years ago.

Friday 26th, Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th July

A late entry for Thursday from Clive Mc. was a group of 12 Little Terns in the late evening at Loch Gruinart.

Three fairly pleasant, proper summer's days with sunshine and decent temperatures. A few folks have been out enjoying birding in this lovely weather, but being late July, there wasn't anything startling noted. Amidst the records of commoner species coming in were:

Friday - Jamie Johnson found 5 Red-throated Divers at Claggain Bay, while Gary T. noted 2 Little Egrets up at the top of Loch Indaal and a couple of White-tailed Eagles at Bridgend Merse.

Saturday - Jamie had a Golden Eagle on The Oa plus 9 Choughs at the American Monument. Ringed Plover with chicks between Bridgend and Blackrock. Clive Mc. watched 3 Peregrines (2 juvs and an adult) over Creag Mhor at Gruinart, plus an interesting encounter when a female Hen Harrier tried chasing a Hare at Gruinart, which turned around "boxed" at it and chased it off to be mobbed by a Kestrel.

Sunday - Clive Mc. was over at the Big Strand and counted 35 Sanderling, while I wandered to Ardnave and counted 110 Shags on the offshore skerries near to Nave Island. Pick of the bunch to day goes to Jamie: Osprey, Marsh Harrier and White-tailed Eagle all around Loch Gorm.

Wednesday 24th & Thursday 25th July

A cooler, windier and rainy day on Wednesday, slightly brighter on Thursday, with very few bird notes coming in.

Yesterday Jamie Johnson noted Whitethroat at Loch Conailbhe and Clive Mc, watched a Peregrine terrorising small passerines in the evening at Bun an Uillt. 

Today Clive had 5 Gannets, 3 of which were sub-adult flying up Loch Gruinart at high tide, then turning back once they'd realised it was a dead-end. Jamie had seen Hen Harriers on 3 occasions between the high road and the low road plus 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and an Otter at Claggain Bay this evening.

Tuesday 23rd July

A pleasant, warm, sunny and fairly calm summer's day.

A late report in for yesterday from Clive Mc. who had seen 4 Little and 3 Arctic Terns at Loch Gruinart in the evening along with 45 Dunlin, 15 Knot and a Whimbrel.

Today Clive had caught the morning high tide at Gruinart below Creag Mhor and counted 121 Curlew, 325 Bar-tailed Godwit, presumed to be summering non-breeders and including 5 in good summer plumage. At 12.30 he found 17 Black-tailed Godwits and c.330 Greylags at Gruinart near Gareallabus.

Elsewhere, Jamie Johnson reported c.25 Black Guillemots up at Bunnahabhain, 23 Choughs and a ring-tail type Hen Harrier at Ardnave and a Short-eared Owl at Finlaggan. Linden was up overlooking Nave island where he saw a pair of Great skua in the same spot he'd noted them last Saturday - perhaps a breeding pair?

Over on Jura Gary T. had singing Yellowhammer along the road south of the ferry.

Sunday 21st & Monday 22nd July

 Firstly, a big "Thank You" to Linden for doing the blog in my absence.

The weather yesterday and today was a mix of light winds with sunny spells and showers - more sunshine today than yesterday.

Yeterday's news was of  an Osprey seen up at Killinallan and a good list from Clive McKay: a Barn Owl last night at Uiskentuie, a female Marsh Harrier in heavy moult at Gruinart where, on the evening high tide he counted 386 Bar-tailed Godwits, 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 88 Curlew and 55 Oystercatchers and 5 Sandwich Terns flying high over Gruinart towards Loch Indaal.

Today, Gary T. saw 2 Ospreys around Finlaggan along with a Short-eared Owl and a variety of other "stuff" - Crossbills, Siskins, Redpolls, Sedge Warbler, Moorhen, 7 Tufted Ducks - and an Otter! Later, he counted 21 Black Guillemots at Caol Ila.

Jamie Johnson saw the female Marsh Harrier again today at Gruinart, while David D. had a pair of White-tailed Eagles on The Oa.

Saturday 20th July

 Two Spotted Flycatchers reported by David this morning at Kinnabus. Gary had a mega report from Bunnahabhain of 34 Black Guillemot, 2 Great Black Backed Gulls, 5 Shag, 11 Cormorant, 2 Mute Swan, 6 Oystercatcher, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Curlew, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Grey Wagtail, Siskin, Bullfinch, 3 Spotted Flycatcher families and a Golden Eagle!

Friday 19th July

 A very quiet couple of days in the bird chat with the only report being my sighting of a Little Egret at Gruinart - potentially the same one seen down at the Oa earlier in the week. 

Only notes from today were few Harriers around Gruinart and a visitor report of a White Tailed Eagle flying very low over them as they drove up to the reserve.

Wednesday 17th July

 At Loch Gorm this morning Lauren had a fishing Osprey, Gary had a lone Whimbrel north of Bruichladdich Pier. 

Chatting to David at the Oa yesterday we were wondering how long the Little Egret would hang around Kinnabus and it seems today was the day it decided to move on. It didn't go far though it seems with Ed reporting one down at Cornabus this afternoon.

Tuesday 16th July

 This morning Sam had a White-Tailed Eagle flying over Kilmeny Church towards Keppols, and slightly later a great report of 5 Red-Throated Divers, 10 Common Tern, 20+ Shag, 7 Black Guillemots and 9 Red-Breasted Merganser with 3 young. 

My day at the Oa started with Little Egret still hanging around. On the guided walk we had the golden Eagle pair seen perched from the trail and 4 Hen Harrier - 1 female and 3 young. 2 Whinchat in the afternoon as well as a handful of Dark Green Fritillary butterflies on the wing. 

Monday 15th July

 

Only one sighting from Sunday and that was Mary's very early Marsh Fritillary webs. 

In the early hours of this morning Gary spotted a hunting barn owl at Bruichladdich. David had a Little Egret - a rare visitor to the Oa - roosting near the house which seemed to hang around all day, joined by a couple of Greenshank this afternoon. Mary was back this afternoon with a larger sighting - a White-Tailed Eagle over Claddach.

Saturday 13th July

Some excellent reports coming in to start the weekend off, firstly from Mary with a Dark Green Fritillary on the wing and a family of Spotted Flycatchers. Up at Ardnave I totalled 53 species with the highlights being a couple of Black-Tailed Godwits, a calling Corncrake, a couple of Bonxies flying around over Nave island with one sitting for a while and a pair of White-Tailed Eagles. David rounded off the day with a Little Egret spotted on Loch Kinnabus.

Friday 12th July

 A late report emailed in yesterday from Stephen on a visit to Jura ticking off several raptors starting with a juvenile Golden Eagle being mobbed by a falcon - either Kestrel or Peregrine. Followed by a ringtail Hen Harrier seen twice possibly around a nest. Finally and most excitingly he also had two sightings of an Osprey -  a rare observation on Jura.

Fiona kicked things off today with a pair of Whooper Swans landing in a field near Kilchoman. Mary had a flock of 25 Wood Pigeon being watched by a pair of White-Tailed Eagles.

Outside of bird news I had the first Garden Tiger Moth of the season at Gruinart.

Thursday 11th July

 My highlight from the day at Gruinart were a very vibrant Lesser Redpoll, our usual pair of Bullfinch and a young male Hen Harrier.

More exciting reports from around the island came from Gary this morning with an Osprey on the River Sorn and David's sharp eye picking out two Greenshank flying over the Oa.

Wednesday 10th July

 A slightly gruesome day in the bird chat with the only report coming in from Mary after a walk at Kilchoman of a couple of dead Shearwater, and another couple of dead Fulmar. She also noted a dead seal and a dead cetacean with a calf which Craig identified as a Rissos Dolphin.

In slightly lighter news, while walking through the woodland at Gruinart I had a family of Goldcrest flitting through the trees.

Tuesday 9th July

 Just a couple of reports coming in today with the wind picking up again after a welcome break in the weather. This morning at The Oa car park I had three swifts circling above - a fairly infrequent visitor to the island. This afternoon we also had Twite, Whinchat and a Juvenile cuckoo being fed by a handful of pipits.

Near Claddach, Mary had a late report of another juvenile Cuckoo and a Ringed Plover nest with eggs but seemingly no parent birds in sight. Hopefully more news on it in the coming days.

Monday 8th July

Glorious weather again with calm, warm sunny conditions, though this is scheduled to change into a solid belt of rain approaching from the south - either tomorrow afternoon or on Wednesday depending on which weather forecasters you believe.

Mary R. had a hunting Hen Harrier at Craigfad today, while Linden had a different family party of Spotted Flycatchers up at Gruinart followed by the first returning Whimbrel at Machir bay this evening - an impressive total of 28 birds.

Sunday 7th July

Another glorious sunny and calm day. 

David Dinsley saw a Swift high over Loch Kinnabus, plus a Cormorant and a female Shelduck with a brood of 9 chicks near Port Ellen.

Over at Gruinart, Linden  had a White-tailed Eagle and a Spotted Flycatcher with at least 2 chicks.

Saturday 6th July

 A pleasant sunny day - a little more like summer.

Apart from a few reports of regular species there was an Osprey seen by Gary T. being harassed by gulls over the merse at Bridgend before heading off towards Loch Skerrols.

Thursday 4th & Friday 5th July

An improvement in the weather from cool and rainy yesterday to eventually a very pleasant calm and sunny day today.

Yesterday was fairly quiet for bird reports: a Merlin near the airport seen by Steve & Lyn Rogers, while Linden up at Ardnave had a good count of 28 Chough along with a White-tailed Eagle and the usual Whinchats and Twite. There was no sign of the reported shrike.

Today just two bits of news: Gary T. had a Great Spotted Woodpecker in woodlands at Achnaclach near Ballygrant and Louise Muir on a trip away from home on Jura had a pair of Crossbills at Gearach on Islay.

Wednesday 3rd July

A mostly wet, grey, drizzly and quite breezy day again with occasional bursts of dry and sunshine.

Linden sent in a report of an email received at RSPB Gruinart this morning from an unknown observer of a possible Great Grey Shrike up at Ardnave. Exactly where and when it was seen, whether it was indeed a shrike and whether it was seen today is unclear - but you never know...........

Meanwhile, some more solid birding news from Mary Redman who again saw the Chough family at the half dozen Ravens down at Currie Sands along with a female Hen Harrier at Portnahaven, Sparrowhawk at Easter Ellister where the old faithful drake Velvet Scoter has been noted for yet another year on the roadside loch.

Tuesday 2nd July

Another drizzly, grey day with a moderate breeze and just occasional sunny bits.

Quiet on the bird front today, with a report from Val Peacock of a couple of fine, breeding plumaged Red-throated Divers off Port Charlotte this morning and a tally of 6 Ravens from Mary Redman down at Currie sands along with a noisy family group of 5 Chough.

Monday 1st July

 Grey and drizzly today,

Yesterday Mary Redman found a male Kestrel that had seemingly been predated by a Buzzard that had left a few of its own feathers behind (not shown in the photo) in the attack  - sad, in that Kestrels are not that common on Islay.

Today Mary saw a male Hen Harrier down at Claddach and David D. found the first of autumn's Greenshanks at Loch Kinnabus.