Friday 11th October

A very different day to yesterday with heavy, cold rain showers intermittently throughout the day on winds from the west.

It was another day with lots of sightings of Whooper Swans across Islay. 15 seen near Port Ellen by David Protherough this morning and I counted 20 at the top of Loch Indaal in late morning. At lunchtime Clive Mc. was up at Rockside where 120 were on the barley field stubbles.

Gary T. had a couple of Little Egrets from thew Whin Park lay-by on Loch Indaal. Over at Cornabus, Ed Burrell had 33 Greenland White-fronts and the Naturetrek group watched Peregrine, Merlin and a White-tailed Eagle at Bridgend - the eagle sat deciding which of the many geese there to annoy (the eagle tally increasing to the usual two later, seen by Jackie Wedd). Back at Gruinart, Clive Mc. counted 410 Golden Plovers on Loch Gruinart and Gary T. reported further Swallow sightings (6 at Bruichladdich Distillery) and a Hen Harrier chasing Teal at Bridgend Merse.

I twitched the Ring-necked Duck on Loch Skerrols in the afternoon, while the Nature Scotland team again scored "Bird of the Day" with the first sighting of the anticipated return of the Red-breasted Goose with the Barnies on the RSPB fields at Loch Gruinart.