Friday 8th & Saturday 9th November

Two more days of what is now officially called "anticyclonic gloom" - mostly overcast, dull, but still with light winds and dry.

Yesterday was fairly quiet for birding news. Reports came in of Little Egret at Gruinart and 40 Brent Geese off Blackrock c/o Julie Meikle and Gary T.. Neil McMahon departed with his group, seeing the usual couple of White-tailed Eagles off Bridgend and 2 Great Northern Divers in Port Ellen Bay at Kilnaughton. Gary also found 3 Purple Sandpipers at Bruichladdich.

Today kicked off with Gary T. finding 2 Snow Buntings along the Big Strand (Laggan Bay) towards Kintra with 7 Long-tailed Ducks offshore. Later he noted good numbers of waders at the top of Loch Indaal including a Ruff with the Redshank and 5 Goldeneye and 25 Brent Geese offshore there. Newly arrived Jacob New was up at Ardnave finding 4 more Purple Sandpipers, 13 Chough and a lone Hen Harrier. Julie Meikle enjoyed 3 White-tailed Eagles at Gruinart.

Thereafter, the day became rather more exciting with a report from Frank Cavanagh of a "Swift species" over at Coullabus. Jacob New managed some photos of it (see below), prompting Jim Dickson, our County Recorder to join the discussion about its identity, suggesting it to be a strong contender for a Pallid Swift. This would be the first confirmed record for Argyll, though there has apparently been one on the Outer Hebrides last week. Gary T. got over to the area a little later and confirmed it was still present, and I turned up as "tail-end Charlie" to find it easily as the afternoon light faded, but the bird still going around in circles over Tighnacachia - a little cottage at NR300659. Given that it stayed in this tight area for hours, it is hoped that it might still be there tomorrow for some further photos to be taken of this intriguing bird.

The Swift certainly brightened up Derek Coleman's first day. He also found "second-best bird of the day" with a Black Redstart at Bowmore Harbour. There have only been c.15 previous records on Islay and this is the first since January 2022. Derek also counted two flocks of Brent Geese on Loch Indaal totalling 42 birds, plus a Grey Plover and lots of  Golden Plovers on both  Loch Indaal and Gruinart.