Saturday 2nd November

 Overcast and a bit damp to start, but by the evening it was a little clearer with lighter winds and even a few small patches of blue sky.

It was another day of Whooper Swan migration and activity - and as always, tricky to work out exactly how many were in involved. Clive Mc had at least 5 groups passing totalling 71 birds, south down Loch Gruinart during the day. At Portnahaven, Mary Redman had a flock of 14 and another group of 6. 29 were still present at the top of Loch Indaal and I had a single flock of 49 flying south directly over Feolin, opposite Port Askaig on Jura. David D. hit the jackpot with 107 on Loch Nigheadaireachd at Laggan (24 of these this year's young). This makes c. 140 seen flying south and whether the 107 resting at Laggan were in addition to, or part of this movement is anybody's guess - though I'd go with a minimum of c.200 and possibly as many as c.275.

Apart frop the swans, Gary T. had seen presumably the same Kingfisher at the mouth of the River Sorn this morning. Visitor Martin Sutherland had an odd goose on Loch Indaal - possibly Barnacle x Canada? Photo below.................