Despite fairly pleasant, dry, sunny weather with light, but chilly winds from a more northerly direction (while lots of other places across the UK were inundated with snow and rain), there has been very little in the way of birding going on here on Islay - hence the long, 4 day silence.
On Thursday 2nd, visitor Anne Mehler had a Long-tailed Duck near Blackrock, plus c.50 Common Scoter.
On Friday 3rd, Anne saw a White-tailed Eagle in the Sound between Islay and Jura as she departed. Also on the 3rd, George Jackson had a quick look at Loch Skerrols at about mid-day, finding a single male Goldeneye and single Moorhen, but there were only 7 Tufted Ducks, plus c.30 Mallard and Teal.
The bird feeder here in Bruichladdich and at Val Peacock's in Port Charlotte has been attracting a female Sparrowhawk regularly over the past few days - whether it is the same bird I've no idea.
Today, Mary R. had a Buzzard on the shoreline at Bruichladdich (where Malcolm O. watched an otter having breakfast) followed by a pair of adult White-tailed Eagles perched on Blackrock itself. Malcolm was out at Craigens on Loch Gruinart and counted 1,280 Golden Plover, 450 Dunlin and 180 Lapwing, all in the same damp pasture.
I walked up to Ballimony from Octofad this afternoon and watched a couple of Choughs followed by a further group of 7, all flying from the coast near Octofad inland along the edge of the forestry, with 5 turning back. I wonder what they were doing or where they were going..............
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