Monday 10th February 2025

Another fairly cold but often sunny day with an east wind. Lance Degnan sent in some records from yesterday, of 13 Long-tailed duck off Blackrock area plus 2 White-tailed Eagles, 12 Chough at Sanaigmore, plus 4 or 5 round Loch Gorm, and, at Gruinart, 5 Little Egrets  and a Carrion Crow, the first for quite a while.

First thing this morning, regular visitor, Chris Mills, spotted 2 White-tailed Eagles sitting on the the Loch Indaal shoreline opposite the entrance to Whin Park, and, a little later, the Red-breasted Goose was seen again, by Henry Wyn-Jones, this time behind Loch Gruinart House. 

The afternoon was mostly taken up with discussion of Canada Geese and Canada Goose X Barnacle Goose hybrids! This was started by Dave W seeing a Cackling Goose at Kinnabus, while, at almost the same, Chris Mills found a hutchinsi type among the Barnacles at Gruinart. Will Scott responded to my question yesterday asking whether there were two Canada X Barnacle hybrids by helpfully pointing out differences between the one seen yesterday at Pennycraig and the one he saw and photographed at Gruinart.

Finally, Chris Mills sent in some nice records of other birds seen during the day, with, at the head of Indaal, 20 Long-tailed Ducks, 12 Slavonian Grebes, 60 Common Scoters, 60 Eiders, and 10 Great Northern and 3 Red-throated Divers. At Gruinart, he saw a male Hen Harrier, no less than 5 White-tailed Eagles perched on the flats and the Red-Breasted Goose, while, at Sanaigmore, there were 3 Golden Eagle, 2 adults and an immature, and 12 Choughs. 

Here's the hutchinsi type Canada Goose.