Wednesday 5th February 2025

I think Will Scott has had a good day's birding. The weather was mixed, with some prolonged showers in the morning, brightening and drying up in the afternoon. Will started his day with 12 Great Northern Divers in Kilnaughton Bay and an Otter in the area of Carraig Fhada lighthouse, together with no less than 17 Song Thrushes in a small patch of bushes by the cemeteries near Kilnaughton Beach. Going round the Rhinns, there were yet more Fieldfares, 40, near Cultoon, and 12 Mistle Thrushes and 19 Reed Buntings at Gearach. There were 130 Fieldfares at Kilchoman, compared with 220 on Sunday, but 34 Blackbirds, confirming that there has been a recent movement by the thrush family, as Will has also been seeing Redwings round the island. Two Hen Harriers were also present at Kilchoman, while, back south at Cornabus, there were about 2000 Barnacle Geese and a lone Whooper Swan, as well two White-tailed Eagles. As the day ended, two Barn Owls were out hunting between Bowmore and Bridgend.

Will noted that one of the Song Thrushes he saw at Kilchoman beach was darker brown with blacker spots on the breast than the other birds present, and wondered if it could be hebrediensis, the race which occurs in the Outer Hebrides. Darker birds like this have been seen on Islay from time to time, but, while it is possible that this race does turn up here, there has been a suggestion that they may be intermediates between hebrediensis and clarkei, the race which breeds here and is found over most of the UK and on the near continent. Will contrasted the dark bird with the hebrediensis with many of the other Song Thrushes, and other seen around the island, which looked cold and grey, suggesting a continental origin, probably of the race philomelos.

I'm appending Will's photograph, the bird in question being at top centre. What do you think?