Monday 28th April 2025

A dry day but less sun than promised/hoped for, but lots of bird records came in so here goes.

David D started it off with a Merlin hunting Swallows at Upper Killeyan, while Mary saw a leucistic Collared Dove at Port Charlotte Primary School. There was a Concrake calling at Gruinart in the middle of the day, reported by Ella, and then Gary had an Osprey fly over his house, being mobbed by gulls from the nearby Loch nan Cadhan, Ed Burrell saw the first House Martins of the spring, two of them flying over the Laphroaig warehouses, and later heard a Sedge Warbler singing at Lagavulin. Clive finished off the day with, as he said, a hint of Iceland on the Gruinart Flats with several Greenland Wheatears and White Wagtails, along with 20+ rusty-coloured and very vocal Black-tailed Godwits, plus 300 Dunlin on the north floods. He also posted this amazing video of a pair of Lapwings nesting on the Flats trying to see off a male Pheasant who seemed very reluctant to move away.

 

Thanks to everyone for their records. And welcome back to Alan and Karami Ure returning to Islay after a two-year gap and delighted to report seeing and hearing Sedge Warblers, Willow Warblers and Snipe at on Monday at the RSPB at Gruinart, as well as watching the Snow Goose fly in with five Greylags. Their mammal highlight yesterday was a pod of dolphins, they thought Bottle-nosed, swimming along the shoreline at Machir Bay. This is not a usual place for them to be seen.

Friday 25th, Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th April 2025

Friday was damp all day, Saturday was rather better though with some rain, and Sunday cleared up after a damp start.

Not a lot happening on the birding front, but the Magpie was still in Port Ellen on Friday, although, on Sunday evening, Mandy said there had been a report of one at Carnduncan, which might or might not mean there are two on the island. Swallows were reported in three different places on Friday, two at the High School, one at Nerabus and 10 feeding in the lee of the Gruinart plantation, seen by Mary-Ann, myself and Clive, respectively.

On Saturday, David D headed to the mainland and saw 15 Great-northern Divers at sea and a tight raft of 12 Black-throated Divers and 4 Common Scoters in West Loch Tarbert, Here on Islay, Gary found a nice summer plumage Black-tailed Godwit in the creek pools east of Bridgend and watched a Peregrine having a go at some small waders. 

On Sunday, Clive saw 17 Whimbrel in Loch Gruinart, while Ed saw his first Greenland-type Wheatear of the spring at Cornabus. Clive also posted details from a website which records UK weather, which reported that, on Saturday, Islay was the wettest place in the UK, with no less than 5.6 mm of rain during the 24 hours. That's about a quarter of an inch for those who prefer imperial units to metric. Not really very much in whichever units.

Billy Stitchell is clearly still feeding the birds in his garden at Caol Ila as he sent in this photo of two male Siskins and two Goldfinches queuing up to feed at his bird table. Thanks again, Billy.

 

 

 

 Thursday 24th April 2025

Another lovely sunny day though with an increasing SE wind, and only really warm in sheltered spots.

There's very little to report, although Clive reminded us that, on this day in 1988, he spotted Britain's first-ever Brown-headed Cowbird at Ardnave, a Starling-sized bird blown across the Atlantic from North America, where it is not much loved because it is parasitic on some of their warblers. There have been a mere handful of records in Britain since. There's no photograph of the bird Clive saw, and I was about to find one on the internet when David Livingstone sent this splendid photo of a visitor to his garden in Port Ellen yesterday. I know the saying goes "One for sorrow", but this bird looks entirely content to be here on Islay.

 

 

Tuesday 22nd April & Wednesday 23rd April 2025

Tuesday was a bit damp, but Wednesday was sunny and warm all day. Lovely!

On Tuesday, Mary Redman heard a Corncrake calling in Portnahaven, one of the most regular locations for this species, while James How had the first Sedge Warbler of the season singing at Gruinart.

On Wednesday morning, Clive watched, and heard, c.115 Pinkfeet flying NW over Gruinart, migrants from further south in the UK, perhaps Lancashire or the Solway, heading to their breeding grounds in Iceland. Other birds seen today were two White-tailed Eagles hanging about over Loch Cornabus in the late afternoon. Where were you, Ed? And Mandy reported a Cuckoo in the vicinity of Carnduncan and a Grasshopper Warbler reeling closer to Loch Gorm. On my way to and from Bowmore this morning, there were two Barnacle Geese, behaving like a pair, at the mouth of the Gartmain burn. I wonder if they are going to be fit enough to migrate or perhaps they will summer here, as happens from time to time.

The Swan Goose is still in the same field close to Port Mor, though, as Jim Dickson has pointed out, it doesn't really look like a pure Swan Goose but is probably a hybrid with a domestic Chinese Goose, but as the latter has been domesticated over the centuries including from Swan Geese, it's pretty close, just a bit bigger and with a slightly shorter bill than the true wild bird. Not that one can call an obvious escape a wild bird! 

Getting increasingly forgetful, I should report that a tern flew past Bruichladdich on Monday afternoon, though whether a Common or an Arctic I couldn't tell from the brief glimpse I had. 

Finally, Billy Stitchell has sent this superb photo of a female Crossbill seen at Loch Allan. Thanks Billy.

 

 

Monday 21st April 2025 

Easter Monday, which was rather damp during the day, but clearing up in the late afternoon, has produced a new species for the island, but, before we get on to that, I'm happy to report the first Corncrake of the summer, heard yesterday at Conisby by Peter Dewar.

Val Peacock came round to see me for a chat early this afternoon and, on getting back home to Port Charlotte, phoned to say she had seen a very pale goose in a field with Greylag Geese close to Port Mor. She wasn't able to stop to look more closely so, although I wouldn't call myself a twitcher, I do tend to make an exception for odd-looking geese, and therefore drove along the road to Port Mor and there, in the first field on the left past the memorial, was an easily identifiable bird which I believe to be the first record for Islay of a Swan Goose. Well spotted, Val. I somehow doubt there will be a mass twitch to see it, as they are native to the far east of Russia, Mongolia and northern China, wintering further south in China, and not only not on the British List but rather unlikely to ever be on it. However, they are quite widely kept in captivity in the UK. We've recently had a spell of quite strong easterly winds, so perhaps some wildfowl collection on the mainland is wondering where one of their geese has got to.

And for those who want to know what it looks like, here it is.

 

 Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th April 2025

The weather forecast for Saturday was only too accurate, as it rained on and off all day. Sunday was almost dry, but overcast. Unsurprisingly, bird observations on either day were few, starting with Peter Gill reporting 40-50 Manx Shearwaters seen from the Saturday morning ferry between Port Ellen and Kennacraig as he set off home. Thanks for your sightings, Peter, and we hope it won't be long before you return. The only other record that day was of a reeling Grasshopper Warbler heard by Alistair near Portnahaven.

Sunday was a little more productive, with Ed out and about, seeing a Whimbrel at Knockangle Point on the Big Strand, and 3 Sandwich and 2 Common Terns at Kintra, before spotting a late Redwing at Cornabus, while Hannah saw a male Whinchat on the RSPB's Oa reserve.

Here is a cracking photograph of a male Whinchat taken by the late Gordon Langsbury.

 

Thursday 17th & Friday 18th April 2025

On Thursday, Cuckoos were reported at Kildalton Churchyard by Peter Gill and at the Finlaggan road end by Gary. In the evening, Clive saw 10 Curlews disappearing high and to the north while 11 Whimbrel passed through.

Undoubted bird of the day on Friday was a male Marsh Harrier seen by Clive flying SE passed Kilnave, while other sightings included a Whinchat seen by Peter Gill near Carnduncan, a Blackcap was heard on the woodland walk at Gruinart by Alastair, and Hannah Stanger saw Common Sandpiper in Lagavulin Bay. Hannah also saw two Cormorant nests on the south side of Eilean a'Chuirn, the most easterly of the SE Islay Skerries, which is exactly where Peter Roberts spotted three young in a nest back in 2019, itself the first proven breeding of this species on Islay since the 1988-91 BTO Atlas. It's nice to see the population has doubled!

A few Barnacle Geese remain, with Gary seeing two at the Gartmain burn, while Clive had 55+ at Ardnave, presumably waiting for a bit nicer weather before heading, belatedly to Iceland. The two days haven't been too bad with some rain and some sun, but the forecast for the weekend doesn't look nice.

Although this blog is about birds, regular readers will have noticed that it sometimes strays into moths and, as a keen mother, I'm not going to resist posting two photographs of a very unusual moth, the Belted Beauty, taken by visitor Christian Heintzen at Ardnave. They are of a male and a female, the difference between them being very striking as the female is wingless. The species is restricted to the Inner and Outer Hebrides and to areas of machair and sanddune. On Islay, it has been found at Ardnave, Killinallan and Machir Bay.

 

Wednesday 16th April

A major change in the weather today being cold, breezy, largely overcast with some substantial rain.

In keeping with the more wintry weather, David D. saw a Fieldfare at Kinnabus.

I counted 98 Oystercatchers at a high tide roost at Gartmain at the top of Loch Indaal - 4 Sandwich Terns roosting with them.

Monday 14th & Tuesday 15th April

 The weather is now a little more changeable: cooler, light westerly winds, and a few showers, some heavy, but largely bright and sunny - classic "April showers".

Various bits of belated bird news came in - sadly too late for anyone to take advantage of:

Harry & Denise Failey report a Little Gull off Bowmore on the morning of 18th March.

Guy Belcher and his son relocated the drake Surf Scoter from the Port Charlotte campsite on the 10th April. It was with one of the scattered Common Scoter flocks that evening, along with 2 female Velvet Scoter.

Richard & Barbara Mearns sent in a photo of the Black Redstart that they saw at Gruinart/Ardnave on 6th April.

Yesterday's sightings were: A doubling of the numbers of Tree Sparrows at my feeders in Bruichladdich from one to two! David D. had a Whimbrel and 2 latish Long-tailed Ducks at Kintra at the Oa end of Laggan Bay. Peter Gill had a Great Spotted Woodpecker in Bridgend Woods near Islay House Square entrance/car park and 3 Common Sandpipers up at Bunnahabhain. Alistair Hart is back for a visit and reported a generally pleasant stroll at Portnahaven, but no black and white corvids evident.

Billy Stitchell was out and about with his camera yesterday and kindly contributed some photos of the local breeding birds:

Today, Clive McK. commented on Curlews overhead in migration mode at Bridgend and reminded us of a Curlew chick ringed at Stavanger, Norway that was found (ring only) on Islay. Peter Gill noted 2 Whimbrel plus 2 Common Sandpipers at Gartbreck, while Marc Eden left Islay after a 3 week stay with an impressive tally of 130 species seen on Islay or in, what he described as, "Islay's territorial waters"! Well done Marc, that is impressive.

Alistair had another enjoyable day of birding from Portnahaven to Lossit watching 8 Fulmars on the cliffs looking ready to start nesting and being disturbed by the local Ravens which were mobbed and possibly oiled by the Fulmars.

Non avian news came from Gary T. who found a Streamer Moth, possibly only the 2nd record for Islay.

Sunday 13th April

The change in the weather that could be considered more "normal" for the time of year, continued today.  There was quite a bit of cloud cover and a few almost icy rain rain showers at times with a distinct drop in temperatures despite a fairly southerly airstream.

Ed B. had Islay's first 2025 record of Grasshopper Warbler singing at Cornabus this morning. Clive McK. was watching on Gruinart Floods at the two RSPB hides and noted 40 Sand Martins, 2 Swallows, 39 Redshank, 4 White Wagtails and 2 Black-tailed Godwits.

Here at Bruichladdich I was excited to see a lone Tree Sparrow on my feeders in the garden - a first for me here of a species that is recorded only very occasionally and erratically on Islay with little if any pattern to their occurrence.

Yesterday, in Port Ellen, Duncan MacNeill took the photo below of a pair of resting Sandwich Terns:

Saturday 12th April

At last - a slight change in the weather with some light hazy cloud and cooler temperatures followed by light drizzly rain in the evening.

Chris Hind found a Whimbrel at Gartbreck this morning and  a couple of Whooper Swans at the loch at Laggan Point later on. Mary Redman watched a White-tailed Eagle terrorising the gulls and geese at Claddach. 

Best birds of the day went to Gary T. who watched an Osprey with fish at the top of Loch Indaal and Peter Gill who saw the drake Ring-necked Duck on Ballygrant Loch.

Friday 11th April

Further sunny, dry and warm weather.

Peter Gill was over on Jura today and noted a Kestrel near Feolin and our first Common Sandpipers of the year north of Craighouse.

Various sightings of our White-tailed Eagles included one from David D. of an eagle hunting Fulmars offshore on The Oa. Marc Eden was at Sanaigmore this evening and counted 37 Manx Shearwaters moving south offshore.

I met up with Jim Dickson and David Jardine this morning for a day visit to try see if the Pied Crow, Hoopoe or Ring-necked Duck were present. We failed to rediscover the crow or hoopoe and eventually ran out of time for the duck as I took them to the ferry at Port Askaig at 3pm. On my return I decided on a quick look at Loch Ballygrant and was delighted (for me, but saddened for them) in seeing great views of a male Ring-necked Duck in bright sunshine, quite close with three Tufties and a female Goldeneye. The Ring-necked Duck that was reported a few days ago was a female, so this must be a second bird. However, We saw a good selection of species including Islay's first Whimbrel of the year at Portnahaven and numerous Wheatears, Sand Martins and 1-2 Swallows, with a selection of wildfowl at the RSPB Hides including 2-3 Gadwall and a handful of lingering Greenland White-fronts and Barnies. Loch Indaal near Port Charlotte produced plenty of Red-throated Divers (20+), Red-breasted Mergansers and eiders along with a few Guillemots and Razorbills.

Thursday 10th April

Another day of dry, sunny weather with a light breeze that has gone around more westerly and may portend a change in the weather soon?

Hannah Stanger noted 2 pairs of Sandwich Terns on the buoys at Ardbeg today. Gary T. reported Cuckoo near Ballygrant, David D. finding another this evening at Seal Bay. An Osprey was seen over Balaclava by local vet Samara this afternoon. Along with the birds there were plenty more sightings of butterflies across the island - Orange-tips and Green-veined Whites.

Billy Stitchell was out and about with his camera today and got some remarkable shots of a very predatory Mistle Thrush taking a Common Lizard on the road near to Lily Loch. Malcolm O. has done a bit of initial research of the literature and could only find a note by Eric Simms in 1966 of Mistle Thrushes and Blackbirds attacking and occasionally flying off with Sand Lizards in Merseyside. Malcolm has sent the record off but suggests that this might be the first record of Mistle Thrush taking a Common Lizard.

Wednesday 9th April

Weather? "Same old" - warm, sunny, dry, very light breeze - glorious!

Birds being reported from all quarters today: This morning Chris Hind had a Greenshank at Ardnave and I counted 24 Red-throated divers off Port Charlotte - only 2-3 in breeding plumage. Clive McK. had a latish Redwing at Creag Mhor, Gruinart and David D. had a Cuckoo over at Kinnabus. Mary-Ann Featherstone watching at Kildalton had another Cuckoo, and singles of Tawny Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, White-tailed Eagle. Up at Port Askaig this afternoon David Jardine had another Great Spotted Woodpecker by the entrance to Dunlossit, with a couple of Crossbills at Lily Loch. (It is good to hear that the woodpeckers are being reported from all the previous nesting spots on the island and seem to be holding their own in the last 12+ years of colonisation).

David Jardine had been on Jura today and had some good sightings: A male Ring Ouzel at Inver House was the star find, with a pair of Yellowhammers there and another at Cnocbreac. There were 4 pairs of Canada Geese at Loch a Chnuic Bhric along with 7 pairs of Greylag Geese and 4 Goldeneye. There were a further 5 pairs of Canada Geese at Glas Eilean. Also on Jura, Louise M. had 3 Red-throated Divers off Craighouse this morning.

Tuesday 8th April

 Wall-to-wall sunshine today, and with the wind dropping, it was distinctly warm too.

Despite the fantastic weather there were precious few birds noted today, though a few good records:

Clive McK. had Islay's first House Martin of the year up at Creag Mhor, Gruinart, while Gary T. had an Osprey high over Finlaggan Loch where there was a Crossbill in the trees around Finlaggan House.

Monday 7th April

 The sunshine never ends!

There was a belated report of a female Black Redstart on the road between Gruinart and Ardnave yesterday, where Clive McK. found the Hoopoe again today. There has been a second large influx of Hoopoes into the UK, but we are assuming this is the same bird that has been in the same area intermittently for well over a week now, disappearing for days at a time. Another surprise reappearance today was of the Pied Crow seen by Mary R. back at Port Wemyss.

It is definitely summer as the Cuckoos have arrived! Mary-Ann Featherstone reported one near Lagavulin yesterday, with others seen today by Marc Eden at Loch Ballygrant and by Peter Gill at Loch Skerrols, where he also recorded Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers singing.

At Loch Gruinart, Clive McK. had a Great Skua fly over, disappearing towards Loch Indaal and  flushing all the birds in a panic as it passed by. He also enjoyed a lovely sunny afternoon/evening visit to the RSPB South Hide, full of nesting Redshanks and Lapwings - the latter giving the few Golden Plovers a hard time. Swallows were passing through and Sparrowhawks making hunting passes.

Sunday 6th April

These weather reports are becoming very repetitive! Yes - another dry, sunny day with a light to moderate breeze from the east.

Marc Eden started the day's recording with a fine Ring Ouzel down at Sanaigmore this morning. Marc was up at Killinallan later in the day finding 20+ Snipe and a Jack Snipe, but noting a dearth of Twite compared to Linnets in places where he'd seen more Twite in previous visits.

There were numerous notes coming in of Willow Warblers dotted about the island and on Jura, with other summer migrants such as 7 Sand Martins and a Swallow at Kinnabus from David D.  Mary Redman was unfortunately minus her optics when she saw what was probably an Osprey over Claddach this evening.

I ventured to the Gruinart hides this morning finding among all the regular species a single Little Egret, a total of 11 Whooper Swans. An odd Wigeon that stuck out like a sore thumb had me going for a while, thinking it might be a hybrid American x Eurasian. But on closer inspection of my photos once home, the green on the head was not a full crescentic eye-stripe, but more blotchy and broken. It looks more like one of these occasional males that has flashes of green on its head - apparently more common in Russian birds? Anyway, a cautionary tale about jumping to conclusions..............

Friday 4th & Saturday 5th April

Two more days of dry, sunny weather with a cool easterly breeze. However, there has been very little bird news to report. Yesterday Clive McK. reported on further movements of geese heading north - some small flocks well after dark, with seemingly few geese left today . Today Ed B. found 10 Black-tailed Godwits on his patch at Loch Cornabus. Clive McK. walked around the Ardnave area finding a Swallow, several Sand Martins, 2 White and sevral Pied Wagtails, 230 Bar-tailed Godwits, 40 Sanderling and a Sparrowhawk, with a Willow Warbler at home at Creag Mhor.

Thursday 3rd April

Continuing high pressure providing dry, sunny weather with a moderate SE wind - very pleasant weather indeed!

More conversations on the WhatsApp today about the Barnacle and White-fronted Geese gradually departing, though James H. reported 3,540 Barnacle Geese still on RSPB Gruinart present along with the leucistic individual that has been around for a while and 8 Black-tailed Godwits. 15 Canada Geese flying north at Gruinart today seemingly only got as far as Ardnave Loch where Clive McK. counted 21 later on. Other geese seen today were 3 Pink-footed Geese at Gruinart and a Brent Goose (plus 2 Sandwich Terns) at Bridgend seen by Andrew Whitehouse.

Valerie Wilson found the female Ring-necked Duck still present but difficult to see on Ballygrant Loch and David D. had 3 Willow Warblers at Ballychatrigan on The Oa. The only other summer migrant reported to day was a Swallow seen by James H. at Gruinart.

Wednesday 2nd April

Another splendid dry day of sunshine and light easterly winds.

A few more geese were noted heading away today, but there was more emphasis on other birds seen:

Ed B. is still seeing Woodcock flighting over the forestry at Cornabus. Valerie Wilson found 50 Golden Plovers and 3 Carrion Crows, then up at the old abattoir at Avenvogie had a Great Spotted Woodpecker,  4 Crossbills and 10 Redpolls.  This afternoon on the Ardnave road she found a Golden Eagle a Swallow and a couple of Hen Harriers and up at Craigens found a Brent Goose with the remaining Barnacle Geese.

Andrew Whitehouse had 6 Whooper Swans over Kilchoman this morning, then our first Blackcap of the summer at Loch Skerrols. It, like a Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff there, was in song. He finished the day's birding in style, finding a female Ring-necked Duck on Loch Ballygrant in amongst the Tufted Ducks.

Tuesday 1st April

A bright sunny and dry day with a strong SE breeze.

The wind is now favourable for our winter geese to head directly to Iceland en route to their breeding grounds in Greenland and there were several observations of exactly that, with confirmation from Steve Percival that the first Barnacle Geese had arrived in Iceland this evening. Clive McK. was videoing thousands of Barnacle Geese (5,000+) setting off early this morning with smaller numbers of White-fronted Geese and 4 Whooper Swans. However, not all the geese have yet departed, and still lingering are the two star attractions: Red-breasted Goose and Cackling Goose found by Marc Eden at Craigens and near the RSPB Visitor Centre, who, earlier, had also been watching the geese disappearing north fast at Sanaigmore along with a flock of 12 Whooper Swans, while a pair of our resident Peregrines were busy copulating!

Other bird news includes mating Wigeon at Cornabus reported by Ed B. That would be a great breeding record for Islay if it comes to anything. Gary Turnbull had a Kingfisher up at Bridgend Merse and a Barn Owl on the fence between Esknish and Eorrabus. Valerie Wilson counted 40 Sand Martins at Easter Ellister and 12 Whooper Swans flying NW over Kilchiaran this afternoon. Clive McK. had a Chiffchaff up at Creag Mhor this morning while Andrew Whitehouse found our first Willow Warbler at Gruinart this afternoon.

A search for the Pied Crow down at Portnahaven yesterday and today didn't find the bird - perhaps it has moved on or is lurking elsewhere on the island.