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.
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