The weather slightly on the turn with light to moderate SE winds and more cloud cover on Friday, turning to fairly overcast conditions on Saturday with a hint of rain, especially by the evening, and winds dropping but turning to the west.
The expected passage of Whimbrel through Islay was evident on Friday with Clive McK. counting 35 at Creag Mhor, Gruinart, Ed B. with 32 at Cornabus, Mary R. with 11 at Claddach, Ian Littlewood finding 55 near Ardnave Loch and 15 here at Bruichladdich. Assuming they were all different, that is a tally of 148 birds minimum.
Clive also saw 2 summer-plumaged Black-tailed Godwits at Creag Mhor, Ed added a couple of Whooper Swans at Cornabus and Ian found a Great Skua near Ardnave Point.
Today witnessed further large numbers of Whimbrel on Islay, stopping off to feed on their way north. Clive McK. counted 122 feeding on leatherjackets on the fields around Creag Mhor (accompanied by a summer plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit). Ed B. commented that the 60+ Whimbrels feeding around him at Cornabus were being pestered by Common Gulls stealing their food.
Other birds of interest today have been a Peregrine hunting over Cornabus, a substantial tally of 50 Swallows at Claddach from Mary R. along with 2 Cuckoos at Port Wemyss plus two others - at Ballymeanach and Portnahaven. Fiona McG. notes 3 Sedge Warblers on the coastal trail at Port Wemyss to Portnahaven with Arctic Terns arriving on Orsay island. Paul Miles scores the first Spotted Flycatchers of the year on Islay - two at Lily Loch along with singing Chiffchaff.
"Bird of the Day" goes to James How who saw a Tree Sparrow in his garden at Gruinart - a scarce and irregular species on Islay.
