Tuesday 20th October

 Much less pleasant weather today with grey skies and light rain by early afternoon coming in from continued light SSE winds.

Several of the recent rarities were noted again today: Great White Egret seen by Rogan W. close to the Visitor Centre at RSB Gruinart, the 2 Snow Buntings seen by Theo de Clermont still happily feeding on the beach at Carnain, the/a Red Kite seen by Wendy & John Mattingley flying north-east and the Cackling Goose showing well and photographed by Theo in the same area of the RSPB fields at Gruinart.

And there were plenty of birders reporting from the field from all over the island. Some of the highlights/most interesting stuff reported by Rogan W., Theo, Gary Douglas, Alex Rhodes, Nicky Betts, David D., Ed B., Mark Whitcombe, Andy Howard, Bettina von Haase, Clive McK., Fiona & Stuart Reid, include:

Pink-footed Goose: 1 in same field as the Cackling Goose & Gruinart

Brent Goose: 1 in same field as the Cackling Goose & Gruinart, 10 near Oyster Shed, Loch Gruinart, 19 & Carnain

Canada Goose: 2 on Gruniart flats

Pintail: 64+ Gruinart Floods

Shoveler: 46+ Gruinart Floods

Gadwall: 2 Gruinart Floods

Goldeneye: 2 on Loch Skerrols, 1 off the Gaelic College, Loch Indaal,

Scaup: 1 off Blackrock

Long-tailed Duck: 1 in Loch Gruinart & Oyster Shed (not too common in Loch Gruinart)

Great Northern Diver: 1 in full summer plumage & Claggain Bay

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2 at Bowmore Harbour

Sparrowhawk: 1 at Loch Skerrols,

Hen Harrier: single ringtail Killinallan, 3 Ardnave point, 2 Gruinart 

White-tailed Eagle: 1 at Blackrock, 2 (immature & adult) at Ardnave, 2 chasing greylags at Leorin, 5 & Gruinart

Golden Eagle: 3 (2 adult & 1 immature) near Port Charlotte

Peregrine: 1 at Gruinart RSPB

Merlin: 1 at Port Ellen Lotts

Golden Plover: 32 at Killinallan

Grey Plover: single & Craigens

Ringed Plover: 32 on Bowmore Harbour wall

Black-tailed Godwit: 4 Gruinart

Fieldfare: 43 over Creag Mhor, Gruinart

Twite: 20 at Killinallan

Rogan W. reported a fascinating encounter at Gruinart with a Snipe being chased by and was hit by a Merlin, the Snipe landed in the road hotly pursued by the Merlin and a Hen Harrier and a Peregrine all at the same time. In the confusion the Snipe waddled off the road and escaped!

Finally, back to rarer birds and a very good photo sent in by Tom Watts of a Turtle Dove seen on the evening of 18th October at Kilchoman.