Thursday 5th November

Yet another sunny day, with the easterly wind increasing into the afternoon.

Mike Bell, early on his last day, found a Hoopoe at Ardnave, the 13th recorded here as well as the latest (previously 13th October), the most recent being in March/April 2025. It was in with a flock of thrushes (55 Redwings, a few Fieldfares and Blackbirds and a Mistle Thrush) at the farm. After being disturbed several times by 3 different Hen Harriers, he last saw it flying off towards Traigh Nostaig, where he couldn't find it again, but noted 47 Ringed Plovers and a Grey Plover as well as a solitary Snow Bunting giving very close views. In the late afternoon, Mike had 2 Gadwalls, 11 Little Egrets and 6 Black-tailed Godwits on the Gruinart floods.

Sue Berrecloth and Brian Lyon, here on the regular RAFOS (Royal Air Force Ornithological Society) visit, found 1,700 Greylags and 14 Whooper Swans at Kilchoman, some of them on Loch na Cachie. Newly arrived regular visitor, Martin Culshaw, sighted the Red-breasted Goose on the Gruinart Flats, while, in the afternoon, Nicholas Watts was in the north hide at Gruinart seeing 4 Black-tailed Godwits and 12 Common Snipes, as well as Shoveler and Pintail. 

I was at Ronnachmore south of Bowmore in the morning where a flock of c.600 Golden Plover were feeding on the pastures, perhaps the same flock that Fiona McG reported from Bridgend two days ago, 

Finally, Neil McMahon of Naturetrek, who was here last week with a group, and who has always told his clients that, if you see what you think is a Golden Eagle sitting on a fence post it will be a Common Buzzard (aka a 'tourist eagle'), had to eat his words on seeing, and photographing, this: