Tuesday 3rd November

Another very pleasant day - dry, sunny and with a very light easterly wind.

Rogan W.'s watch this morning at Port Askaig over the Sound of Islay produced some movement - 217 Redwings in groups up to 50, smaller numbers of Fieldfare and 28 Wood Pigeons. Nearby were 5 Bramblings and c.65 Chaffinches, 5 Crossbills and single Great Spotted Woodpecker and Tawny Owl. In the afternoon he saw a Kestrel on the Glen Road.

The two Naturetrek groups were busy zooming about the island: Neil McMahon noted 8 Red-throated Divers off Port Charlotte, 50 Common Scoters off Bruichladdich, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Kingfisher at Bowmore harbour and 2 Yellowhammers, c.25 Reed Buntings and a few Skylarks in stubble fields behind the Round Church. Later they found 6 Great Northern Divers, 37 Ringed Plovers and an Otter in Kilnaughton Bay and Golden Eagle, 2 Merlins and a Peregrine plus 20 Twite at The Oa. In the evening at the Gaelic College the Chinese Goose reappeared and there were 57 Tufted Ducks and 2 Pochard on Loch Skerrols. Mick Durham's group had 19 Brent Geese at Blackrock, Little Grebe at Port Wemyss, 200 Golden Plover at Craigens with 3 White-tailed Eagles loitering on the flats and 40 Chough at Ardnave (see photos below).

Other contributions came in from Steve Percival who found the Red-breasted Goose on the saltmarsh with Barnies at Craigens, and from David D. who saw a Greenfinch at Kinnabus (uncommon over there and across much of Islay these days). Fiona McG. counted 600+ Golden Plover an the mudflats at Bridgend and Nicholas Watts noted 8 Long-tailed Ducks and 2 Slav. Grebes at Blackrock and a high count of 70 Choughs leaving a roost at Ardnave early this morning. He also had a Woodcock near Lyrabus and a Water Rail dead on the road there.

Jim Wells came across on a calm sea by boat from Ballycastle with a group of birders today and amongst other records had 6 Snow Buntings at Ardnave and 4 White-tailed Eagles and 11 Little Egrets at Gruinart.

As always - thanks to everyone for their contributions.