Saturday 21st September

Some sightings through from yesterday...Jim Dickson and David Jardine had seen a Turtle Dove amongst 57 Collared Doves on the overhead cables at the grain drier down at Octofad. Later on, down on Machir Bay, they had seen a juv. American Golden Plover. It flew off and was located in a field round at Ballinaby. Peter along with Roger Broad and also Ian Buckley, had gone round to see the "AGP" at Ballinaby, no joy, but found it down on Machir Bay along with 30 Ringed Plover, 4 Sanderling as well as 30 Chough present there. They had seen a Merlin round at Ballinaby... Earlier on in the day, Peter, Roger and Ian had done a stint of sea watching down at Frenchman's Rocks, noting a lot of Gannets fishing there, along with quite a lot of Razorbills and Guillemots seen flying past.

Around midday today, Jim Dickson had counted 10 Slavonian Grebe and also 20 Red throated Diver on Loch Indaal.

Friday 20th September

Visitor, Gordon Kidd sent some sightings in today ... when returning back into the campsite at Kintra, Gordon had seen a ringtail Hen Harrier float past him. He had also seen 2 different  male  Harriers, the place where that he had seen, he could not remember. Yesterday evening, Gordon had seen 3 Chough down on the beach at Kintra, being very inquisitive and noisy as ever.  A great weeks' visit to Islay by all accounts...

Monday 9th September

Yesterday , James had 2 Ospreys out over Loch Gruinart, and one was seen catching a fish.

Good friend, Marsali, had sent me through the rainfall figure for August from her rain gauge at Mulindry, it came to just short of 7.5 inches, the wettest month since January 2018.

Wed 8th Sept

Our visiting birder had turned up trumps for us again today. Over at Loch Gruinart this morning, he had 9 Sandwich Terns, 2 juvenile Common Terns, 3 Greenshank and 2 Pintail. Round Loch Gorm he had a count of 16 Wheatear including a few Greenland Wheatear. As the tide was coming in this afternoon on Gruinart, the American Golden Plover was still present, 1 Golden Plover, 2 Little Stint, 8 Curlew Sandpiper and 14 Black tailed Godwit. Hope he remembered it was his wife's birthday today.....

Tues 7th Sept

This is the American Golden Plover, taken today by our visiting birder. He also had a 2 Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and 3 Ruff all over on Loch Gruinart. The tide was well in this evening, but the light was not too good. There has been almost an inch of rain since last night, but here it must have been a steady rain as the burn was not up. There must have been a lot more rain further over as the River Laggan was full and several fields were flooded!

Before I forget, it is almost time for James and Eleanor to set out on their epic Kayak trip, so if you feel up to it, click on the link on the right and help them raise their total. On Sunday morning their tally was £1613, so now their goal is £2,000, so fingers crossed they acheive it.

Mon 6th Sept

An image of a Teal taken by Carl, not today I hasten to add as the weather has not been that great! Carl had seen around 50 Teal down at Carnain on Saturday. Coming home at the lighthouse beside Port Charlotte, a Sparrowhawk panicked some Goldfinches......

Yesterday Bob had a Lapland Bunting over at Gruinart amongst some Meadow Pipits. Amongst the waders, he too had a Little Stint and also Curlew Sandpiper. Over at Gartmain today, Bob counted 150 Wigeon present.

Our visiting birder reported in to say that the American Golden Plover was still present at Loch Gruinart today. The Curlew Sandpiper was seen, along with 4 Little Stint, 4 Greenshank, 2 Pintail, a few Wigeon and around 300 Bar tailed Godwit.

Yesterday in the Bridgend woods we had a Treecreeper on a Ewe tree, down at The Woolen Mill a Coal Tit was busy on the nut feeder and on the River Sorn itself were 3 different Dippers as well as a Grey wagtail. Up at at Ardnave there were quite a few Twite to be seen, and on the way over there, we saw a couple of male Hen Harriers at different places.

Sun 5th Sept

An image given to me today of a Lapland Bunting taken this morning down on the Machir Bay by the same visiting birder. Also at Machir Bay there had been an Osprey, heading inland. Over at Gruinart, and he had seen the American Golden Plover again, as well as a Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Greenshank and Whimbrel.

This morning George had found a 4 foot long Conger Eel down on the shore below his house at Bruichladdich. It would have been longer but it was missing its' head! George left it down on the shore, with a couple of Greater black backed Gulls claiming it, and they managed to defend "their prey" against a couple of Ravens! Later on and George had seen a Greenshank up at Gruinart and a female Pintail along with a few Shelduck.

Carl yesterday had 8 Basking sharks off Easter Ellister and also a Peregrine at Carn.

This evening, the weather looks like as if it is going to break down, the wind is picking up a bit too!

Sat 4th Sept

This morning Bob Davison had seen a juvenile Goosander while he was over at Gruinart and also 30 Wigeon, so that is possibly the start of some of our wintering ducks returning. This afternoon, a visiting birder had an adult American Golden Plover in amongst the Dunlin again over at Gruinart. It appeared to be quite settled and did not fly off, not to be seen again!

Harvest today has been put on hold, as there has been the odd shower, not a lot, but enough to stop the combines and balers!