Monday 27th July

Yesterday, James saw an Osprey fishing at Loch Gruinart, mind you I forgot to ask if it had been successful or not.. He also had counted 65 Barwits as well as 24 Dunlin present there as well. Later on, over at Kilnaughton Bay he saw a Sandwich Tern and also 4 Whimbrel...

Friday 24th July

Yvonne McCrone who lives over close to Otterferry has been over on Islay for a few days , and Yvonne wrote to tell me that she had seen at least 12 Whimbrel on the newly cut field at Cornabus. Have there been any more sightings to confirm this? They were there yesterday and today. We also had one staying a while at Otterferry before I came over here. . by the sound of news coming through, I believe that there were Whimbrels that she had seen..

Gary had been out and about today as well, 
"Some sightings from today, 47 Bar tailed Godwits & 2 Black tailed Godwits amongst the curlew and oystercatchers. Male Hen Harrier quartering the moorland just outside Bowmore"

Turday 20th February

Ed Burrell was in touch last night as follows:

"Just to say I've had two new birds for the farm today... A Moorhen and a drake Goosander. Gets us up to 96 now.".. Wonder what will bring the ton up?! Keep it up Ed, and you will get the magic 100 soon...

Gary and Wendy had been out for a wee while yesterday,

"What a miserable day ; definitely not much about. This is what we have seen:

Carnain: Barnies, Greylags, Shelduck, Oystercatcher, Curlew,  Chaffinch, Robin and a very smart adult Grey Heron stalking food in the marsh near the cottage. Off Bowmore: Scaup, Eider duck, and Wigeon were present."

"John Matthews and the Port Ellen 4 had been out on their last day of this present visit. 

The Merlin yesterday made our holiday.

Also yesterday, the weather certainly put a damper on the birding and the spirits!

We tried the Oa first & had a very nice male Hen Harrier on the Oa road immediately north of Kinnabus farm.  The "Oa Twite flock" were great but kept their distance and were with about 40 Rock dove.  Sadly, no eagle.

Loch Gorm yielded nothing so we camped in the hides at RSPB Loch Gruinart.  Nice to see 30-40 Bar-tailed Godwits associated with a large flock of Dunlin (200+) on the flats.  Other than that, the "usual suspects" were seen - Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler, Pintail, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Heron, Oystercatcher, BH gull, Common  gull, Mute & Whooper swan, Shelduck, Barnies, White-faced geese & probably some I've forgotten!

Chris Corrigan e mailed some sightings from yesterday, oddly enough he  commented on the poor weather as well:

"What a day! We resorted to a distillery tour!
Morning - 4 Scaup and 5 Long-tailed Ducks off Bowmore
Late afternoon - the drake Green - winged Teal seen from the Loch Gruinart North Hide late afternoon"

Tuesday 1th February

Here are the figures that Mark, Lauren and Sarah got on the WeBs count on Friday 7th:

Out on Loch Gruinart - E&W

Red-throated-diver 1

Grey heron 1

Shelduck 134

Wigeon 101

Mallard 8

Goldeneye 1

Red-breasted merganser 2

Oystercatcher 144

Ringed plover 18

Lapwing 50

Sanderling 153

Dunlin 119

Bar-tailed godwit 212

Curlew 25

Redshank 30

Turnstone 35

Black-headed gull 1

Common gull 75

Herring gull 46

Great black-backed gull 4

Greenshank 1

Lauren also had 14 Chough at Tayovullin

Ardnave Loch

Lapwing 4

Oystercatcher 7

Mallard 14

Mute swan 2

Little grebe 2

Teal 8

Goldeneye 8

Gary and Wendy yesterday had braved the elements and had a bracing walk from Carnain along to Bridgend seeing Goldeneye, Snipe, Buzzard and also 3 Song Thrushes

The wind steadied up at 65mph today and was quite constant at that rather than being gusty, with the sea boiling again out over the rocks at Coull Point.