Saturday 5th August

A glorious day with a beautiful sunset to finish the day off, just great.... Alistair Hart this morning had gone to carry out a sea watch at Frenchman's Rocks, only problem was that he managed to sit on his  pencil, so breaking it and it beyond repair.. Alistair still managed a list of birds seen... Skylark, Mipit, Wheatear, Carrion Crow, Raven, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Gannet, Manx Shearwater, Kittiwake, Herring Gull, Greater Black backed Gull, Shag, Cormorant (12 flying together at one point), Guillemot, Razorbill, Tystie, Fulmar, a pale phase Arctic Skua and 2 Bonxies. Later on, Alistair has seen a Peregrine on a kill between Port Mor and Portnahaven.

Friday 18th July

Rather a tousy day out here today, at least it has remained dry! Yesterday, Mary and Mandy was over at Ardbeg Distillery where they saw a pr of Arctic Terns chase off a Peregrine. Other birds seen included " dozens" of Shag, a Cormorant, 10 Black Guillemot, 3 Heron, 3 Eider far away , a distant raft of Greylag. Overhead there were plenty of Swallows and a few Sand Martins. They also saw some Common seals with pups. Late afternoon, back at Gruinart, a male hen Harrier was flying high over the flats.

Saturday 23rd March

Another day like yesterday, certainly not a Spring day, thank goodness that the few sheep that we have are not lambing for a wee while yet...We really must be in a sheltered spot where we live on Islay as when I took Steve and his brothers over to the airport this morning, we were amazed at the number of poles that were just snapped off and all the cables down too, not just the electric but the phones lines too. The Gruinart/ Ardnave area is badly hit, Port Ellen is/ was down, nothing at Ballinaby etc, Portnahaven out too. With the poor weather birds are thin on the ground, but got some all the same.... The Bolton birders had a Cormorant on the River Sorn yesterday, and noticed it flying upstream soon after. This morning they spotted a male Brambling on the feeders here at their cottage. Mick and Edmund had 60 Golden Plover over at Saligo, 20 Chough at Ardnave and 6 different male Stonechats as they went round Loch Gorm.

Wednesday 21st November

I met Bob today who had a few records for the blog.
From Sunday 18th a count between Bowmore and Gartbreck: 2 shelduck, 350 wigeon, 380 teal, 140 mallard, 3 eiders, 17 red b. mergansers, 1 gtr. n. diver, 13 cormorants, 64 shags, 1 heron, 98 oystercatchers, 10 ringed plover, 44 golden plover, 66 lapwing, 59 dunlin, 3 bar wits, 97 curlew, 19 redshank and 24 turnstones. On monday a count on the Uiskentuie strand produced, 45 turnstones, 32 dunlin and 24 whooper swans heading south.
Today Bob reported - at Uiskentuie, a peregrine and 30 whooper swans heading south. At Loch Grinart, on the Floods 23 pintail, 400 teal, 160 wigeon and 1 hen harrier. At Ardnave Loch, 8 goldeneye and 4 whooper swans, no sign of the red breasted goose, although there were lots of barnacle geese flying around.

Mon 2nd Aug

A Whimbrel taken by Carl. Today, Carl had seen Whimbrel flying high and calling over Port Charlotte. Out from Port Charlotte on Loch Indaal, he also had a Cormorant.

On the Islay Natural History Trust's webcam, "home alone" the solitary Barn Owl youngster this year, has been busy exercising his wings, so perhaps he is thinking of going out into the outside world. As the saying goes, "thinking outside the box"!

Here at home today the Buzzard was getting mobbed by one of the Ravens!

Wed 20th May

Whilst out showing our friend from Oz round Islay today, I was fortunate to capture this Arctic Tern down at Claggain Bay. Also on the shore were several Oystercatcher and a few Ringed Plover. Out on the bay were 2 male Eider Ducks, a Cormorant and 2 Mergansers.

Over at Gruinart this evening Rory had a Corncrake walk, we heard 2 separate birds calling, and it was not until we were returning to the Visitor Centre that we were fortunate enough to actually see one.

On the flats yesterday, James had 3 Greenland Whitefronted Geese and 2 Whimbrel. Today he reported that there were 9 Corncrakes calling in total on the reserve, and that he had a Water rail and later on a Barn Owl. Michal told me that there have been over 30 birds heard on Islay so far, and hopes to commence an Islay census within the next few nights. So not much sleep for some, as it is done after midnight through to 3 am on a calm night! JRH & MS