Thursday 19 May

 

 

Starting off todays records of a handsome hawfinch below Martin's bird feeders. A lovely from-the-kitchen-window spot!

Elsewhere on the island, Peter was out again on the hunt for cranes:  " I did another circuit of loch Gorm today in a futile search for Cranes! The Tufted ducks were easier to count today and produced 32 birds. Also on the Loch were 6 Common Scoter. The fields round at Ballinaby still hold all those Ringed Plovers. They've been there for weeks now, presumably finding plenty of food without going out to  Gruinart or Indaal? There were 97 today, all spooked by a passing Peregrine. A pair of Redshank are also there with a couple of chicks." 

Laura was watching an adult WTE being mobbed by a buzzard near Loch Skerrols.

A late entry from Andy Robinson of a calling corncrake near the hide at Loch Gruinart.

From my own neck of the woods - a pair of common sandpiper on Currie Sands, a pair of chough over Ellister Loch, and a redshank over the house at Claddach.  

Thanks to all for your sightings,

Mary

Wednesday 11th April

Today, David Clugston had seen a Hawfinch down in Port Wemyss. Louise had a Bonxie out from Saligo Bay, 5 GND, 2 Tysties and also saw 7 Common Scoter there as well. All I can offer you is a Magpie here at home. I remember the last time seeing one on Islay, it turned out to be a bit of a twitch then, again here at home... a Magpie was seen last Saturday over on Texa last Saturday, and then Mark saw the one at Gruinart yesterday, so one wonders if it was the same bird that we all saw!!!

The weather has not ben too bad, so I took the chance and rotovated the ground again, in the hope that we will be trying to knock the heart out of the couch grass....

Saturday 28th October

Yesterday Irene and Tony Miller who live between Port Charlotte and Portnahaven had seen a Hawfinch out on the feeders in their garden. In May, last year Irene and Tony had a Hawfinch in their garden... This afternoon, they spotted a couple of Bramblings amongst the Chaffinches. Irene had seen a female Blackcap earlier in the week, and regularly sees a male Hen Harrier hunting past her feeders and fortunately the wee birds are not present when this happens. Out in their garden she has been seeing a 2 Goldcrests. At breakfast time we believe that we saw a "possible" 1st winter Ring Ouzel out in the garden, no Bramblings seen here though...... Today, James had 3 Bramblings in his garden at Mill cottage.

Monday 16th January

Almost Spring like, the weather that is, forgot to mention the other day, like quite of other folk, I spotted a couple of Crocus in bloom..

Gary had carried his WeBs today from Port Charlotte round to Blackrock, so here are the tallies from his patch...31 GND, 4 RTD, 8 Slavonian Grebe, 19 Cormorant, 7 Shag, 1 Tystie, 85 Eider, 31 Common Scoter, 4 Mallard, 5 Goldeneye, 58 Curlew, 1 Redshank, 62 Ringed Plover, 20 Dunlin, 10 Turnstone, 10 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Gbb Gull, 42 H. Gull, 31 C. Gull, 19 BH Gull, 3 Heron, 22 Greylag, 6 Barnies and 5 Pbb Geese. On the edge of the shore at Bruichladdich, a Grey Wagtail was seen and along towards Uiskentuie, Gary saw a Merlin was attempting to spoof the wee birds into the air from the cover of the rough grass. Mary had seen a possible Hawfinch along at Bluehouses as she was driving along. She quickly turned her car around, but no joy in spotting it again. Here at home this afternoon, we watched an immature Golden Eagle as it dipped and dived around along the top the dunes, great to watch...

Tuesday 10th May

A bit of a late entry, been a busy day, so here goes....

Yesterday, John Stephenson and his wife (residents in Bowmore) had gone over to Jura. Up at Ardlussa, down towards Inverlussa, Cuckoos were calling away good style, with with one of them flying between the tree tops. Nearby a Golden Eagle was soaring past. They also saw another Golden Eagle past Craighouse as they headed back to the ferry. This morning, Michal heard a Blackcap and also a Chiffchaff calling away in his garden at Moulin, and told me there were many Lapwing chicks out on the flats at Gruinart. Carl today heard a Corncrake calling at Coultorsay and then another up at Conisby. He had a pair of Stonechats at Conisby, Common Sandpiper at Bruichladdich, and at Shorefield a Whitethroat was present. Michal through the day today had done carried out his WeBS count with 3,000 Dunlin, 85 Ringed Plover, 91 Oystercatcher, 28 Shelduck and 73 Common Gull counted. A female Shoveler with ducklings on the flats,  a Whooper Swan was also there too. Up at Killinallan, 3 Pale belied Brent were seen. Over on Loch Kinnabus this morning, Dave Wood had a Little Ringed Plover while on the feeders at their home past Octofad, Tony and Irene Miller had a Hawfinch. As it is getting late, I will sign off and carry on tomorrow when I get up...to be continued

Thursday 8th May

Dave sent this image through of an adult Iceland Gull that he had seen down on the reserve on the Oa today. Dave also had sen a Collared Dove, 6 Whinchats as well as 5 Whitethroats. Today, James had a count of 1450 Dunlin, 2 Little Tern, an Arctic Tern at Gruinart. Here at home the 3 Redpolls and 3 Siskins were present on the bird table, the dreaded Cuckoo was also heard, luckily around midday rather than at first light! Yesterday there was a reported sighting of a Hawfinch at Gruinart, also yesterday, Michal heard a Cuckoo down at Easter Ellister.