Friday 24th February

Not the best of weather the last couple of days, lots of rain on Thursday morning and a wee bit blustery. A few things around the reserve including 4 different ringtail Hen Harriers and an Otter playing in one of the ditches on the Flats (Gruinart), also Frog spawn in the ponds.

The Viking Gull - Tom Lowe has been in touch, explaining that a Viking gull is not a gull with a little horned helmet on, but is a cross of some form between a Glaucous Gull and a Herring gull. The bird in question, is the one reported on the Blog as a Glaucous gull outside Bowmore. In pictures the gull exhibits some darkness on the wings and a solid tail band. Thanks for the info Tom.

Wednesday 14th August

Well, Ian is on his way south to the Bird Fair and he has left the blog to be filled by me, so excuses in advance for any spelling mistakes! On Tuesday at the RSPB guided walk on the Oa Emily had a few sightings: twite, reed bunting, over 20 raven together in a flock, a pair of chough, peregrine, juvenile wheatear, stonechat and whinchat. She also saw a red deer stag with freshly stripped velvet, among the first of the year and a sure sign of Autumn approaching. Today at the south hide on Loch Gruinart Emily spotted greenshank, blacktailed godwit, snipe and linnet. Also, two ring-tailed hen harriers hunting along the bunds.

Thursday 22md March

A great day over here today, I had my first Wheatear down at Sunderland Farm just before lunchtime. Down on the dunes behind Machir Bay another was seen, as was another close to Ballinaby. One was seen over on Jura by a visitor, who later on from the one vantage point had seen a total of 5 male Hen Harriers and 2 females, just stop a moment and have a look around... Back here at home a Chiffchaff was heard at lunchtime today.

Mary had been helping out with the International Goose count held earlier this week, and had on the flats at Gruinart she had a Short eared Owl, a male Hen Harrier and a young Cormorant chancing his luck in the ditches!! Further inland, Mary had another male Hen Harrier and also a male Kestrel. Up at Ardnave Loch, she had the leucistic Barnie. Yesterday, on the flats at Gruinart, Mary had the Canada Goose hutchinsii sp. Round at Bun - an -Uilt there were a large number of Redshank along with 3 Greenshank. In the turnip field at Killinallan, 2 Glaucous Gulls were present. Up off Ardnave Point, a Black throated Diver was noted, in almost summer plumage, a Great Northern Diver was there too and a Kittiwake was seen too. Mary also had a Wheatear up at Ardnave during her travels. Last night on our way back from Port Ellen, we had a Barn Owl on a fence post close to Leorin.

Thursday 30th June

A great day here over, not only the weather but for birds of prey too. On the Rhinns today we had 7 different Hen Harriers, 5 males and 2 Ringtails, not bad going considering we were not out looking for Harriers, really just out and about as normal! Coming home this evening there was dead Stoat on the roadside, just this side of Rockside road end. Margaret this morning had a Peregrine being mobbed by a couple of Hooded Crows and a visitor in the cottages had seen a Golden Eagle out on a thermal further along the crag. Back to smaller "normal" birds and there are now 2 Siskins coming regularly to the bird feeders at the kitchen window.