Tuesday 15 March

 

Couple of images of the residents of Loch Skerrols, taken today by Billy.

Nature Scot has been in touch with the last goose count of the season, carried out on the 8th and 9th March.  28,759 barnacles, 5435 white-fronts and 631 greylags.

James was in touch today with his highlights being a gadwall drake from the North Hide, Loch Gruinart, 2 bullfinch on the Woodland Trail and a siskin.  He noted the lesser black backed gulls have been slow to return this year but managed to find 5 at Machir Bay and 1 at Gruinart.  Mark also spotted one near Sanaig, plus a Canada goose.

Steve has been in touch via email. He too was at Gruinart and was treated to a nice view of a hunting ring-tailed hen harrier very close to the hide, and then on their drive back towards Bridgend, a WTE in flight.

Thank you to all for your contributions.

Not much more to add from down the Rhinns.  An other sign of spring with toads spotted out on the roads. A neighbour in Portnahaven even found one in her toilet this morning! It was obviously saved from the flush, but you can't help wondering how on earth it got there in the first place!  I haven't been out to look for wheatear yet, I always think St Patricks day is the day to start looking so hopefully I'll find one then.

Monday 14 March

 We have Islay's first Wheatear of 2022! Located by Lucy Atkinson (RSPB volunteer) in the Sanaig area.  I'm sure there are more out there to be found. Always nice to hear their return.

Jeff was at Sanaigmore today where he added 2 chough, a ring-tailed hen harrier and one lesser black-backed gull to the days tally. At Gruinart he spotted the little egret.

A wild and wet morning was followed by a sunny afternoon here on the Rhinns, and the week ahead looks pleasant at last. Here's hoping for a some warmth and dry weather to dry out the soil.

Wednesday 11th March

Back on Monday, Lesley managed to carry out her WeBS count from Bowmore along to Gartbreck , before terrain came along.. Birds counted by Lesley were as follows... 51 Barwits, 23 Curlew, 40 Golden Plover, 40 Oystercatcher, 3 Ringed PLover, 7 Turnstone, 4 Dunlin, 85 Barnies, 19 Greylags, 5 R b Merganser, 13 Shag, 1 Cormorant, 32 Wigeon, 5 Eider, 8 Mallard, 12 Shelduck,  3 Redshank, 9 Gbb Gulls, 1 Lbb Gull, 48 H Gulls and 19 Common Gull.

Today, Mark Dawson had been out with some sightings sent through as follows..
"I went over to Jura today hillwalking. There were 5 Snow Buntings below the summit ridge of Beinn an Oir. 6 RB Mergansers close to shore just north of Craighouse. A White tailed Eagle seen from a high point of road 2 miles south of the Feolin Ferry and 2 GN Divers just off the Ferry Pier at Feolin itself."

James too had sent an email through...
"A slightly better day today, not quite so many hail showers. Setting the sluices ready for the spring when it does finally come. Skylarks singing and Lapwing displaying, plus lots of frog spawn in ditches.

Also on the reserve, Sunday afternoon: Jack Snipe, Water Rail, Skylarks 110, Greenshank, and other side of Bowmore, a Lesser black backed Gull."

Tuesday 3rd March

Gary sent through some sightings  for me to use on the blog for you all to appreciate...
"Some sightings from yesterday,
Bunnahabhain - 5 Crossbills in fir trees at distillery,
Finlaggan - 6 Fieldfare in fields around steading,
Esknish - 2 Lesser black backed Gulls amongst Common Gulls in field after Barnacle Geese had moved on."

Thursday 7th March

Today over at Gruinart, James had sen his first Lesser Black backed Gull of this "Spring". Also on the reserve, he had 2 good flocks of Skylarks, one with 98 birds and the other with 64.

Saturday 10th March

Quite a few sightings from yesterday which came through after I had done the entry last night...
Fiona MacGillivray had ben down on the Machitr Bay where she saw an injured goose being chased by a Glaucous Gull, then an adult White tailed Eagle joined in the fray, chasing the goose out to sea. The goose drooped down into the water, the W t Eagle cicled, and gave up and flew back towards Coull where it was joined by a second W t Eagle and also a Golden Eagle.
Yesterday was Kathy Evans last full day of her present visit. While having  her breakfast, a Peregrine flew past her window in Bowmore, out on Loch Indaal. Along at the council refuse tip at Gartbreck, Kathy had 2 juv Iceland Gull and her first Lbb Gull for 2018. Down on the Oa, top bird was another Peregrine close to Cragabus. Finaly down at Kintra, Kathy had  a group of  Greylags, 7 of  which had neck collars on them.
Yesterday was also William Earp's last full day as well before heading home. At Bun an Uisg, Bowmore he saw 7 P b Brent Geese with another 4 seen at  Gortan. Along the top of of Loch Indaal, towards Uiskentuie, William saw a BTD and also 3 Slavonian Grebe. Many thanks to William and to Kathy for sharing some of their sightings with us.
James yesterday said that it was a "lovely sunny day, almost Spring like"...  He had a count of  255 Dunlin on the flats, and was saying that the Lapwing present were displaying.

Thursday 1st March

The other day Phill had seen the Todd's Canada Goose down at Kinnabus, and then later on he saw a Lesser Black backed Gull. James had a count of geese on the reserve at Gruinart, with his tally coming to 4230 Barnies and 241 Whitefronts. He also had a Golden Eagle while he was out. Today, Phill had seen a couple of Golden Eagles  at Upper Cragabus, and along at the carpark on the Oa reserve, he saw 6 Golden Plover and also 3 Chough. Out at the American monument, he had a single Snow Bunting while on the cliffs there was a "lost" looking Lapwing. Up behind Bridgend, Pat and Angie had seen a 1st winter Golden Eagle while at Bunnahabhain, they saw an Otter.

Tuesday 21st February

WWT Larry and Ed, caught another 9 White fronts to apply collars, 2 getting fancy tracking collars, just off the reserve at Gruinart on Craigens farm. Whilst processing the geese a Merlin flew over. Gary had 3 Lesser Black Backed Gulls at Machir Bay, are these the first reported of the Spring on Islay. Today Tom Garner had been at the hide at Loch Gruinart - had no sign of the Green Winged Teal, but had seen plenty of Teal, Pintail and 3 Red Breasted Mergansers as well as great views of a female Hen Harrier catching a Teal. Yesterday Tom had seen 20 Pale Bellied Brent Geese just West of Bowmore.

Friday 25th March

Wally and Jude yesterday had a mixed flock of 100 Linnet and Twite seen in the field opposite the school in Keills. Later on, on a ploughed field on the Glen road, 15 LBB Gulls were present. When we were coming home yesterday afternoon, below Carnduncan a ringtail Hen Harrier was spoofing around 20 Fieldfare out of the bushes/ scrub willow. Also yesterday, John Stephenson had a ringtail at Stanalane on the edge of Bowmore, a new urban bird asked John... This morning, Bob had a male Wheatear at Kilchairan, he also counted 45 Fulmars on nests there. Dave also had a Wheatear, down on the Oa at Risabus.

Tuesday, (29th March) is the next meeting of the bird nerds here on Islay. We are meeting at the car park on the Gruinart reserve at 6.15pm and we shall be going down to the hides to see what is around, so if you around we look forward to meeting you there.