Thursday 22nd May

Another good day here, although I was told it had been raining down on the Oa....Yesterday, Ken and Sal had headed over to Claggain Bay where they counted 17 Arctic Terns, a GND, 2 prs of Buzzards and also an Osprey, with a Cuckoo calling away there as well. They heard a further 2 Cuckoos close to Kildalton Cross and also a Chiffchaff there too. Along at Loch an t-Saillein they saw another Osprey but wondered whether it might have been the same bird. Back over this side of Islay, at Sanaig they heard a Corncrake calling, another Cuckoo, 1 GND, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Chough, 12 Sanderling and 4 Dunlins. On the way back to their cottage, the newly sown field beside the Coastguard's still had the Ringed Plover as well as the Dunlin and also 3 Sanderling present. Peter and David had the Velvet Scoter on the Rhinns yesterday as had the Bowland birders who spent some time close to Portnahaven where they had 6 Maxies, 7 Turnstone, 2 Fulmar, over 20 Gannets, Guillemot, Razorbill, Shag and Cormorant. Graham & Jo had been on the Oa yesterday and saw 2 Stonechats, 2 Whinchats, 4 Ravens, 2 Northern wheatear, Sedge warbler and 2 Golden eagles, later on at Ardilistry Bay, they had 2 Common Sandpipers and a Red breasted Merganser. Yesterday, Michal had a Chiffchaff sing at Moulin, on the reserve at Gruinart, today between Ardilistry and Kintour Michal had heard a Cuckoo, seen several Blackcaps, Whitethroats, and heard a Redstart singing in the Oak woods there, back at Lagavulin, another Cuckoo was calling. David Livingstone today had 2 Golden Eagles down on the Oa, and we had 2 Golden Eagles as well over the crag, here at home. On the reserve at Gruinart, James had a Temminck's Stint and a Green winged Teal on the floods and out on the estuary amongst the Dunlin, was a Curlew Sandpiper, a good way to finish this entry....