Sun 9th Aug

While putting the sheep back out onto the crag this afternoon, after working on them, sorting any foot problems and other bits and bobs, there was a Rock Dove resting up on the ground. As we got closer to it, the bird took off. Unknown to us, a Peregrine was watching on too, possibly the reason why the Rock Dove was on the ground in the first instance! The long and the short was that the Peregrine attempted to catch it but did not succeed, it tried twice but with no joy.

Sat 8th Aug

After commenting on yesterday's entry about the Swallows gathering on the telegraph wires, well this morning, just before 8 o'clock, outside the house there were around 70 Swallows on the wing and within 10 minutes they had all flown off South. There was also a Swift in their midst!

Fri 7th Aug

Apologies, if I have caused a major twitch with last night's entry, claiming to have seen Pied Flycatchers when in actual fact it was a pair Spotted Flycatchers. Perhaps it is that age thing after all...

James had seen some Swifts while down on the Oa reserve yesterday, as well as the Tree Sparrows, and close at hand too! Today was the first time that I had noticed the Swallows "massing" on the Telegraph wires.

Thurs 6th Aug

On his way home lat night Paul Hathaway had seen a Barn Owl out hunting, South of Port Charlotte just as the light was starting to fail.

On the guided walk this morning at Gruinart, there were a couple of Pied Flycatcher catching insects on the wing. I have not seen any of the Arctic Terns of late at the head of Loch Indaal, which makes me think that possibly they have started their long migration South again, it does not seem long since they arrived!

Wed 5th Aug

The day started off well with being able to show some of our visitors in the cottages a Peregrine Falcon sitting on the crag. Later on and this afternoon while going down to Bruichladdich, there was a close sighting of a ringtail Hen Harrier, and then just round the corner, an equally close sighting of a Sparrowhawk, both on the wing, but no need for the binoculars!

One of the other visitors in the cottages had seen an Adder sunning itself on the centre of the road when they were over on Jura today!

Tues 4th Aug

I was speaking with Malcolm this evening who told me he had another couple of Whimbrel on Loch Indaal at the weekend. This evening, there was a single Sanderling down on the shore just at Bruichladdich. George was also telling me that one of the competitors, in the Half marathon which started from Bowmore on Saturday, had heard a calling Corncrake while running on the race!
Clive MacKay who used to work for RSPB at Loch Gruinart reserve, is back over on holiday for a few days. Clive had a count of 920 Greylags, 1200 Dunlin, 83 Black tailed Godwit and 9 Red Knot, on Gruinart this morning.

Sun 2nd Aug

Yesterday, was changeover day again with the cottages and hence no time to do any birding, I have to work sometimes!
The rainfall for July here was 3.75", and the total for the year so far is 2.5" more than last year. I get the impression that although the rainfall has certainly been greater, I do not have the feeling that it has not been that bad a summer, and have great tan to prove it. Possibly a lot of the rain has fallen through the night.
There are a lot of young birds on the wing, especially noticeable on the road round the loch tonight were Meadow Pipits and also Pied Wagtails. Over at Ballinaby the count of Greylags was 151, and most of them were on a grass field that was recently sown, a worrying sign for the farmer.