Mon 7th June

This afternoon, Carl been out at Tormisdale and took this great image of a Shag on it's nest. There were also Guillemots, Razorbills and Kittiwakes to be seen .

This Turnstone was seen today along with another 4 birds down at Claddach near to Portnahaven by a regular visitor to Islay. He also had a Whimbrel too.

One of the visitors in the cottages had seen a Barn Owl when coming back home from Port Charlotte last night.

Yesterday, Carl had seen a Buzzard carrying an Adder down at Foreland, he also had heard a Cuckoo calling there too. Along at Loch Gorm, a Reed Bunting was seen. This morning, on Loch Indaal, Carl had 5 Great Northern Diver, a Red throated Diver and 25 Scoter. In his garden the Spotted Flycatcher was present again.

Andy had seen 2 Red footed Falcons were seen flying over the Oa late this afternoon. Also later this afternoon, Margaret had seen a Golden Eagle out over the hill at the back of Kilchoman. This morning at Gartmain there were Godwits present, exact numbers I could not get as we were in a line of traffic and could not pull over, and at Pennycraig there was a family of 3 Barnies, one with an injured right wing

Sun 6th June

This image was sent in last night by one of our visitors, of a Mute Swan with her 9 cygnets in Tarbert Harbour yesterday afternoon.

Today James had a Snow Bunting on the flats at Gruinart, he has had them in June before he assures me!

Yesterday George had 3 Great Northen Diver on Loch Indaal, close to the shore, "rather scruffy looking" according to George who thought that they were probably young birds from last year. Today on Loch Indaal, he had a pair of Greylags with brood of 4 goslings in tow, the first George has seen on Loch Indaal this year. He was also saying that he has 5 House Martins at home, not as many as last year. The male Hen Harrier did a fly past in front of his house today also!

Here at home this afternoon, while I was out in the garden, there were a pair of Cuckoos to be seen, one on a fence post in the garden, and the other on the garden wall, the camera was in the house, so there is no proof for you only my word!

Sat 5th June

After a dullish, misty start to the day the sun soon peeled the clouds away and a grand sunny warm day followed.

Last night, or was it early this morning on his way home from Portnahaven, Carl heard a couple of Corncrakes and a Grasshopper Warbler at Brookfield, and further on at Carn there was another Grasshopper Warbler. Today at home in Port Charlotte, Carl had a Spotted Flycatcher and a Grey Wagtail.

Over at Loch Skerrols this evening there was a Treecreeper. The Loch itself was very quiet with a distant Mute Swan being the only bird on the water. Overhead a Buzzard was getting mobbed by a couple of Jackdaws.

Fri 4th June

I received a message on the phone today that a visitor had seen an Osprey being mobbed by around 20 Oystercatcher down beside Craigfad which is between Port Charlotte and Portnahaven. I also heard late last night that an Osprey had been seen on Tuesday, again on Loch Indaal, but this time at Pennycraig, the former smiddy just outside Bowmore. Here's hoping that the bird is around for a long stay. There was one seen at Bunnahabhain in the middle of May too.

I was speaking with Andy down on the RSPB reserve on the Oa, and he has Tree Sparrows on the reserve again this year, which is also good to hear.

The pair of Collared Doves were in the wood here again today. I am thinking that they might be sharing their time between Rockside and here, similar to what the Great spotted woodpecker did the other winter!

Thurs 3rd June

Well as promised some figures through from the first count of this years Corncrake counts. Overall the tally was 49 calling males, which compares favourably with previous years. I know the route that we carried out was slightly down, there were a couple of sites where we had birds calling last year but none this year. The sea itself was quite noisy, so it made hearing some of the birds hard to hear. All in all I think Michal was pleased with the results so far.

On the guided walk today at Gruinart there were 27 adults and a few children in attendance, we managed to show them a Hen Harrier, although it was not close at hand, a pair of Chough, a Goldcrest carrying food back to its young, both Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat seen and heard. On the floods, there were the Mute Swans with their cygnets in tow, many Lapwing and Redshank and a few Heron out fishing! The Corncrakes were quiet...

Back home earlier this evening, I went and checked the new House Sparrow Terraces put up in the Spring. The other day when I checked them out there was a few pieces of nesting material in one of them. Tonight when I looked there is now a nest along with 4 eggs in it, so Springwatch had better look out!

Wed 2nd June

I forgot to mention in yesterday's entry that early yesterday morning, down in a field at Sunderland Farm there were 5 pairs of Greylags along with their broods of young goslings setting out on their way down to Loch Gorm.

Tonight is the first night of the Corncrake count here on Islay, so will keep you posted on what we hear in tomorrow's blog. One of our visitors had seen one today while they were out.

I had an e mail from a friend in Bearsden, Glasgow who had found a dead male Blackbird with a BTO ring on its leg in March, it had flown into one of his windows. Ken got in touch with BTO and filled in all the details, and it was initially rung back in Oct 2007 in Fair Isle!

Today at Smelly Corner, Carl had counted a Mallard along with 11 ducklings, 18 Dunlin and 8 Ringed Plover. There were 2 Snipe "singing" in the marshy ground beside Crosshouses, in fact one of them was perched on the Telegraph wires! 24 Drake Mallards were at the mouth of the River Sorn. Back on the Uiskentuie Strand the Little Terns are still present, with some Arctic Terns starting to show some activity.

Another piece of news I heard today was that Bowmore Distillery had stopped producing Whisky, a lack of water one presumes!

Tues 1st June

Another month in, and only 1" of rain for May, a running total for the year of only 12.5", 10" less than last year to the end of May. I will not speculate from here on in!

Carl had a Moorhen, 8 drake Mallard, a Heron, pair of Redpoll, a Willow warbler, Chaffinch, several Pied wagtail and Meadow Pipits around the pond at the back of Cash Kelly's former house at Blackrock. On the tidal spit on the Strand at the top of Loch Indaal, 20 Oystercatcher and a Barnacle Goose with an injured wing were present. A pair of Red breasted Merganser were at Port Ban.

Bob Davison counted 105 Bar tailed Godwit at Gartmain and 20 Sanderling also on the shoreline of Loch Indaal.

A visitor had seen a Woodcock at Kildalton today and also a Red Grouse on the Rhinns.