Tues 7th Sept

This is the American Golden Plover, taken today by our visiting birder. He also had a 2 Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and 3 Ruff all over on Loch Gruinart. The tide was well in this evening, but the light was not too good. There has been almost an inch of rain since last night, but here it must have been a steady rain as the burn was not up. There must have been a lot more rain further over as the River Laggan was full and several fields were flooded!

Before I forget, it is almost time for James and Eleanor to set out on their epic Kayak trip, so if you feel up to it, click on the link on the right and help them raise their total. On Sunday morning their tally was £1613, so now their goal is £2,000, so fingers crossed they acheive it.

Mon 6th Sept

An image of a Teal taken by Carl, not today I hasten to add as the weather has not been that great! Carl had seen around 50 Teal down at Carnain on Saturday. Coming home at the lighthouse beside Port Charlotte, a Sparrowhawk panicked some Goldfinches......

Yesterday Bob had a Lapland Bunting over at Gruinart amongst some Meadow Pipits. Amongst the waders, he too had a Little Stint and also Curlew Sandpiper. Over at Gartmain today, Bob counted 150 Wigeon present.

Our visiting birder reported in to say that the American Golden Plover was still present at Loch Gruinart today. The Curlew Sandpiper was seen, along with 4 Little Stint, 4 Greenshank, 2 Pintail, a few Wigeon and around 300 Bar tailed Godwit.

Yesterday in the Bridgend woods we had a Treecreeper on a Ewe tree, down at The Woolen Mill a Coal Tit was busy on the nut feeder and on the River Sorn itself were 3 different Dippers as well as a Grey wagtail. Up at at Ardnave there were quite a few Twite to be seen, and on the way over there, we saw a couple of male Hen Harriers at different places.

Sun 5th Sept

An image given to me today of a Lapland Bunting taken this morning down on the Machir Bay by the same visiting birder. Also at Machir Bay there had been an Osprey, heading inland. Over at Gruinart, and he had seen the American Golden Plover again, as well as a Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Greenshank and Whimbrel.

This morning George had found a 4 foot long Conger Eel down on the shore below his house at Bruichladdich. It would have been longer but it was missing its' head! George left it down on the shore, with a couple of Greater black backed Gulls claiming it, and they managed to defend "their prey" against a couple of Ravens! Later on and George had seen a Greenshank up at Gruinart and a female Pintail along with a few Shelduck.

Carl yesterday had 8 Basking sharks off Easter Ellister and also a Peregrine at Carn.

This evening, the weather looks like as if it is going to break down, the wind is picking up a bit too!

Sat 4th Sept

This morning Bob Davison had seen a juvenile Goosander while he was over at Gruinart and also 30 Wigeon, so that is possibly the start of some of our wintering ducks returning. This afternoon, a visiting birder had an adult American Golden Plover in amongst the Dunlin again over at Gruinart. It appeared to be quite settled and did not fly off, not to be seen again!

Harvest today has been put on hold, as there has been the odd shower, not a lot, but enough to stop the combines and balers!

Fri 3rd Sept

A great image of a Moorhen taken by Carl. He had seen a pair of Moorhen down at Carnain and further on along the strand at Uiskentuie, he also had seen a couple of Chough. Down at Bruichladdich there were a few Turnstone present.

The farmers have been busy again today with their combines and at Rockside a couple of fields of grass were put into the silage pit for feeding to the stock in the winter.

Thurs 2nd Sept

I was speaking with Clark this afternoon, and up came the topic of the rainfall so far this year. He reckons that his tally for the year is a mere 22", compared with 38" at the same time last year, a shortfall of 16"..... The farmers certainly are not wanting the rain for a few days yet as most of them have just made a start to combining the harvest....

Down at "smelly corner" there were some waders around, some Eiders are starting to come out of their eclipse plumage. There were a few Ringed Plovers seen scurrying around too. Round on the foreshore, just as you enter Bruichladdich, there have been a few more Herons of late.

By the way "Home alone" has been back home again, still looking for a friend no doubt!

Wed1st Sept

This is the Basking Shark which we saw last month when we were out with DJ. He had seen 3 in the Sound of Islay at the weekend as well as a White tailed Sea Eagle overhead. I was hearing from Peter Roberts last night, that back in July when he was on the ferry between Coll and Tiree that he had a count of 28 Basking Sharks. There certainly have been seen a lot this summer, with good counts, not just in ones and twos!

Obviously another month is past, and the rainfall only tallied through at 2.6", another dry month. We are well down on last year, but there is still time to make it back up...

James today had done a count of 1691 Greylag Geese on Ardnave and Gruinart. He also saw 2 Peregrine, 2 Greenshank and had 14 Black tailed Godwit up at Ardnave.