Monday 7th December

 Peter sent me through the following e mail earlier on...

"A lovely day yesterday dragged me out and about....

I did a count of Loch Indaal from Bruichladdich to Blackrock in the morning here are some of the birds:

RTD - 38

GND - 13

R B Mergs - 28

Slav Grebe - 20

Eider - 51

Long-tailed Duck - 16

Common Scoter - 70

There were also 8 Purple Sandpipers at Bruichladdich

In the afternoon Peter had a quick look at Loch Skerrols:

Tufted Duck - 45

Wigeon - 45

Teal - 25

All the Whooper Swans seem to have departed now with just Mute Swans remaining"

Gary today had seen the following birds....

"Some sightings from today, 17 Pale bellied Brent Geese at Bruichladdich, 10 Purple Sandpipers on the rocks in front of the mini market.

At Carnain 52 P b Brent Geese, 21 Long tailed Duck, 4 Scaup, 32 R b Mergs, 11 GND, 7 Red throated Diver. Numerous Meadow & Rock Pipits at Smelly Corner feeding on bugs and also 6 Pied Wagtails.

At home 7 Bullfinch in the trees and willows behind the house coming to the big bird table.

But the best was seen later on.... A Kingfisher flying along shore from Carrabus burn mouth and towards the merse. Couldn’t find it on the merse."

Sunday 6th December

Gary, e mailed the following birds... "

Some sightings from today at Finlaggan,

1 Merlin, 2 Peregrines, 2 Buzzards, 1 male Hen Harrier, 1 juvenile Golden Eagle and an adult White tailed Eagle.

At home a male Redpoll investigating the big bird table

Over at our home, it has been a bit cooler, but the birds have been glad of the food on offer. 

Earlier on this evening we were outside watching the International Space staiton, fly past. and all going well should see it again shortly as it only takes 90 minutes to orbit the world...

Saturday 5th December

Speaking to James this afternoon, and he was telling me that he has not seeen a Lapland Buntig over at Gruinart so far this year, but told me that he reckons that there is a flock of over 200 Linnets seen up on one of the cover crops up towards Ardnave, but not much sign of any Twite at Gruinart, the opposite to what is present down on the Oa... James was also telling me that there is quite often a sighting of a White tailed Eagle being seen regularly each day at Gruinart.

Another topic of conversation was birds on his feeders, so he was saying that Chaffinches, Greenfinches along with some Goldfinch are persent most days along with Blue, Great and Coal Tit as seen as well as 2 House sparrows... The number of Goldfinches seen are not as high as in previous years, but commented on more Coal Tits being in at the feeders!!!

Friday 4th December

Peter kindly sent me through the following e mail last night ...

"I had a quick venture out on Thursday afternoon:

 63 Pale bellied Brent Geese on Loch Indaal - mostly at Smelly Corner.

 Loch Skerrols held just 5 Whooper Swans, 25 Mute Swans, 35 Tufted Duck and 65 Wigeon."

 

Dave Dinsley, who is warden down on the Oa reserve on Islay, had seen a Lapland Bunting with the Twite at Kinnabus also yesterday. Dave Woods managed to relocate the bird later on yesterday, but as far as I know, mainly because of the weather, it has not been seen again today. The weather was the main reason why the ferry has not sailed today at all... and around 9am today Matt Jackson's weather station recorded a wind speed of 55 mph...

Thursday 3rd December

Nothing to report (again !!) on the bird front, partly due to the simple fact that it is 11pm and I have just travelled back home to Islay, the roads coming home were not that good and then we heard that the ferry was being diverted to Port Ellen!!! Then once we got home, we had to try to empty out the van out, so eventually I have now stopped and will finish of that job tomorrow.... and get some birds looked out for you all to be envious of... I hope...

Wednesday 2nd December

 Marsali Thomson kindly sent me through the rainfall tally for November from her weather station over Mulindry, " 199mms or 7.96”....That seems an awful lot more than at Rockside!"

Tuesday 1st December

Well another month in, and I have figures for the rainfall in Matt Jackson's weather station, which came to 4.15 inches in all for the whole of November down at his house at Rockside roadend.

Meanwhile Karen Graham sent me through some images which she had taken of a pesky fox up a tree in her garden this morning, it was in at the nuts on offer before dropping back down to the ground...