Wednesday 4th August

 

Visiting birder Andrew Kelly writes:

“I was very sorry to read of Ian's sudden passing: we made our first trip to Islay last August when I sent in some contributions, and Ian was so friendly and helpful. As a naive visitor, the blog has proved invaluable. I was looking forward to exchanging info again during this year’s visit, and was shocked to go on to the blog and read the news. My heartfelt commiserations.
At the time we left home, the blog was in suspension, and have only just caught up with its revival - great news.”

Some records from his visit this week (seeing 69 species so far) include:

Sunday Aug 1^st: Great Skua flying north near Kilchoman Bay

Monday Aug 2^nd: Flock of 12 Bar-tailed Godwit near Bowmore and 3 Red-throated Divers, 12 Dunlin, 6 Sanderling and “masses” of Ringed Plovers at Laggan Bay

Tuesday Aug 3^rd: Ardnave - 2 female Tufted Duck with 4 and 2 young respectively on the loch.

Another noteworthy record from yesterday is from Mary Ann Featherstone with a count of 7 Spotted Flycatchers in her garden at Kildalton. Spotted Flycatchers typically arrive late into UK from African wintering grounds and depart early – so these are likely to be the first migrants heading south. Once a common bird of gardens, orchards and parkland in the UK it is now Red-listed with a breeding population decline of 89% between 1967 and 2010.

Tuesday 3rd August

 

Nothing sensational of note today, though Mary-Ann Featherstone reports a build-up of Willow Warblers (c.50) over at Kildalton – presumably the start of autumn movements for this early migrant.

On a different subject: We are privileged to have fairly good numbers of nesting Hen Harriers on Islay. Some other parts of UK aren’t so lucky, with lots of suitable habitat but very few breeding birds due to ongoing illegal persecution. To highlight this and celebrate the species there is an annual Hen Harrier Day coming up on Saturday 7^th August that may be of interest to blog readers: https://wildjustice.org.uk/henharrierday/

(Photo courtesy of Armin Grewe)

Monday 2nd August

 

The only birds flagged up today come from David Wood: 3 Greenshanks at Kinnabus

Since Ian Brooke’s last post on the Islay Bird Blog on 8^th June, there has been a long gap in reporting birds of interest, so here is a summary of the more noteworthy sightings. This midsummer period has been a fairly quiet time for birds, but a series of Rose-coloured Starlings stole the show:

Mid-June: A Turtle Dove in Port Ellen

13^th June: A Spotted Crake heard near Gartmain at the top of Loch Indaal

14^th June: Grey Plover at Kintra

17^th June: Bright pink and black adult Rose-coloured Starling seen at Ardnave and Barnhill Jura. 2 Black-tailed Godwits at RSPB Gruinart South Hide

18^th June: Several Crossbills near Loch Skerrols

20^th June: Another (or the same) Rose-coloured Starling at Port Charlotte

22nd June: Single Carrion Crow at Kinnabus and the drake Velvet Scoter paired with a female Common Scoter back at Easter Ellister for another season

25^th June; Long-eared Owl at Kinnabus

26th June: 3 Grasshopper Warblers still singing at Cornabus/The Oa

30^th June: Two Rose-coloured Starlings appeared in a garden at Conisby plus one at Craighouse on Jura – so apparently at least 3 birds involved in this series of sightings. (These were part of a large influx this spring of this Asian/Eastern European species into Western Europe and the UK)

3^rd July: A Swift over Kinnabus with another on 10th

5^th July: A Great Skua over the American Monument at the Oa, with another on the Oa on 27^th

18^th July: Single Great Northern Diver off Port Charlotte

24^th July: A dark-phase Arctic Skua off Port Askaig, plus a Sandwich Tern

26^th:July 3 Greenshank at Kintra

29^th July: Post-breeding Twite flocks building up, with 60 near the Car Park at RSPB The Oa

In addition:

Ospreys continued to be seen occasionally throughout mid-June into late July in widespread locations across the island. Some seen fishing at Finlaggan, Loch Gorm, Loch Nan Chadian, Loch Gruinart

Several observers noted renewed singing in mid-late July from our warblers – Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Chiffchaff included

(The Ardnave Rose-coloured Starling courtesy of Brian Small & Naturetrek)

Sunday 1st August 2021

 Mandy reports a Magpie in Port Ellen today that was seen and photographed by local, Susan McDougall. A scarce bird on Islay. A single Whimbrel near Gartbreck on Loch Indaal is perhaps the first of the autumn. Wader passage should be picking up over the next few weeks. James How was at the "Kilchoman Reserve" - aka Shepherd's Cottage today and reports 2 Kestrels plus a young Whinchat.

The blog - an update

 

Since the untimely and sudden death of Ian Brooke, it was agreed between his wife Margaret and the birdwatchers on Islay that we should keep his Bird Blog going. This was decided partly as an ongoing tribute and legacy to Ian, but also because it provides such a useful conduit to let anyone interested, know what a great birding destination Islay is and what is being seen on a daily basis.

We have now reconfigured the blog with a new email address (islaybirds@gmail.com) for contributors to communicate and tell us of their sightings. There is now a small group of us on Islay who will share the duties of administrating the blog and writing up any worthwhile daily wildlife news.

We apologise for the break in news and updates on the Islay Bird Blog, but hope you will continue to use it, contribute to it and let others know of its existence.

Ian Brooke - a tribute

 

Ian Kellie Brooke

11^th April 1949 – 10^th June 2021

 

Ian Brooke was one of the stalwarts of the birding community on Islay and it was a huge loss when he suddenly and unexpectedly passed away at his home on 10^th June.

 

Ian gained a BSc in Agriculture from Aberdeen University and spent much of his early life involved in various aspects of farming in his home area of the Borders in Southern Scotland. He first visited Islay on a family holiday in 1989. Both he and his wife Margaret fell in love with the island and moved here ten years later, buying the Old Manse and a set of holiday cottages at Kilchoman. They quickly fitted into island life and became active and appreciated members of various organisations promoting Islay as a tourist destination. But the move to Islay allowed Ian’s already keen interest in the outdoors, wildlife and especially birds, to flourish. Above all, Ian was a practical man who got involved and got things done. He became a trustee of the Islay Natural History Trust and an active volunteer at the local RSPB reserve. He helped produce the “Islay Walks” booklet and developed the associated, very successful “Walk Islay” week offering guided hikes to out of the way locations of special interest across the island.

 

Keen to promote Islay further Ian began sending regular birding notes to Birdwatching Magazine. In 2007 he quietly got on with setting up the Islay Bird Blog, posting chatty, daily accounts of the birdlife on Islay and beyond– something many of us on Islay had talked about doing, but never got around to. He also instigated the “Islay Bird Nerds” informal meetings once a month - open to anyone interested – resident or visiting, to get together, meet new faces and catch up on bird news. “The Blog” has become a greatly appreciated and valued focus for any birdwatchers interested in Islay and from the accumulated records Ian was able to contribute each month to the Argyll Bird Club database. Not one to rest on his laurels, he dreamed up the great idea of Islay having a presence at the annual British Bird Fair to further make birders aware of the island’s great potential. Quietly canny, he realised that whisky was the other element that made Islay special, so he convinced the distilleries to donate dozens of bottles of whisky that he and his other dedicated volunteers could give out as free drams at the Bird Fair. Understandably, the Islay Stand was a huge attraction and success over many years of his hard work and organisation and was awarded “Best Small Tourism Stand”.

 

Retirement for Ian and Margaret meant a short move to Shepherd’s Cottage at Kilchoman. Although out of the way at the end of a dead-end road, his friendly, unassuming and easy-going manner and the wonderful welcome (complete with coffee, tea, biscuits and cake) any visiting birdwatcher would receive from Ian and Margaret, turned this into something of a social hub for all visiting birdwatchers to drop in for a blether. Ian and Margaret’s retirement home further illustrated Ian’s passion for putting ideas into action. He planted hundreds of trees, created flower and wild bird food meadows, ponds, built a birdwatching hide and an elaborate shed to encourage Choughs to breed. Installation of CCTV cameras gave him and his many visitor hours of interest watching the daily comings and goings of his garden’s wildlife. Right up until his last days he was excited to share video footage of his nesting Barn Owls.

 

The wonderful mix of quiet self-effacement and calm good humour combined with deftly putting ideas and words into productive action will be sorely missed by all his friends on Islay and beyond.  Our thoughts and condolences go out to Margaret, his wife of 44 years and to his son Andrew at this time of loss.

Personal tributes also came from

Ken Reeves

I am gutted tonight to learn of the sudden death of my friend Ian Brooke at Kilchoman on the Isle of Islay. Ian, supported by his wife Margaret and his friends on the island, have dedicated many years to the recording of the birds and wildlife of Islay and Jura. He will also be remembered for the well-supported Islay and Jura stand at the Rutland Bird Fair. Over the years many a birder has wobbled away after sampling the malts and shortbread on offer. Thank you for allowing me to be your friend Ian and our thoughts and condolences are with you, Margaret, your family and friends. You will never be forgotten Sir!

Ken, Maureen and all at Burbagebirders Travel Club!

 

Malcolm Ogilvie

In 2007, Ian started a daily blog about Islay birds, listing sightings reported to him by locals and visitors alike. He rarely missed a day, ending almost every year with over 350 entries. It was an invaluable blog which was much consulted by visiting birders who, in turn, were encouraged to let him know what they had seen, which he then posted so that everyone was kept informed. He also encouraged contact between local and visiting birders by instituting informal monthly meetings, convivial get-togethers of the 'Bird Nerds'. He and Margaret were, for several years, valued Trustees of the Islay Natural History Trust. A very sad loss of a good friend.

 

Gordon Yates

Ten days ago as I was sat in my hide on Islay filming hen harriers, less than two miles down the road, my good friend Ian unexpectedly passed away. It was a terrible shock. I have known Ian and Margaret for more than thirty years and have lost count of all the tea and biscuits that we have been provided with. Their door was always open to all visitors. Ian started the Islay Bird blog more than fourteen years ago and provided visiting birders with a daily picture of who was on the island and what they had seen. For non-birders Ian started the "Walk Islay" weeks which were extremely popular pre-Covid days.

 

One of the highlights of Ian's year was the Annual Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water. Along, with others, Ian would stand all day extolling the virtues of Islay to all visitors who would leave the stand topped up with shortbreads and Whisky!

 

Ian loved his extensive garden on Islay and there are not many birders who can count Hen Harrier and Merlin as daily garden visitors! Ian you were an absolute star. Sir.

 

 

Please be patient with us

We are trying!

We are trying to sort out access so that we can continue the bird blog. So please keep checking, hopefully soon we will have the digital knowledge to put on new records.

Thankyou