Storm Barra hasn't let up all day, not surprisingly no sightings submitted as I imagine people are holding onto their polytunnels and looking for lost slates.
While up checking on the sheep this afternoon, there were 22 turnstone on Currie Sands. A little further along at Port a Rheidhlinn a lonely juvenile shag was taking a break on the beach there.
Ahead of Storm Barra tomorrow, I headed to the local Coop for my 'big shop'. Apparently the rest of the Island had the same idea, the shelves were soon stripped like locusts in a corn field.
Not too much reports given in, James spotted 4 woodcock and 2 little egret at Loch Gruinart. The wind was picking up as the day went on and the temperature dropping. The ferries have been cancelled ahead of tomorrows forecast, a typical winters day on Islay!
A beautiful cold, clear winter day full of massive blue skies. Martin had 7 snow buntings by the edge of the dunes at Machir Bay. James had 3 white-tailed eagles at Loch Gruinart, probably the same three I "photographed" on the low tide mud, apparently waiting for a bus...
At least one of them was ringed, but I was just too far away to read it. The daily autumn/winter spectacle of multiple sub-adult white-tailed eagles at Loch Gruinart is one of the nicer changes to the world in recent years. Unless you are a goose, I suppose
A fierce NW wind kept most of us inside for most of the day, I suspect, so not many sightings today.
James had 1555 golden plover, a merlin, 2 hen harriers and 2 woodcock at Loch Gruinart.
Margaret was putting out some leftovers and watched 2 ravens swoop down and grab her lemon drizzle cake, leaving her veggie sausages untouched. Reminds me a bit of a friend who tried to feed her cat a vegan diet, only to find it digging up moles in her back garden out of desperation.
The only other thing to report today was a nice note from Ken Reeves to the Islay Birds whatsapp group...
"Back home now after another fabulous 6 days on Islay. My first time back with a group since the loss of my friend Ian, so not that easy. Highlights this time were the WTSE snacking on a herring gull at Bridgend on the 29th, 3 lesser scaup, long-tailed duck, bullfinch, siskin and LT tit on the 29th and 2nd. Richardson's Canada goose at Gruinart on the 1st Dec, the American wigeon showing well on the 2nd from the Gaelic College and finally ring-reading the barnies (awaiting results). In your memory, Ian.
Ken Reeves and all my members at Burbagebirders Travel Club"
Thanks very much to Ken and all of you for reading, contributing and keeping this blog going.
Hello bird fans. A typical Islay winter day, wet, windy and mild and with plenty of good stuff to see in between the showers.
At Loch Gruinart, James had a barn owl still out hunting after sunrise, and later in the day 6,170 barnacles and 319 white-fronts on reserve. Gary had 2 WTE chasing geese near Finlaggan.
It was the last day of the visit for Chris Mills. He had a decent day down in the beautiful SE corner of Islay, seeing golden and white-tailed eagles, 5 yellowhammer, 3 bullfinch, 40 fieldfare, 20 redwing, 30 redpoll, a few siskin and a couple of woodcock. Up at Duich Lots he saw a peregrine perched.
Steve Lister was also leaving the island today, he and Ken, Heather, Nev and Richard finished with 2 little egrets on the shore north of Bowmore.
Huge thanks to all the above for your sightings.
The goose count figures we got from Morven at NatureScot the other day made me wonder how this November count compared to recent years...
Lovely gift of a day after so much wind. plenty of birds on the wing making up for being stuck in shelter for the past wee while. No photos today, I was too busy enjoying the weather. Photo above taken yesterday looking over to the Rhinns lighthouse.
Margaret has been in touch from Kilchoman Reserve with an eagle day - a white-tailed eagle flew by the house and then spent some time over Machir bay, and earlier she had a good sighting of an golden eagle sitting close to the road at the hut circles 'An Sidhean' near Culbuie. These were once believed to be fairy mounds and children were forbidden to play near them lest they be taken by the 'wee folk'.
Chris Mills sighting for today:
Pinch and a punch for the first of the month! A view of a relatively calm Frenchman's Rocks above. December came in with a blast of wind which did die away as the day went on. The rocks feature often in the blog as an important vantage of the main migration route of autumn and spring birds. In the summer they provide an amazing spectacle of hundreds of feeding gannets diving into the fast running waters that race between them and Islay.
Steve Lister found the cackling goose near the RSPB Loch Gruinart visitor centre, and it was later picked up by Chris in the same field. To the west of the reserve, Chris spotted 2 WTE and a male hen harrier hunting. While he was on the Oa he noted a juv WTE, a ring-tailed hen harrier, and 50 twite, then near Bridgend he found 2 golden eagle showing well.
Gary reported a greenshank below the power station at Bowmore, and a juv. Iceland gull.
Mary Anne spotted a kestrel at Laphroig.
Finally, Morven over at Nature Scot kindly shared The International Goose Count figures from 23/24th November: 37,202 barnacles, 6956 white-front geese and 1326 greylag.
