Sun 28th Feb

This is another great image taken last weekend by Dan Brown, this time of a Greenland white-fronted Goose in flight.

Last night, James had a close encounter with a Barn Owl as he went to shut his hens in. As he opened the top half of the stable door, the Barn Owl flew out, a near miss by all accounts!

Over the last fortnight, our visiting birders, and friends who gave me their sightings were Albert and Hazel Percival from Cambridge, and also Gordon and Pauline Yates who also contributed quite a few of the images of late. Many thanks for your assistance and sharing them with us all.

Sat 27th Feb

This stoat in it's ermine coat was taken last weekend by Dan Brown. We do not often see many of them, here on Islay.

Malcolm had seen a couple of Barn owls in different places on his way home from Bowmore the other night.

Our other visitors, had seen 2 Peregrine Falcon yesterday, again at different places.

This morning, round at Ballinaby, there were 110 Lapwing and a large flock of over 400 Golden Plover all together in one field, with some starting to get their summer plumage. There were 2 Whooper swans down on the lochans at Loch Gorm, and at Blackrock there was a family of 7 Mute swans, 2 adults and 5 young.

Fri 26th Feb

Catherine has had a busy week counting birds, she had two days back to back helping out on the Goose count and then another day carrying out a count on Loch Gruinart. As well as counting numerous geese, she also had 2 Golden Eagles high up in the air, up behind Ballimartin.

The tally for Loch Gruinart was as follows, 200 Curlew, 164 Wigeon, 355 Oystercatcher, 55 Redshank, 29 Turnstone, 39 Sanderling, 57 Ringed Plover, 43 Herring Gull, 26 Mallard, 404 Bar tailed Godwit, 6 Snipe, 20 Common Gull, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Heron, 792 Dunlin, 207 Shelduck, 14 Black headed Gull and 23 Lapwing.

Thurs 25th Feb

Another image of a Greenland White fronted Goose but with it facing into the driving snow which persisted for most of yesterday. Today it has been slightly warmer, so it was rain, but this evening it is falling as sleet!

Our friends had a count of almost 400 Golden Plover in 3 different fields this afternoon between Coull and Ballinaby, including a few with black chest/belly to be seen.

With this prolonged cold snap continuing, the bird table has been busy, still no Siskin, although friends up the back of Bridgend had seen one at their feeder at the weekend and there was 4 seen today at another garden set of feeders not far from where they live. This afternoon, there were 14 Pheasants out on the grass here at home.

Wed 24th Feb

This image of a White tailed Sea Eagle was taken on Sunday by Dan Brown who was over for a few days, his first visit to Islay and by the sounds of it, it will not be his last! Dan originally saw the bird up at Ardnave and then followed it down and took this image of it on the reserve at Gruinart. It is marked O on yellow wing tags. James was in touch with Dave Sexton who is with RSPB on Mull. Dave was able to confirm that this was a 2006 Mull bird, and the children from Lochdon Primary school had called it Oatie. Oatie's brother, Haggis is still around and was seen on Mull last week! Many thanks to Dan for your image, and to James and Dave for their input too. The birds in the foreground are Curlews!

Another visitor yesterday, had seen a ringtail Hen Harrier at Gruinart as well as around 600 Dunlin on Loch Gruinart itself. Later on he had seen a Goldcrest.

I was speaking to George last night, and he was saying that he had a couple of Otters in front of his house at Bruichladdich on Loch Indaal yesterday. Bette Bell also told me that she had seen 3 Otters on Loch Indaal from her house in Port Charlotte.

Tues 23rd Feb

These 7 Whooper Swan were caught on camera by friends who took the image round at Ballinaby today. The question then is, are these the same 7 that James had at Gruinart yesterday?

Our friends also had seen 29 Pale bellied Brent Geese on Loch Indaal, a flock of between 150 - 200 Twite down on the Oa and also 50 Chaffinch at Ardbeg.

Mon 22nd Feb

An image taken this evening on our way home, looking over Coull Point out to the Atlantic. Another cold day, but at least it has stayed dry, there has been just over 4" of rain in total so far this year, I will say no more!

Yesterday, Ewan, one of the volunteers at Gruinart at present, had seen a White tailed Sea Eagle being mobbed by a Golden Eagle over the reserve. James had a count of 305 Skylark on a field beside his house. Today, James had seen a Golden Eagle again over the reserve, and there were 7 Whooper Swan present on the flats this afternoon. The large flock of Golden Plover were still evident at Ballinaby.