Monday 28th February

I had a report from the RSPB Oa reserve today, 213 white fronted geese, 1 merlin, 124 twite, 96 starlings, 100 rock doves, 2 chough and a barn owl. While on the subject of owls, I had a short eared owl and a barn owl at Loch Gruinart last night. It was a beautiful day today and the lapwing have started to display over the Gruinart flats, there was also a golden eagle at Ardnave hunting rabbits in the sun.

Sunday 27th February

Some really good clear spring weather, in between the heavy hail showers. Many birds are starting to sing now, song thushes, blackbirds, robins and today the ravens at Gruinart were lining the nest. Peter reported a group of 12 crossbills at Finlaggan house, the group included adult males, females and young birds, feeding on insects taken from the mosses and lichens. In the Ballygrant area, Peter also saw 2 white tailed eagles, one an adult with a yellow tag on the right wing, the other a young bird.

Saturday 26th February

Sun and showers today, but warm enough to shed the fleece for a while (at least until it began to hail). Martin had been to the hide at Gruinart, reported loads of teal, good numbers of wigeon shoveler, pintail, lapwing and redshank and also a pair of gadwall and 2 greenshank. A male hen harrier was seen around Loch Gorm hunting the shore in the evening light.

Friday 25th February

You can believe spring is on its way there is a smell to the air (could be muck spreading) and the first skylarks are singing today at the reserve. Yesterday a goose count on the reserve at Gruinart revealed 6449 barnacle geese, 273 white fronted geese, 68 greylag geese and 1 Canada goose (small hutchinsii). I also spotted a female hen harrier, a peregrine, and 4 whooper swans. At Ardnave 21 chough, 102 oystercatchers, 37 ringed plovers, 7 great northern divers, 1 black throated diver, 57 twite and 16 whooper swans were reported by Mark and Jamie. They also reported 150 starlings I wonder if these are the starlings that seem to have disappeared from Gruinart farm buildings.

Wednesday 23rd February

James had seen 3 Lesser Black backed Gulls over the reserve at Gruinart today, another sign that Spring is on it's way.

Moira Meldrum had been over visiting her family last week at Ballygrant. She enjoyed listening to the Song Thrush singing its heart out in the morning and again late afternoon from the tallest tree. She also had seen a female Bullfinch in a Blackthorn thicket. They also had a wonderful time listening to 2 Tawny Owls calling to each other on Wednesday which was a perfectly still night with a clear Moon and stars. On leaving Port Ellen on the Friday, about 20 minutes out, they saw 5 Dolphins from the ferry, very close to the boat, and leaping out of the water, and keeping this up for around 5 minutes. Thanks Moira for your sightings.

Tuesday 22nd February

Another mixed day weather wise again, no sun again! On the positive side there were a few frogs out on the road tonight as we came home from Port Charlotte. Why were we out, you may well ask. The reason was that it is the last Tuesday in the month, so some of us meet up have an informal get together over a pint and a blether about birds. I do stress the word informal, and any visiting birder that is over is more than welcome, send us an e mail if you are coming over and we will tell where we are meeting. James and Peter had a quite an interesting discussion on Choughs, it was good to hear of the various trains of thoughts. The goose numbers had an airing too, as had several other topics too. There were 9 of us there, including 2 visitors.

Monday 21st February

A mixed day for the weather here today, with no sun shining through... It is only February!

Yesterday James had 2 Gadwall on the reserve at Gruinart, here at home a Sparrowhawk flew out of one of the bushes as we walked back down the drive!

Today, a White tailed Sea Eagle was seen over at Bunnahabhain, the Iceland Gull was there too, and out on the Sound of Islay, a Black throated Diver was present. Back down at Ardnahoe, 11 Red legged Partridges were counted, probably released birds from Islay Estate. Nearer to home a Peregrine was seen up at Sanaigmore. There was also a ringtail Hen Harrier over the reed bed down at the Coastguard Cottages