Mon 31st October 2011

I had to be in doors all day today, but I have had some records from the Oa for Saturday- a male hen harrier, merlin and 2 golden eagles as well as at least 200 twite a few greenfinch, goldfinch, a yellowhammer and a leucistic linnet. At on the Long Strand at the Kintra end a comic tern and long tailed duck and at the Singing Sands 12 chough.

Sun 30th October 2011

A good day for birds of prey records- on the Oa a golden eagle was showing well, plus a hen harrier and merlin, at Loch Gruinart at least one hen harrier, a golden eagle and a sparrowhawk. Early this morning at Gruinart a tawny owl was calling and 2 greenshank were visible from the hide. At Port Charlotte, groups of redwing and chaffinch have been noticed moving through with a few fieldfare, 12 yesterday and 5 today also a merlin and 2 yellowhammers. BBC Autumn-watch have been filming on the Island today and they reported back that the snow buntings were still at Machir bay.

Sat 29th October 2011

A busy day with lots of birdwatchers out and about on the Island, all being rewarded with good birds, as ever. I was out at dawn at Gruinart and watched the spectacle of the geese rising from the roost, as well as 2 greenshank and 9 black tailed godwits. David reported from around Loch Gorm: 6 dark bellied brent and 75 whoopers at Sunderland farm, 8 snow buntings and a peregrine at Machir bay, on Loch Gorm 24 scaup and 300-400 Geenland white-fronts. On Loch Skerrols the American wigeon is still present and at least 2 juv golden eagles.

Friday 28th October

Yesterday Carl had seen a male American Wigeon up at Loch Skerrols and also another one, this time an immature male down between Gartmain and the Gaelic College. Down there too, Carl had 6 Long tailed Ducks, 4 Slavonian grebes and a Goldeneye. On the merse he had around 1,000 Golden Plover. In the woods at Bridgend a Treecreeper was present and up at Coullabus, a Bullfinch was seen. At Gruinart, 22 Shelduck were present along with a Juv. Golden Eagle, ringtail Hen Harrier, 2 Greenshank, 2 Little Grebes and 13 Black tailed Godwits. A Purple Sandpiper was at Bruichladdich and at Port Charlotte, 5 Arctic Terns were seen out on Loch Indaal. Today Carl had the Arctic Terns at Port Charlotte, some more were seen off Ardnave Point. 50 Twite were seen at Ardnave along with 6 Snow Buntings and a ringtail Hen Harrier. Another ringtail was at Port Charlotte while a Merlin was down at Cladville. Visitors yesterday had seen 42 Mutes, 30 adults and 2 groups of 6 youngsters, also on Skerrols were 16 Whoopers, 160 Wigeon , 2 Heron and 1 Dabchick. Loch Ballygrant held 6 Tufted Duck and 7 Mutes, and there was a Kestrel just Ballygrant itself. Just before Foreland house on the verge side they saw 2 Reed Bunting, 5 Yellowhammers along with Meadow Pipits and Chaffinches . There was also flock of 200 Golden Plover over at Coull Farm. Other visiting birders reported in the following today, a pair of Bullfinches up towards Garra Eallabus, the leucistic Barnacle Goose was still up at Ardnave, 4 of the Whooper Swans that were seen with rings earlier on had been rung at Walney in Norfolk, a ringtail from the hide at Gruinart, 160 Lapwings and 15 Black tailed Godwits also at Gruinart. 6 Snow Buntings were seen on a windy Machir Bay!!! 34 Whoopers were on the stubble at Sunderland at lunchtime.

Thursday 27th October

A busy day out here with sightings coming in from a lot of folk, great, so here goes. Carl had been in at Loch Skerrols and had seen the drake American Wigeon, is it the same bird that Peter had first spotted down at Gartmain? A visitor had a count of 92 Whoopers at Coull Farm and a further 27 at Sunderland, both on the barley stubble fields. Becky and Fiona had been up towards Bunnahabhain today and had a pair of Bullfinches, at least 2 pairs of Crossbills, a Barn Owl at Staoisha Earach and also a Blackcap at Bunnahabhain. This morning over the flats at Gruinart, the geese were spoofed by a Golden Eagle, earlier in the week it was the RAF boys that spoofed them! Round above Craigens on the estuary, there were 15 Shelduck. Peter had been up the back of Loch Skerrols and had an immature Golden Eagle, and later on 4 Red legged Partridge were seen too. Another annual visitor from Yorkshire had been in touch with the sighting of 8 Long tailed Ducks on the top of Loch Indaal, along with 7 Slavonian Grebes and 5 Scoter. Up at Ardnave he had seen 4 Snow Bunting. At Gruinart today James had 87 Golden Plover, 8 Black tailed Godwit and 1 male Hen Harrier. We also had one round at Saligo midday today. I had not seen any Buzzards for a few days but we saw 4 yesterday round Loch Gorm at different locations... Today, from his house down at Bruichladdich, George had a mixed group of 70 Gulls, mainly Common & Herring Gulls with a couple of Lesser Blacks too. George also had 15 Arctic Terns, 10 Guillemots and 8 Scoter.

Wednesday 26th October

Today, weather wise, it has possibly been the best day this month, at least the sun was out, there was a blue sky and the mosst important bit was that it remained dry.....

Some sightings first from yesterday, a male Blackcap was seen out in the trees in front of the house here in the morning, Bob had a Golden Eagle from his house, as well as a single Canada Goose in the fields next door. 11 Snow Buntings were counted down at Machir Bay. At the meeting last night, various other sightings were thrown into the ring, 12 Scoter off Bruichladdich, a Purple Sandpiper, also at Bruichladdich, a Swallow over Bowmore. On the walk on the Oa yesterday, Mary had 2 Golden Eagles, a light coloured Yellowhammer, 2 Swallows, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, a Golden Eagle was also seen later with prey. An Arctic Tern was off Bowmore while a Sandwich Tern was off Port Charlotte and a Peregrine was seen eating a Golden Plover. There had been 200 Golden Plover round at Ballinaby. This afternoon, we had a Golden Eagle on a dyke far out on our way over to Gruinart, a couple of Stonechats below Culbuie, round Loch Gorm another Golden Eagle was perched up on a rock on the skyline. A Kestrel was at Coull roadend and 10 Snow Buntings were at Machir Bay today. Over at Lussa on Jura, there were around 350 Fieldfares with a few Redwings .

Tuesday 25th October

A great night tonight, we had a record turnout at the bird nurds with 20 folk coming, certainly the number was swelled by visitors, but that is what it is all about! Coming home the sky was full with stars and better still were a couple of Barn Owls sitting on fence posts at the side of the road. We had a male Bullfinch just we turned off the road going into Loch Skerrols late afternoon, while Peter and Pia had one just in Bridgend woods up the back of the Hotel. They also had the large flock of Chaffinches in the wood that was present there yesterday, the male Brambling was still with them along with 4 Goldcrest. In the adjacent fields there was mixed flock of around 25 Fieldfares, 65 Redwing and 5 Mistle Thrushes and 5 Song Thrushes. There also saw 40 Brent Geese at the top of Loch Indaal. Visiting birders had seen a female Merlin bathing in a pool beside the "car park" up at Ardnave, while down on the shoreline they had 9 Snow Buntings. Over close to Storakaig they had a mixed flock of 200 Fieldfares and Redwings. Other visitors had a count of 125 Whooper Swans down at Sunderland. Another set of visiting birders had been up at Ardnave too, and had a 32 Chough up towards Ardnave Point itself, along with a flock of 60 Twite. Off Ardnave Point and towards Nave Island they saw 8 Great Northern Diver and 2 Red throated Divers. They had a count of 11 Snow Bunting in a different place to the group of 9. They also saw 3 Bar tailed Godwit at Ardnave Point and also 2 Grey Plover. Down at Traigh Nostaig, 14 Bar tailed Godwit, 4 Grey plover and 12 Turnstone were seen and on their way home they had 2 Hen Harriers close to the former Kilchoman School.