Monday 31st March

A small correction through from John and Kenny, their tally for the week broke though the 100 species, with Purple Sandpiper added at Bruichladdich and Whooper Swan and Reed Bunting at Gruinart, so their tally ended up at 102! Returning visitor Peter from Sunderland had seen the Ring necked Duck and the RTD in summer plumage on Loch Ballygrant, in the trees there, Chiffchaff and Treecreeper were seen while over at Finlaggan a Golden Eagle was present. Emily returned today to lead the walks at RSPB through the summer. At Gruinart, Emily had White tailed Sea Eagle at Gruinart, and then a Golden Eagle. Other returning visitors from the South had seen a Wheatear down behind Machir Bay with another on the road between Coullabus and Carnain. Below Corsapol they had a flock of around 150 Twite. After Ardbeg they saw 2 R B Merganser and then a Chiffchaff as they drove further on. One of the Dumfries birders had a good walk round Ardnave seeing several Wheatear there and also a Chiffchaff fly along the road in front of him as he went there. His friend had gone over to The Sound of Islay seeing a female Merlin, a Peregrine, Kestrel, Golden Eagle, and on the Sound itself, 2 RB Merganser and also 3 GND. He also had seen plenty of Ravens around, and coming back this afternoon, "smelly corner" held some Shelduck. A great day with many different birds seen around Islay!

Sunday 30th March

The Lincs birders as they packed their car yesterday had seen 2 Peregrines and a Buzzard on the thermals up behind their cottage. Along the road they saw a male Hen Harrier harass a Buzzard close to Sunderland Farm. The Bolton birders from the ferry had a quiet crossing although it was raining and misty for most of the way over....but at the mouth of West Loch Tarbert, a good number of GND, BTD, 2 RTD, 2 Slavonian Grebe and also 3 Gannets and a mixed flock of Auks. In the Loch itself, they had 14 GND, 2 RTD, 2 Slav Grebes plus a good number of Eider Ducks. On land and at Tarbert, a Great spotted Woodpecker was seen. Today Paul and Joan Graham had a male Hen Harrier as they walked down to the Sound of Islay. Finally today, visitors from Dumfries had seen 2 White tailed Sea Eagle over the Sound of Islay. In the small wood beside where they are staying they had a Goldcrest.

Saturday 29th March

Yesterday the Lincs birders had gone to Bunnahabhain where they saw several Buzzards, 4 GND, 2 pr of Eiders, 4 R B Merganser and a pr of Ringed Plover. At the other end of Islay, down at Portnahaven they saw a couple of Gannets off the wave generastor station where thay also flushed a Snipe. On their way back up, a male Stonechat was obligingly on top of a fence post when a male Hen Harrier glided past! They also saw a pr of Golden Eagles and 12 Whoopers at Ballinaby with a pr of distant Hen Harriers round Loch Gorm. The Bolton birders yestarday had seen 6 Wheatears while they were up at Ardnsave, they counted 12 GND, with 3 Barwits, 35 Oystercatcher and 4 Ringed Plover at Traigh Nostaig. Ardnave Loch held 3 Goldeneye, 4 Teal, 2 adult + 2 juv Mute Swan and 6 Tufted Duck. Out from the new hide at Gruinart, the Green winged Teal was present along with 2 Greenshank, also there were Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Pintail, Mute Swan, Lapwing and Redshank. John & Kenny had small flock of Fieldfare between Laggan Bridge and Bowmore. Gartbreck held a Jack Snipe,Tysties were present on Loch Indaal and a Rock Pipit was on the harbour wall in Bowmore. A male Hen Harrier was seen on the Oa as was a male Stonechat too. Numerous Divers were seen noted on Loch Indaal and also a mixed raft of Common Scoter and Slav Grebe. Their tally for the week came to 99 species seen in all. Thanks to John and Kenny for their birds, to the Bolton Birders, Chris and Tony and also Oliver and Lynsey from Lincs for all thier sightings throughout their time spent here on Islay. Finally, David Livingstone had a Magpie in his garden this morning over close to Port Ellen!

Friday 28th March

Yesterday James had the Green winged Teal out in front of the "new" hide at Gruinart. James also had Greenshank there too with Lapwings on the nest already! Coming back from Gruinart yesterday at lunchtime, a male Hen Harrier flew across the road directly in front of us! The Bolton birders made the most of this good weather, like the rest of us, and on the hills up beyond Mulindry they saw 4 Golden Plover in summer plumage, 2 Curlew and "masses" of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. Up there, they had a Buzzard on the thermals while down on the ground, a Lizard was basking in the sun. From Bowmore Pier they saw 2 male and 2 female Goldeneye, 2 GND, 1 RTD and a Slavonian Grebe. John and Kenny had a female Kestrel at Finlaggan, seen Gannets at Portnahaven, 20 Chough at Sanaigmore and to cap the day 2 Golden Eagles having a scrap with 2 Ravens. The Lincs birders had seen a Golden Eagle soaring in front of the Paps of Jura, up at Inverlussa, there were 2 Goosanders, with 12 Pale bellied Brent at Craighouse. They also had a distant sighting of a female Hen Harrier having a tussle with a Peregrine.

Thursday 27th March

Earlier on in the week there has been a sighting of a Snow Bunting up at Ardnave and this morning I heard that a Lapland Bunting has been around as well, location not known! The Bolton Birders headed over to Jura yesterday. Up the top end of Jura at Lealt on the bird feeders, 6 Yellowhammers, 4 Goldfinches along with some Chaffinches.They also had great sightings of 2 different pairs of Hen Harriers, one around Lowlandman's Bay the other close to Inverlussa, with both pairs skydancing. While they were watching a couple of Otters on the Sound, a White tailed Sea Eagle flew past! Earlier on at the Corran Sands/ Small Isles Bay, they counted 12 GND with at least another 8 in the Sound of Islay! Down on the Oa yesterday, Dave and his team carried out a "Cliff survey" with the tally coming through at 6 Peregrines, 5 Golden Eagles, 21 Black Guillemots, 4 Otters, 10 Wheatear, 5 GND along with 100's of Meadow Pipits, in flocks of up to 40! At the darkness came in last night, here at home there was a Pipestrelle bat out hawking along in front of the cottages! The Lincs birders had a ringtail Hen Harrier out quartering over towards Gruinart. Over beyond Ardbeg, they had a flock of over 80 Golden Plover resplendent in the sun! Coming home along the High road, they had a male Hen Harrier out hunting and then a ringtail as they approached the bridge across the Laggan. John and Kenny yesterday had a White tailed Sea Eagle over at Gruinart. The Green winged Teal,5 Snipe, several hundred Golden plover, Moorhen and a Snow Bunting were all seen from the new hide. On Loch Indaal, Long tailed Duck, Kittiwake, Common Scoter, Slav. Grebe, Black throated Diver, and some Pale bellied Brent Geese. Down towards the Lily Loch at Port Askaig, they saw a Chiffchaff and later on a Long tailed Tit. Martin had a Yellowhammer on his feeders over at Glenegedale!

Wednesday 26th March

Another great day again, could it be a start to some better weather, fingers crossed... Down on Loch Gorm there were 60 Whoopers, sign of birds on the move! The Green winged Teal was seen again today at Gruinart. Yesterday, the Bolton birders were at Saligo, "enthused about the turbulent seas, crashing waves and plumes of spray". There, Gannets and Fulmars constantly passing by with Eiders riding the surf. Oystercatchers and Ringed Plovers were piping on the shore. Skylarks were singing over the grassland, with at least 5 Wheatear were seen feeding and perching on the rocks. Also seen were 2 Mute and 3 Whoopers (1 with a red ring another with a yellow ring) were seen on the pools in the fields behind. A pr of Stonechats were seen along the roadside on a patch of brambles. Along at Ballinaby, a female Merlin flew across the road and zipped into some gorse bushes. Sanaigmore a Golden Eagle was seen tussling with 2 Ravens. Over the wet field there, 14 Lapwings were displaying. Offshore, there were 4 GND with 6 Tysties and a flotilla of Eiders. a single Linnet few overhead. The Lincs birders had a pr of Stonechats at Laphroaig, Kintra, a Peregrine was seen and also a Raven. Further along from Ardbeg looking for an Otter, no joy, but several Eider, 2 Cormorant and half a dozen Merganser. Yesterday John and Kenny had an equally good day, with a small flock of Redwing along at Rock Mountain. Earlier on they had seen a pr of Buzzards mating high up on the crag behind Kilchoman, shortly afterwards the female after a bit of preening, launched herself off the cliff face. Seconds later, one the Ravens started to zap the Buzzard, what a spectacle. The Raven no doubt trying to "defend" its' patch! In the Bridgend Woods, they had Wren, Heron, Siskin, Bullfinch, Blue Tit, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Treecreeper with a Dipper on the Sorn. Finally they had a Grrenfinch at Bruichladdich. Finally, last night coming home from Gruinart, we had a Barn Owl sitting on the fence post at the side of the road.

Tuesday 25th March

A glorious day over here, what a difference a day can make, we are all going round with a broad smile on our faces... This afternoon,Peter had spent some time in the "new hide" at Gruinart, time well spent as had 2 Greenshank, a flock of around 700 Golden Plover and to top it all, a fine drake Green winged Teal. Back home, Peter had 2 GND and 3 Black Guillemots off Bruichladdich Pier. Yesterday, the Bolton birders had 2 Siskins on the nut feedr outside their cottage, on the seed feeder Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Starling, House Sparrow, Great Tit, Blackbird and Robin. Over at Kildalton they saw 6 Yellowhammers and around 30 Chaffinches on the feeders at the Keepers cottage there. At Ardlistillery, over the Bay there was a Golden Eagle as well as 2 Buzzards! Offshore on the water were 4 R B Merganser, 4 Shelduck and 1 RTD. Along at Claggan Bay they saw 2 GND and 7 Gannets. Ardtalla in difficult, windy conditions, 2 GND, 4 R B Merganser,, 2 Mute Swan, also Shelduck, Shag, Heron and Eider. In one of the fields there, 55 Oystercatcher, 17 Ringed Plover, 60 Skylark were all feeding close together. The even windier Oa proved difficult too, only a female Merlin and pr of Stonechats! Off Kintra, 2 Gannets were seen. On the way home, a ringtail Hen harrier was seen. The Lincs birders had seen a Golden Eagle at less than 50 metres away! Later on in the day they had a Sparrowhawk at Sunderland, another over towards Saligo, Chough behind Machir Bay, Snow Bunting at Ballinaby, a Peregrine there too with a further 2 towards Bunnahabhain. Mulindry, a male Hen Harrier while down at Red Lodge and the Laggan Bridge, a ringtail Hen Harrier was sparring with a Buzzard.. a great day for them!!! John and Kenny had good day yesterday as well, starting off with a Barn Owl over at Eorrabus. Loch Indaal, Common Scoter, Slav Grebe, Ringed Plover and Pale bellied Brent were added to their list for the week. Up to Sanaigmore, more Stonehats and a Buzzard before heading to the shelter of one of the hides at Gruinart where they saw a flock of Twite, Greenshank, Gadwall, Shoveler, Pintail and Blackwits. They also saw a pr of Rooks going through the full mating display in the field beside the carpark at Gruinart! Finally, they had 2 Golden Eagles as they headed out to Bunnahabhain... A good number and variety of birds on a rather windy day....