Sunday 31st January

The wind this morning was a lot calmer, possibly the lull before the storm, as the wind is already picking up again this evening and all the ferries coming and leaving Islay tomorrow are cancelled.
On the big garden bird watch today, here at home, we had the following, a ringtail Hen Harrier, 19 Pheasant, 15 Jackdaw, 26 Goldfinch, 77 Chaffinch, 21 Starling, 1 Robin, 2 Dunnock, 9 House Sparrow, 1 Wren and a Blackbird. No sign of any Great Tit, Blue Tit, Greenfinch or the pesky Sparrowhawk let alone a Brambling....

Saturday 30th January

The wind may have dropped a little, so allowing the ferry to come over although it did not attempt to go up to Colonsay, and  I believe that it is intending to go up there first thing tomorrow morning.. and oh yes, the plane came this morning, we even got some letters through in the post, although it was a good hour later than normal...wind speed here peaked at 64 mph earlier today, rather bracing..
As you may have gathered nothing on the bird front, but all going well, we should be better tomorrow with some sightings through from the "Big garden birdwatch"...

Friday 29th January

Yesterday Carl had seen a Sparrowhawk in Bridgend wood, and at Conisby beside Bruichladdich Carl had a male Hen Harrier. Also yesterday at Grulinmore, at the Eastern end of Loch Gorm, we had 30  Fieldfare fly past us. Gary had been out with his visiting friends over at Claggain Bay where they saw 11 GND, 7 Cormorant, 3 Shag, 10 Oystercatcher and also 10 Ringed Plover. On their way back along the road, they saw an immature Golden Eagle out from Kildalton Cross, and then finally a male Hen Harrier perched on the ground just out of Port Ellen. Today, we saw 15 Fieldfare over at Coull. Not really a day for bird watching, there was a squall here, early afternoon of just short of 75mph, little wonder that neither the ferry or the plane left the mainland today!!! Even now, early evening and we are getting a bashing with the wind with squally showers in the mix too...

Thursday 28th January

Well, those Fulmars that I spotted the other day have certainly have proved me right again, as today the wind has been building up as the day progressed. The ferry is coming over this evening from the mainland as I write this entry and will return as per its' timetable later this evening, but tomorrow the ferry has already been cancelled until at least 6pm, so I suppose your morning paper might be classed as an evening one, but then again I do not think they will be on the ferry anyway!!!

This morning, I was pottering away in the garage when I heard a Blackbird "alarm calling", I looked up and it was in the garage with me and then the Sparrowhawk flew in after it... the said Sparrowhawk had the cheek to perch for a few moments less than 2 metres from where I was standing....Both birds then flew away out the door. This afternoon the Sparrowhawk nobbled one of the wee birds off the bird table, one less to count on Sunday when we do the Garden Birdwatch!!!!

Wednesday 27th January

Gary, Sam, and their friends George and Annette from the mainland sent some sightings through. Up at Bunnahabhain yesterday, they saw a Heron, 2 GBB Gull, 15 H. Gull, 21 Cormorant, 7 Shag, 17 GND, 6 Oystercatcher and a Turnstone. On the way to the Bird nerds meeting last night, they saw a Barn Owl at the market at Bridgend and then shortly afterwards along past the entrance to Whin Park, another Barn Owl. We had 12 hardy souls who came along to the "meeting" last night, not bad for time of the year and also the weather too. This morning, out flying in front of the crag were a couple of Fulmars, a sign of some stormy weather not far off!!!

Tuesday 26th January

Some sightings through from Gary and Sam along with some visiting friends. On Sunday at Machir Bay the Glaucous Gull was seen along with 7 GBB Gull, 23 Herring Gull, 80 Common Gull, 150 Oystercatcher, 34 Ringed Plover and 2 Sanderling. Out from smelly corner, they had 40 Dunlin,  16 Ringed Plover, 2 Turnstone, 64 Scaup, 3 R B Merganser, 5 Eider and a GND. Yesterday between Esknish and Eollabus a cracking male Hen Harrier was spotted. Over on the "floods" at  the RSPB reserve at Gruinart, plenty of wildfowl around,including, 110 Pintail, 270 Teal, 12 Shoveller, 45 Mallard, 53 Wigeon, 350 Barnies, 35 Whitefronts, 70 Lapwing and 2 Redshank. Over the hills on the East side of Loch Gruinart, a Golden Eagle was out flying, with 2 Greenshank noted from the new hide. 46 Shelduck  were also seen. Back at Bridgend, flying over the cattle market, over 300 Lapwing were added to the their tally for the day.
Here at home, after a long absence, the Sparrowhawk has been seen cruising around the garden, sitting on top of the bird table, over 6 times at least, but not getting any of the birds, just being a general pest of himself! Down at the reed bed beside the Coastguards, 2 Peregrines flew past.

Monday 25th January

Many thanks to James and co for writing the blog while I have been over on the mainland this past week. Apart from the obligatory shopping, we even managed to attend 2 concerts at the Celtic connections held in Glasgow along with some time visiting friends too....
Some sightings from last week now... Dave had a Glaucous Gull down at Lower Killeyan on the Oa on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, Donald James MacPhee had Little Auk, found by one of his dogs, up close his house at Kintraw above Gortan on Loch Indaal. Visiting birder, Stuart Crutchfield saw a Cackling Goose close to Leorin amongst the flock of Barnies, the drake Green winged Teal was present out on the floods at Gruinart, a  1st winter Glaucous Gull at Machir Bay, around 20 Pale bellied Brents at the head of Loch Inndaal   with around 50 Common Scoter on Loch Indaal. On Sunday before heading off to the ferry, 130 Barwits were at the top of  Loch Indaal. Stuart also saw 7 Hen Harrier while he was over, and reported very large numbers of Common Gull as well. Today, Tracey e mailed through the figures from the International goose Count held last week on 19th/ 20th January, there were 41,736 Barnies, 4,680 Greenland Whitefronts and 473 Greylags counted. Thanks to Tracey and the team from SNH for these figures.