Tuesday 31st May

 A perfectly pleasant end to the month of May - sunshine on the Rhinns, but apparently raining over at Laphroiag for the distillery Open Day during this Feis Ile week.

The little bit of birding that I did didn't produce anything to write home about. The only other note coming in was from David Dinsley who saw a Great Skua on the Monument Trail at The Oa this morning.

STOP PRESS: there is a note on the Argyll Bird Club  website this evening of a Wryneck seen briefly at Kinnabus this morning – searched for but not relocated.

Monday 30th May

Cool northerly winds, but basically bright and sunny.

Mary Redman reports 3 Great Skuas at Claddach Loch last night.

John Miles sent in the following interesting account:

“Been involved in a seabird survey training course on both Saturday and Sunday. Main highlights were 2 Minke Whales off the Sound of Islay.on 28th May. At least 3 Harbour Porpoise. 3 Great Northern Divers coming into summer plumage.on 29th May in the mouth of West Loch Tarbert. 11 Red throated Divers.on 29th May in the mouth of West Loch Tarbert. Several flocks of Manx Shearwaters with the highest count of 36 birds in one flock..Mixed seabirds with one flurry of 46 Gannets feeding possible where the whales had pushed up the fish bait ball.”

I took an afternoon peek from both the Hides at Gruinart. There were a lot of very flighty Dunlin and Ringed Plover feeding on the floods – probably 50 of the former and 25 of the latter. A sub-adult White-tailed Eagle sauntered over producing a useful bit of pandemonium by putting up a total of 120 drake Mallard from the floods. Previously I could see 5-10 hidden in the luxuriant emergent vegetation so it was a bit of a surprise to see how many were lurking there out of sight.

 

Sunday 29th May

Another bright and sunny day, with a slightly cool NW breeze and just a few light showers towards the end of the day.

A late morning check of the hides at RSPB Gruinart produced a single Black-tailed Godwit and drake Pintail. A lone Barnacle Goose still with us is presumably unfit for the journey back to Greenland and resting here for the summer. The 2 pairs of Mute Swans now both have cygnets hatched. A Greenfinch was calling from the viewpoint – a sadly uncommon sound these days.

Saturday 28th May

 A pleasant day with no rain showers, just sunshine and a light NW breeze.

James How had been out on his “home-patch” at Gruinart finding the following good birds: 2 Water Rails, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 10 Whitethroats, 3 Whinchats, 1 White Wagtail. 1 White-tailed Eagle, 2 Sandwich Terns and 1 Little Tern.

He did substantially better than me as I did a very pleasant hike on the circuit from Ardnave Loch to Ardnave Point and back this morning. Apart from a trio of twittering Twite, Wheatears, Choughs and gazillions of sublimely singing Skylarks, there wasn’t a great deal going on. A calling Corn Crake crex-crexing by the farm buildings and an immature Great Northern Diver diligently diving deep were about the best birds. On Nave Island and associated skerries there was the constant, cacophonous, caterwauling call of no less than 320 Grey Seals lying low, lounging lazily on the rocks and beaches.  A couple of Roe Deer on Nave Island was odd – did they get there by accident or deliberately? Are they there to stay or will they try to swim back to the mainland? Does anybody know?

 

Friday 27th May

The weather continues in much the same vein: breezy from the west with rain showers between some sunshine.

 We seem to be coming to that time of year when the spring migration is all but over and birding news is scant. However, I popped out and checked the hides at Gruinart this afternoon and found 4 Black-tailed Godwits still hanging on with us, as were two pairs of Wigeon. A sub-adult White-tailed Eagle put on a good show, putting all the birds into the air in a panic, making failed attempts to catch a Teal or two and eventually being seen off by irate Black-headed Gulls and Lapwings.

Ed Burrell messaged that the Iceland Gull is still present down at Cornabus – a late date for an Arctic species, but as Ed commented “why go to Greenland when it is this cold here?”

Thursday 26th May

Despite fairly pleasant weather - albeit still showery at times and a bit more breezy than previous days - there seems to be not much bird news to report. Thanks to Bob Mitchell for sending in his notes for today:

"On a drive around the Rinns, there were 2 Arctic Terns and a Tystie off Claddach, a Cuckoo on a wire near Ben Cladville and a Golden Eagle very close, disturbed from just over the wall by the road down to Kilchiaran, which was then mobbed by gulls."

Wednesday 25th May

Another day of light westerly winds with sunshine and showers.

Bob Mitchell kindly sent in his notes:

“A walk in showery Bridgend Woods found only a pair of Bullfinches at each end, two very loud Song Thrushes and just Siskins and a Coal Tit on the feeders. Excellent views of a male Hen harrier and a WTE at Finlaggan”.

Mary Redman gave us an update on her Wren family, all looking well and cosy in their nest: