Monday 29th & Tuesday 30th August

 No idea what the weather is like on Islay as I'm not there, but close by on the mainland it is warm and sunny, so hope it is good back on the island.

A catch-up post for Sunday 28th was a sighting of 2 Ospreys over Loch Gruinart seen by Laura Nicoll.

On Monday David Wood had a Quail near The Oa car park - not many of these ever recorded on Islay.

Margaret Brooke reports the usual Hen Harrier and Sparrowhawk from her place at Kilchoman. The Sparrowhawk apparently taking a couple of her local Swallows and being generally "pesky" as Ian Brooke would have called it!

On Tuesday Gary Turnbull noted the first return of Great Northern Divers to the island with 3 out on Loch Indaal from Port Charlotte.

Sunday 28th August

 I've been in Northern Ireland this weekend at Ballycastle, so am not sure what the weather was like on Islay. However, ?I visited Rathlin Island today and peered across at Islay and it looked much the same as here: warm, dry and sunny - a gorgeous summer's day.

Fiona McGillivray had seen a fine, summer-plumaged Black-throated Diver off Caol Ila. Here on Rathlin  we saw a Thresher Shark and a IY Med. Gull in Ballycastle Harbour..

Friday and Saturday 26th & 27th August

 David Wood reports a flock of 23 Ravens and 3 Sparrowhawks on The Oa on Friday, Visitor Al Kitching staying at Kintra Farm saw a couple of Little Terns on the beach  there today (Saturday) and also a Marsh Harrier catch and eat a Moorhen while watching from the RSPB hides at Gruinart..

Thursday 25th August

 Quiet day on the reporting front, though judging from the increasing flocks of small waders there is plenty of movement around our coasts.

Only my own sightings from today to contribute - 2 chough on Currie Sands. One Barn owl just outside Portnahaven this evening,  and one snipe at Ballameanach cottages.

As ever, the blog is dependent on folk contributing sightings, whatever they are. From robins to rarities, it all contributes to Islay records and serves to continue the work of the blog as a recording place for sightings and a source of informations for any visitors.  So don't be shy folks!

Mary

Tuesday 23 & Weds 24 August

 

Billys photo of the day taken on the sound of shags drying off.

Tuesday Peter was out and noted big numbers of greylag geese: 175 off Port Charlotte and an additional 240 from the North Hide at RSPB Loch Gruinart.  I haven't noticed their number go down at all at Claddach Loch. The WTE usually spook them but they must be elsewhere at the moment!

Today, Margaret at "Kilchoman Reserve" could see at least someone appreciated the mass thistles on the Machir, with a lot of birds feeding on the seed heads, and a ring-tailed hen harrier hunting over them.  The sparrow hawk remains a regular in the garden.

Mary

Monday 22nd August

 

With no sighting reported today I have brought some of Jim's fabulous photos taken off the ferry the other day  of sooty and Manx shearwaters.  I like the changed colour of the sea in both, presumably inland water vs out in the sound.

Up at Claddach yesterday there were 2 chough on Currie Sands, 3 whimbrel near Windy Edge croft house (a favourite spot of theirs) and a wheatear along the track.

Mary

Sunday 21st August

Despite a dry, mild day with light winds and a good bit of sunshine, it appears that nobody (other than David Dinsley who saw two Black-tailed Godwits over at Loch Kinnabus) had been out birding and found anything to write home about.

I ventured to the North Hide at Gruinart this afternoon and saw another portend of autumn and winter in the shape of a White-tailed Eagle sat on the flats far out at low tide. This is the first I believe to be out here after the breeding season, and we can expect more sightings as the adults and young birds wander to where they can find food most easily - if I were a Greylag Goose I'd be looking over my shoulder these days to see what might be watching me!