Monday 27 Feb

 

In a spectacular night of Northern Lights the whole country appeared to have enjoyed, Islay was no different.  An incredible experience enjoyed from so many's back garden! Above from my own in Port Wemyss.

Back to the birds and the activity was also flurried! Difficult to pick through the WhatsApp group but here goes. The highlights:

Chris had an immature WTE, an adult pair of golden eagles plus a male hen harrier at Sanaigmore. Then at Gruinart observed a male hen harrier mobbing the marsh harrier in front of the viewing platform on the RSPB Woodland trail. Also spotted on the Salt Marsh was 3 WTE. Later he found the red-breasted goose among a flock of 2000 barnacles before the flock was put up by WTE's.  Near Killinallan his highlights. was a greenshank, and a jack snipe.

At the Oa Ian reported an other jack snipe as well as a common snipe as he walked away from the car park, while David D. counted 40 twite there.

Valerie had a good day out - at Finlaggan a Goosander, 3 WTE, and a sparrowhawk; at Stonefield 40 redwing; at Coulabus there was 40 twite, 80 fieldfare and a kestrel.  Back at Gruinart she noted 15 whooper swans high overhead.

Sunday 26th February

Another busy day of people looking at birds in beautiful blue skies. Here we go...

Some late sightings for Saturday 25th came through from Chris Mills this morning. On Loch Indaal he had c16 long-tailed ducks, c20 slav grebes, 15 GNDs, 10 RTDs, c30 RBMs and 8 goldeneyes. Ian Ford chipped in with a tawny owl calling in Bowmore, also last night. 

On to today, and Ashley Saunders got us started with a woodcock at Kildalton. Ian Ford then saw the glaucous gull at...yeah, you guessed it. Chris Mills had 2 chough nearby and slav grebe close inshore at the same location. He then saw lots of raptors - WTE at Kilchoman, and WTE, 2 goldies, 2 hen harriers, 3 buzzards and a sprawk at Ballimartin. Not to be out-eagled, Ian Ford then saw 3 WTEs over Gruinart and a ringtail harrier near Craigens. Michael Harrison laughed at this feeble effort and reported 5 golden eagles at Sanaigmore, plus hen harrier and merlin. 

Valerie Wilson reported 3 LTDs, 7 slav grebes, c100 common scoter on Loch Indaal and 4 WTEs over Loch Gruinart. Margaret had a stonechat in her garden, the first for a while. 

James tried to kill the upbeat Spring-is-on-the-way vibes by sending in a picture of a manky dead dolphin, but we'll save that treat for another time. Here's a cracker from Billy Stitchell of a crossbill at Finlaggan instead. 

Thanks to Mary for passing on, and to all the above for their sightings. 

Saturday 25th February

Eyes down for a full house of Islay birds. 

Simon Knight was the latest in a very long line of people to record the glaucous gull at Uiskentuie. Does it ever move?! Simon also had 2 WTEs from the viewing platform at Gruinart. Ashley Saunders picked up "2 cackling/canada x barnacle hybrids" on the Gartbreck road, before seeing a pair of merlins mating on a telegraph pole at Mulindry and an otter at Bunnahabhain. Later in the day they saw an imm golden eagle on the Glen road, an adult WTE over Jura and a young WTE hunting barnies at the Woollen Mill. 

Chris Mills had the female surf scoter in with around 100 common scoters out from Bowmore. In the afternoon he had 3 WTE between Lochs Indaal and Gruinart and this great view of a merlin...

...perched on a fence post on the Carnain - Coullabus road. Steve Rogers finishes off our visitor reports with 3 WTE high over Kilnaughton. 

Our own Mary had a singing skylark down in bandit country at Claddach. It was that kind of beautiful day. Gruinart is very busy with woodcock at dusk at the minute, it's a fine sight with Venus and Jupiter looking spectacular in the SW sky. 

Speaking of beautiful things, here's Oa warden David Dinsley with an excellent short film he made about about twite and other Oa things. Well worth a watch. 

Thanks to all the above. 

Friday 24th Feb

 Lots of sighting submitted during the course of the day via the WhatsApp group (Instructions to the right of this post).

Ashley S. was out exploring the Loch Gorm area and reported 5 golden eagles (2 adult pairs and a sub-adult) as well as an adult pair of WTE.  At Craigens they spotted a pale-bellied Brent goose among the barnacles as well as a Russian Whitefront.  En-route there were 3 purple sandpiper at Bruichladdich and the glaucous gull still present at Uiskentui.  

The other highlights on the island include - Dave W. recorded 40 skylark in a flock at Risabus; Chris M. had a flock of over 100 fieldfare overhead between the Uiskentui and Gruinart area, and 17 chough at Kilchoman; Steve reports a great white egret at RSPB floods at Loch Gruinart; Steve W. reported 'lots' of yellowhammers on the pheasant feeders near Kildalton cross.

Off the island, Chris M sent in his sightings from the ferry crossing Port Askaig to Kennacraig. 2WTE at Kennacraig, 7 Slavonian grebe, 24 great northern divers, one red necked grebe, imm Golden Eagle over Jura, and 2cy glaucous gulls.

Thank you for all your sightings, dont forget, photos are equally welcome!

Finally Morven sent through the International Goose Count results - 24,656 barnacles, 5470 whitefronts, and 894 greylags.  

Thursday 23 Feb

 A day of two halves today! Fair in the morning, showers in the afternoon.  Some nice sightings submitted today:

Simon K. reported a glaucous gull still present at Uiskentue (by the turn off to Gruinart), and a walk around Ardnave Point found 9 bar-wits, 10 purple sandpiper, lots of sanderling and ringed plovers, around 40 chough in a single flock, both golden and WTE, and off shore great northern diver, black guillemot and a kittiwake.

Ashley S. reported 2 Russian white-fronted geese at Gruinart; off Uiskentue a long-tailed duck and Slav. grebe.  At Coillabus, Leorin and Craigens they found Hen harriers, then later by the Islay Woolen Mill spotted 2 pink-footed geese with the locals.

Steve reported the marsh harrier still present at the Gruinart area.

Finally a report submitted by 'LP' of 3 WTE above Grannys Rock, Kilchoman.

An other of Billy's fabulous photos, this time of a Goldeneye duck, at Ballygrant.

Thanks to all for todays sightings.

Wednesday 22nd February

 A nice spring day with lovely sunshine, although showers later in the day to catch out everyone who was optimistic enough to hang out their washing!  An other sign of spring - Margaret reported her first hedgehog of the year at Kilchoman reserve.

Elsewhere on the island there appears to be a modest fall of mistle thrush - 4 at Ellister, 2 at Kildalton, and finally one reported at the Oa.  No doubt more else where.

The sunshine appears to have spurred the local eagles into action with 2 WTE at Gruinart, and a pair at Cornabus hunting geese and a solo bird over Finlaggan.  2 Golden eagle seen on the Glen Road.  

Other sightings include a flock of long-tailed tits at Kildalton (Mary-Anne); Crossbills at Finlaggan and a barn owl by Bridgend (Steve W.);  Glaucous gull at Uiskentue, Short-eared owl at Finlaggan (Simon K.); 2 Todds Canada geese seen among whitefronts at Kintra (Steve); and finally the red-breasted goose was seen three separate times, all in the fields on the West side of Loch Gruinart.

Billy was out at Ballygrant loch and shared sightings of tufted duck, goldeneye, coot, mallard and little grebe.

As an additional note, my sisters on the Island of Kerrera were gathering sheep on the west side of the island and were being watched by a whopping 15 WTE and 2 juv. Golden eagle enjoying the thermals above them! Being so close to Mull appears to have made Kerrera an ideal youth club!

Tuesday 21 February

 Not too bad a day, more signs of spring with 2 skylark calling overhead at Currie Sands.

Simon and Steve both reported the cackling goose at Mulindry.  Simon going onto the Oa with a count of 40-50 twites at the carpark plus the ever hopeful merlin.  He also was treated to the sight of 2 golden eagle displaying.  Steve retreated inland and was rewarded with sightings of the red breasted goose and the marsh harrier at RSPB Loch Gruinart reserve.