Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th June

Dry throughout, with the clouds giving way to sunshine by mid-morning on Saturday, and persisting through Sunday, though it was quite breezy, so none of the soaring temperatures that the south of UK are experiencing.

No birding notes have been posted for either day, but I went over with Val P. to Jura yesterday to check out the report of breeding Black-throated Divers that came up last week. A long hike uphill into the wilder areas of the island got us to the loch in question where we did indeed find a very fine, breeding plumaged Black-throated Diver. But it was accompanied by a couple of Red-throated Divers, also in breeding plumage. We watched from a discreet distance for over an hour and concluded that all three were non-breeders: the Red-throats perhaps young from last year, not ready to breed yet? and the Black-throat: who knows? So sadly no breeding record, but a gorgeous sight nonetheless and a curious one too, with two species of divers happily associating with one another on quite a small lochan.

While over on Jura we also came across a Short-eared Owl just south of Craighouse.

Thursday 26th & Friday 27th June

The weather continues in an ever-changeable way - light winds with intervals of cloud, sunshine and rain.

Yesterday, Clive McK. commented on high tides at Gruinart washing out nests of 1-2 gulls and waders as well as counting 15 Dunlin, a Grey Plover (unusual in June), 75 Oystercatchers, 6 Kittiwakes and a Sandwich Tern there.

Today Clive witnessed some more of early-returning migrants in the shape of summer-plumaged Black-tailed Godwits arriving into Loch Gruinart - a total of 55 in two groups, with some stopping and others flying on.

Other news comes from Kinnabus, where David W. found 2 Stock Doves - another scarce bird for Islay.

Tuesday 24th & Wednesday 25th June

Two further days of mixed sunshine and showers with light winds.

It is that quiet time of year between spring bird song and autumn migration - hence fairly few sightings to report. But lets not be too dismissive of the special resident birds that we may take for-granted, but most birders would travel miles to see: 

Yesterday Gary T. had a Golden Eagle, 7 Choughs and a calling Corn Crake at Sanaigmore and an Osprey being harried by a Hen Harrier at Loch Gorm. That was followed by 2 adult White-tailed Eagles at Loch Gruinart - a combination of  species that you'd struggle to find anywhere else in the UK?

Sunday 22nd & Monday 23rd June

Two days of light to breezy winds mainly from the SDW, bringing rapidly changeable weather from bright sunshine to heavy showers.

No sightings sent in today, but yesterday, Clive McK's Curlew count rose to 115 on Gruinart, and as Jeff Duncan returned homewards he was pleased to reflect on a week on Islay where he had  no less than 15 Hen Harrier sightings (8 males and 7 females) - Islay must be one of the best places in the UK to see this species?

Saturday 21st June

Bright, sunny and warm with light southerly winds - befitting Midsummer's Day.

Gary T. was out and about with sightings of 30-40 eider along the Big Strand (Laggan Bay) where he also saw 3 Common-Arctic Terns fishing, a Red-throated Diver fly-over and 10 Gannets off Knockangle Point.

Up at Gruinart RSPB I found the odd mix of the regular Whooper Swan and Little Egret were in residence, but little else of note.

Friday 20th June

 The heatwave that has been affecting the south of UK reached us today with a fine, hot, sunny day with light southerly winds.

Tim Scott had as Barn Owel up at Saniagmore last night and noted fledged Swallows, Choughs, Linnets and Wrens there today along with another call from the Corn Crake.

Jeff Duncan was at Gruinart and saw the resident, summering Whooper Swan, plus a Little Egret and Sparrowhawk with a couple of Hen Harriers further up at Ardnave. Later, on the coastal path at Port Wemyss he saw a likely female Black Redstart - worth someone having another look to check it out as they are few and far between on Islay.

Clive McK. reports that his garden cuckoo that has been waking him up early every morning has probably gone as the specie as does return early southwards with no chicks to rear! Clive also noted an increase in Curlews at Gruinart with a count up to 80 today suggesting autumn with us already as early or failed migrant waders return.

Louise Muir saw 2 Puffins in the Sound of Jura this evening.

Bird of the Day goes to Gary T. with another sighting of the probably summering Osprey at Loch nan Cadhan this morning.

Thursday 19th June

Light southerly winds, sunshine and warmth for much of the day.

Ed Burrell found a Stock Dove at Cornabus - a scarce bird indeed on Islay. Jeff Duncan saw a Swift and 10 Twite west of Port Charlotte.

Otherwise, a report came in of Black-throated Diver on Jura, possibly breeding. If confirmed it would be the first definite breeding record for 30+ years, though Jura is choc-a-bloc with remote lochs and lochans in places where few people, let alone birders ever go, so they, along with all sorts of other gems, could be breeding up there incognito annually!