Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd October

Thursday was wet (36 mm of rain recorded at the airport) and windy (S veering W), while Friday was not quite as wet (24 mm) but very much windier (mainly W to NW)  as Storm Amy arrived, the strongest gust being 81 mph at 6pm.

Unsurprisingly, no bird sightings were received on Thursday, but Dan Brown was out and about on Friday, starting at 8.15am, with the now long-staying Black Tern still at Loch Gorm, foraging along the south side of the loch, while there were 82 Tufted Ducks and 2 Little Grebes on the water. A little later on, a very pale Willow Warbler, possibly an eastern bird, was finding shelter in the copse beside Kilchoman church, and there were 39 Barnacle Geese in a field south of Coull Farm.

Dan then found a Pectoral Sandpiper close to Sanaigmore, which might or might not be the same bird as he found at Ballinaby on Wednesday, while, on the floods at Gruinart, there were 32 Black-tailed Godwits, 5 Ruffs and 3 Greenshanks. His next find was quite a surprise, a Glossy Ibis feeding in the same field where the last sighting of one took place on 12th September. If it's been here all the time, it must have found a more attractive feeding area in the meantime, and one out of sight of birders!

During the morning, before Storm Amy made her presence felt, Dan watched a Hen Harrier mobbing a Peregrine at Coille, on the way to Sanaigmore, and then 2 Chough also mobbing it. The small wood at An Dun, just beyond Coille, which benefitted several years ago from being fenced to keep out deer and stock, had Treecreeper, 5 Goldcrests and all four tits, while 40 Twite and 3 Mistle Thrush were feeding on the fields at Sanaigmore. Also, Dan estimated high counts of 325 Meadow Pipits and 125 Pied Wagtails on the circuit from Machir Bay to Sanaigmore.

Around lunchtime, Gary T. saw 2 Greenshank feeding at the mouth of the Gartmain Burn where it runs into Loch Indaal, and, earlier, Dave W. saw around 100 Twite at the Oa car park, with a further 13 or so at Kinnabus, plus 1 Siskin.

The wind, still blowing quite strongly this morning, and forecast to stay at or above 50 mph all day, is now coming from the NW, and the isobar chart shows lovely northwest to southeast "tramlines" all the way from Iceland to Islay, so it seems quite likely that some geese and swans, in particular, might think this a good time to have a nice boosted flight here.

10:00am Saturday:

I've just received this fabulous photograph of the Glossy Ibis from Dan. He couldn't send it yesterday as the Port Ellen area had a power cut lasting into the night, whereas here at Bruichladdich, our power cut lasted less than an hour as the Bowmore generator took over, though obviously not for the whole island as it normally does. I'm trying not to feel smug.

 Stop Press: James has just counted 670 Barnacle Geese on the sand at Loch Gruinart.

 

 Wednesday 1st October

 Apologies for this late blog. Yesterday was mainly overcast with a southerly and still quite warm.

Dan Brown kicked things off with 5+ Bottlenose Dolphins feeding in Kilnaughton Bay first thing in the morning, also seeing an Otter, but not long afterwards was at Loch Gorm watching a juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper with a Golden Plover flock on the north side of the loch at Ballinaby (see first photograph), the seventh record for Islay and the first since 2013. Very soon after, he saw a second American wader, as a juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper (Islay's 20th record and see second photograph) flew over the flock calling and headed out to the coast. A Hen Harrier and 2 adult WTEs were also in the area. The sandpiper was still present at lunchtime and seen by Marc Eden.

Mid-afternoon, Dan was back at Loch Gorm and Machir Bay in the afternoon seeing 17 Barnacle Geese and 4 Pinkfeet with Greylags just south of Coull Farm, 84 Ringed Plovers on the field by Machir Bay car park plus 20 on the beach with Sanderling and Turnstone. There were 4 Wheatears at Smaull, a female Golden Eagle was flying over An Carnan and 3 Little Egrets were on the Gruinart Flats. Teresa Morris watched 7 Pale-bellied Brent flying south past Killinallan Point, while David Hunter saw 2 Ruff from the Gruinart north hide. James How found the Buff-breasted Sandpiper later on in the afternoon, plus a Golden Eagle nearby, while at Gruinart he counted 7 Ruff, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, a Peregrine, 2 Greenshank, and 3 Hen Harriers, while there were no less than 5 WTEs at Ardnave.

Finally, Dan was at Kintra in the late afternoon seeing Kintra Beach seeing a 1st-winter Arctic Tern, 3 juvenile Long-tailed Ducks, 14 Red-throated Divers, 1 Great Northern Diver, 6 Razorbills, 15 Swallows heading south, and a single Wheatear, with another at Kilnaughton.

Fiona McG kindly commented on the Canoe Shell, saying that they were quite regular on Kilnaughton Beach and reported from other south coast sites.

 

 

 

 Tuesday 30th September

Mostly dry until late afternoon when the rain started.

David D. reported that the Little Grebe was still on Loch Kinnabus. Non-ornithological sightings in the morning were from Dan Brown, coming over for another visit, of at least 4 Common Dolphins, including a calf, seen from the ferry close to the southern end of the Sound of Islay, and he also spotted a Bulrush Wainscot moth hitching a lift on the ship - a species only recorded here a handful of times, before seeing 6 Pinkfeet with Greylags on mudflats at the head of Loch Indaal plus 3 White-tailed Eagle (WTE) (usual pair plus a juvenile), and another WTE and a Golden Eagle close to Ballygant plus a juvenile Hen Harrier. The raptor theme continued in the afternoon with Mary R. seeing a WTE flying low over the auction mart at Bridgend, Clive McK. spotting a Golden Eagle hunting the west side of Loch Gruinart below Creag Mhor and Samantha reporting a male Hen Harrier at Torrabus.

Not content with seeing an unusual moth on the ferry, Dan B. found Canoe Shells (Scaphander lignarius) on the beach at Kilnaughton Bay, noting that they are related to sea slugs but shelled, while also seeing 2 Golden Eagles hunting over Imeraval (just east of Kilnaughton) in the evening. It's still to be confirmed, but this may be the first record of Canoe Shell for Islay.

The photographs today, both by Dan B., have to be of the shells and the moth. I hope you agree.

 

 Monday 29th September 2025

 A mostly overcast day with fairly light southerly winds and a wee bit of drizzle.

 After the flurry of sightings yesterday, the only records received today came from The Oa, where David D. saw a Little Grebe on Loch Kinnabus, while, at Upper Killeyan, he had a nice quartet of raptors, Merlin, Hen Harrier, Peregrine and Buzzard.

Trying my hand at migration forecasting, the wetter and windier weather expected later this week looks as if it may offer some nice tailwinds for migrants from Iceland, so we may see some Whooper Swans and geese, as well as smaller species, arriving.

 Sunday 28th September

A much nicer day, quite sunny and little wind. This also brought out the birders and so plenty of sightings were sent in.

Clive McK was out and about at Ardnave, finding 5 Little Grebe on the loch, with 3 White-tailed Eagles in the area, while, at Traigh Nostaig on the west side of the peninsula, he found 25 Pied Wagtails, 10 Rock Pipits and 2 Greenland Wheatears, along with Bartailed Godwits, Ringed Plovers, Sanderlings and a few Dunlin, as well as 9 Choughs. However, a seawatch by him at Frenchman's Rocks yesterday evening was very disappointing, with 2 Great Northern Divers heading south the only highlight.

Two larger than usual flocks reported were of 45 Red-breasted Mergansers on Loch Gruinart seen by Clive, and 50 Mallards on the ponds at Shorefield, Bruichladdich, seen by Fiona McG. 

David D. found a Pinkfoot among the Greylags at Bruichladdich and, later on, a lone Whooper Swan at Coul, while Clive's final offerings of the day were a lonely Swallow at Creag Mhor, Gruinart, the rest around that area having departed, along with the House Martins, though there were still half a dozen Swallows at Nerabus and 10 at Easter Ellister.

Finally, I have been informed that the photograph I posted yesterday of a White Wagtail was in fact of a Pied Wagtail. I have duly slapped myself on my wrist for making that mistake, and now wait to see if this photograph of a White Wagtail taken by Gordon Langsbury meets with approval. 

 

Saturday 27th September

Not a day for birding outside, with 25 mm of rain recorded at the airport (a fraction under an inch for those who prefer old-fashioned units), mostly in the morning, and accompanied by the continuing strong SE wind.

So, no bird records received, though an interesting (perhaps to a few) exchange about leeches. An addition to yesterday's tally was a Magpie seen by Mary-Ann F. near the airport.

I can offer two photographs sent to our companion e-mail address of islaybirds@gmail.com, which I confess I overlooked until being reminded by Peter, messaging me from Angola! The first, from Christine Menzies, is a  striking one of two White-tailed Eagles cruising over Emeravale, outside Port Ellen, last Wednesday, while Billy Stitchell sent in one of the attractive White Wagtail, close relative of our Pied Wagtail, and a passage migrant from Iceland or the near Continent.

 

Friday 26th September

Similar weather to yesterday, some sun with a strong SE wind.

Dave W. provided the first report of the day, of a female Merlin at Kinnabus, The Oa. Gary T. then had a good morning, posting news of the birds he saw in a wander down the High Road, starting with loads of young Swallows over Laggan Bridge and the adjacent moorland and forestry, followed by the first sighting of a Short-eared Owl for some while as one flew off near one of the ruined croft houses at the bottom of Duich Lotts, and flew southwards past the trig point close to the Low Road. He then moved to the Glen Road where he saw a flock of 20+ Ravens flying off near Cluanach towards the plantations along the road there, while just north actually on road there were 18 wagtails, 16 Pied and 2 White. Finally, at Barr, there was a sizeable group of 21 Mistle Thrushes in the garden there and along the mown verge. Thanks,  Gary.