Sunday 27th September

Dave Wood sent through yesterday these birds which he had down on the reserve on the Oa..

"Nothing exciting here, but a few common migrants, 6 Goldcrest, 1 Blackcap, 4 Coal Tits. Coal Tits not usually seen on the Oa!" 

James yesterday had the following birds up at Gruinart...

183 Barnies, 2 Canada X Barny and also 2 Grey Plover 

George E. Jackson yesterday had sent through the following birds

"There were about 25 hirundines including at least 1 House Martin. On the same walk, at Uiskentuie there were 10 Pale b Brents also a female/imm R b Merganser near Blackrock (first I've seen this autumn though I haven't looked very widely yet!) Let's see what tomorrow brings. Today, George had seen 4 Sand Martins down at Machir Bay, with a count of 30 Ringed Plover in a field beside the car park at the beach itself. Further back along the road he had a flock of around 25 Tree Sparrows.."

James reckoned that there were at least 1,000 Greylags down on Loch Gorm and also 25 Barnies present there as well this afternoon.

Dave Wood had a Pied Flycatcher at Kinnabus today, plus 4 Goldcrest.

Gary today had  "2 WTE at Bridgend, one on rocky outcrop and one on the shipwreck. Small number of Barnacle Geese huddled down on sand between them. Both WTE rose and flew towards each other spooking the geese, geese didn’t know which way to go and the Eagles got one. They took it to the wreck and opened it up"

 Malcolm e mailed through this evening to tell me that the Hoopoe was seen down close to where it had been seen down close to Bridgend. 

All I can tell you is that we had an increase in Goldfinches again with around about 12 birds seen, none with rings on, although there was a House Sparrow with a ring fitted on the suet feeder !!!

Friday 2nd August

May be not as warm as yesterday, but up here certainly was great drying day with a  warm wind around as well, possibly some of the farmers might try to make some hay rather than silage in big bales...

Louise had seen a male Pied Flycatcher at lunch time, today at her house over on Jura.

Returning visitor, Martin Hughes and his family are over on holiday at present. He e mailed through to say that they had seen a Red throated Diver out on Kilnaghton Bay this afternoon. He also had an Otter  then too. Better still, he had 2 Otters there yesterday in the morning with another seen out from Port Charlotte Hotel in the evening...

Just thought I could include another image of  2 more Painted Ladies, seen on the Ragwort in the grave yard next door to us. We appear to be noticing more Red Admirals around now..

Friday 23rd May

There was a reported sighting of a Red necked Phalarope down in front of the hide at Gruinart yesterday. The Bowland birders yesterday had been down on the Oa, and had done a spot of sea watching from Port nan Gallan where they saw Manxies, Black Guillemots, and a passage of around 60 Gannets/ hour fly past. They also saw plenty of Fulmars nesting on the cliffs there, near the American monument a male Hen Harrier and back at the car park, a Kestrel on the overhead wires. On their way back, 2 Swifts were seen at Island Farm and prior to that another male Hen Harrier close to the Machrie Golf course. Ken and Sal headed over to Jura and had a good day there with the following birds seen, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, a Tree Pipit calling, Garden Warbler seen, 2 Siskins, Yellowhammer and a few Greenfinches all past the River Lussa. North of Tarbert 2 Common Buzzards wereseen, Red breasted Merganser just North of Craighouse, and they also had a possible Pied Flycatcher as well. They also heard and saw many Cuckoos on Jura. Graham and Jo had started their day around Loch Gorm with Whitethroat, 2 Whinchats and a male Hen Harrier seen. From the car park at Machir Bay, they had 8 Chough, 2 Buzzard and 2 Twite, they also heard a Corncrake calling there as well. Up the North end of Machir Bay they saw at least 70 Ringed Plover, 30 Dunlin and 50 Sanderling. Later on they saw a Peregrine over Kilchoman Distillery and then a ringtail Hen Harrier on their way over to Loch Gruinart. From the visitor centre there, a Spotted Flycatcher was seen and a Corncrake was heard.

Thurs 26th Aug

This Wheatear was up beside the Radar masts over at Kilchiaran this afternoon, along with a few mates. It was a great day, too good to be cutting grass... George was with us too and we had tremendous views all around, way up over Oronsay and Colonsay to a clear Mull and Ben More, with Tiree on its' left, over to Jura and the Paps, behind us was Donegal, mainland Argyll with part of the Mull of Kintyre showing over behind Port Ellen. As well as the Wheatears, some Chough were seen, a few Ravens and some Hoodie Crows too! Earlier on we had a couple of juvenile Hen Harriers as well as several Wheatears at different places.

Louise had seen a Swift earlier on in the week over Craighouse on Jura, she also had heard that a couple of Pied Flycatchers were seen down on the Oa.

Some folk on the ferry to Colonsay yesterday had seen 6 Basking Sharks while going there and another 4 on the return journey. Fiona MacGillivray had seen 6 in the Sound of Islay today, could these possibly be the same ones that were seen off the ferry?

Thurs 6th Aug

On his way home lat night Paul Hathaway had seen a Barn Owl out hunting, South of Port Charlotte just as the light was starting to fail.

On the guided walk this morning at Gruinart, there were a couple of Pied Flycatcher catching insects on the wing. I have not seen any of the Arctic Terns of late at the head of Loch Indaal, which makes me think that possibly they have started their long migration South again, it does not seem long since they arrived!