Wednesday 3rd November

Drake lesser scaup on Loch Skerrols today (Dan Brown), first on Islay since 2009! Also there among the crowds were one ring-necked duck, the American wigeon, and a female long tailed duck.

Neil was further south on The Oa, and enjoyed 3 golden eagles throughout the visit there.  Also a 'mobile' snow bunting,  3 twite at the carpark, and a ring ouzel crossed the road on the drive up.  But was it just to get to the other side...?

Twite, with thanks to Julian Cook.

Dan also visited the Oa and had 4 white-tailed eagles (WTE), 3 golden eagles, 2 hen harriers (one of each), a male merlin, a peregrine, a snow bunting (same one as Neil?) and 18 twite.

Neil then set off to Loch Skerrols to see the birds seen this morning by Dan, which he did so and more - 6 WTE together in the distance over the hills.  A male hen harrier north of Port Ellen with a WTE.  Late afternoon at Loch Gruinart Neil had good sightings of the cackling goose, a pink-footed goose and a ring-tailed hen harrier.

Male hen harrier, again thanks to Julian Cook.

The northern lights are apparently putting on a show tonight folks, I expect good photos tomorrow please!

Thurs 8th May

Big brother is watching you....

This is one of the Lapwing nests on the flats at Gruinart which has a camera on it 24/7. The reason behind it, is to help watch for any predation that may occur at the nest. Once James and the team see anything untoward they will let us know.

Also on the reserve at Gruinart, James had a Barn Owl hunting the other evening at dusk. A few Whimbrel are still moving through yet and a Peregrine Falcon was seen too. JRH

Down on the RSPB Oa reserve, on the other side of Islay, Gus Keys has had a good day with a Shore Lark at Upper Killeyan, a Swift flying by down beside the American Monument, the male Goosander is still to be seen on Loch Kinnabus. This evening a Male Ring neck Duck appeared on the loch amongst some Tufted Duck. A.K.

Around Loch Gorm, there were several fields with small number of Whimbrel, less than 10 in each field. M.S.

The field where the Greylags were yesterday, are now up to 20 Geese on the newly sown game crop! A visiting birder contacted me to say that he had seen 7 different male Hen Harrier at different locations today. I.K.B.

From over on Jura, Louise was in touch to say that she had seen a Magpie on Scarba, a Great Northern Diver in full summer plumage, a White tailed Sea Eagle, a Peregrine Falcon, a Golden Eagle as well as a Buzzard, and on a small island in the Sound of Jura, there were quite a few Canada Geese. L.G.

On another front, Michael Coppleston had an female Emperor Moth in the moth trap at Gruinart last night. Through the day he had seen Marsh Fritillaries out on the wing. Susan McGhie had a Peacock butterfly over in her garden in Ballygrant.