Friday 24 September

An other blowy day here today, though dry for the most part.  Still very mild too so a lot of late grass yet -  the mower can be stashed away just yet.

Margaret enjoyed watching a stoat jumping around the garden at Kilchoman, but was disappointed it didn't put the same energy into catching the rabbits there! We only get stoats on Islay, no weasels so there is no confusion. Although if you do want an easy way to tell them apart, weasels are weasel-y recognised and stoats are stoat-ily different. (Sorry).

George had a tawny owl last night just north of Erasaid on the Uskenui-Gruinart road.  First he had a good sighting of it flying from open fields into the shelter-belt of trees, then later he heard it calling from the same area.

David reported a merlin at Kinnabus on The Oa. 

Monday 5th August

Meant to put these pearls of wisdom down for you last night, but did not because it had been a long day, so here goes...Bob and Lesley had carried out their WeBS count from Port Charlotte round to Blackrock on Sunday. Their birds were as follows... 2 Herons, 5 Cormorants, 4 Tysties, 44 Greylags, 2 Shelduck, 16 Eider, 1 Curlew, 18 Oystecatcher, 45 Dunlin, 75 Ringed Plover, 2 Gbb Gulls, 34 Herring Gull, 14 Common Gulls and 1 Black headed Gull.

Back on Saturday morning, Islay Heads, on his way to his work at Kilchoman Distillery, had seen an Osprey carrying a large fish "torpedo style" at less than 30 metres away down above Loch Gorm.

Up here, the Linnet flock appears to be getting larger in number each day, perhaps the birds themselves are getting larger themselves as well!!! I saw a ringtail Hen Harrier out over the Machir on Sunday afternoon. The Peregrine is being heard more regularly of late as well, and the Sparrowhawk has been here annoying the wee birds, but I suppose one should expect the large spectrum of raptors with so many small birds around as well...

On Sunday, Kathy Hart, Al's other half had seen a  common Lizard out sunning itself beside the War Memorial between Port Wemyss and Portnahaven. Yesterday, they had seen some Ravens out flying around Easter Ellister,  and shortly afterward, they had great viewing of a Stoat close to Port Bhan.

Thursday 1st December

Another month in with the rainfall tally being 5 inches exactly, a lot must have fallen while we were away, as there has been precious little since our return!!

Yesterday, Mandy had seen an Otter and 2 cubs in Ardnave Loch. She also saw 12 Whoopers, and also some Goldeneye, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck and some Mute Swans with around 30 Whitefronts and a Stonechat on the edge of the Loch. Down below the cattle grid, she had a flock of Lapwing and then 2 Pink footed Geese at Kilnave. Later on, Mandy spotted a Stoat resplendent in its' ermine coat on, down below the Hedges approaching Rock Mountain! Louise yesterday had counted 54 Chough at Machir Bay. The Wheatear was still present again today down there, seen by Gary, Mike and Peter along with Jim Dickson, so we await to hear Jim's thoughts and images, check the Argyll Bird Club webpage and then click on their 2016 sightings for the latest news.

Sunday 2nd August

A mixed sort of a day over here today with the weather, certainly not much sun to be seen, not typical for time of year, I hasten to add. Not much on the bird front today, needless to say not much seen on the bird front. This morning, when I was down close to the pond, there was a young dead Stoat nearby, with the 2 Hooded Crows not far away, so I wonder whether the Hoodies have been taking the young Pheasant chicks. After lunch, Margaret was down there and came across another freshly killed young Stoat, it was still warm to the touch, so again possibly another one for the Hoodies!

Wednesday 19th December

Rather a miserable sort of a day over here today, think the word "dreich" describes it, mind you we have winds too, but the ferry came back this evening.... wonder if it brought the papers! George had been up the East side of Loch Gruinart earlier this week, and had seen an immature White tailed Sea Eagle. It was seen to be chasing after one goose, and shortly afterwards paid its' attention on another goose, both the times the goose managed to outwit the youngster! Back at home, George had a Sparrowhawk, his first for some time. He also had seen a flock of 20 Lapwing while on his bird table, of late there has only been 1 Greenfinch. Yesterday, I counted 35 Lapwing as they flew over the garden. Later on along at Sunderland, down "The hedges", we saw a Stoat run across the road, wearing his full ermine coat and black tip to its' tail.

Sun 15th Aug

A bit of a distant image taken at the back of 9am this morning of some of the mixture of young Swallows along with some Sand Martins. There were just over 100 on the wires when I took it, but not all shown here! Not to be outdone, early this evening I counted 154 Swallows but no Sand Martins this time!

James had a Stoat in his garden yesterday, not really that common a sighting here on Islay! On the thermals over the reserve today, (this spell of good weather is still present), there was Hen Harrier and also a Sparrowhawk making the most of the lift. In the willows in his garden, James had a Chiffchaff. Up in the bay at Sanaigmore yesterday, James reported seeing a lot of "By the wind Sailors" in the water. They are a type of jellyfish, if you are like me and did not know!

Sat 27th Feb

This stoat in it's ermine coat was taken last weekend by Dan Brown. We do not often see many of them, here on Islay.

Malcolm had seen a couple of Barn owls in different places on his way home from Bowmore the other night.

Our other visitors, had seen 2 Peregrine Falcon yesterday, again at different places.

This morning, round at Ballinaby, there were 110 Lapwing and a large flock of over 400 Golden Plover all together in one field, with some starting to get their summer plumage. There were 2 Whooper swans down on the lochans at Loch Gorm, and at Blackrock there was a family of 7 Mute swans, 2 adults and 5 young.