Wednesday 27th March
Islay Birds
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2d ago
Cold, wet and windy all day, but a few folk braved the elements. Mike Dilger was on Jura and found 35 Brent Geese just north of Craighouse and a Wheatear south of Ardlussa. On Islay, Roger Broad  was out on The Rhinns finding another Wheatear at Smaull, and 3 Little Egrets and 2 Merlins at Gruinart where 32 Whooper Swans were resting up. Wendy & John Mattingley sent in their notes for their visit to Islay, which included 8 Black-tailed Godwits from the S. Hide at Gruinart and a mixed flock of 50 Fieldfares and Redwings today plus 21 Whooper Swans on Ardnave Loch and a Wheatear at Ardn ..read more
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Tuesday 26th March
Islay Birds
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2d ago
A surprisingly pleasant day - a cold easterly wind, but bright and sunny, though becoming cloudy with stronger winds by evening. Mike Dilger was at RSPB The Oa this morning and enjoyed the Twite on the feeders at the car park - 17 in total. Back up this way he found a Wheatear on the shoreline north of Bruichladdich and this afternoon scored three diver species at Sanaigmore - just singles of RTD and BTD with several GND. I wax out this morning at Gruinart with Roger Broad looking for the Red-breasted Goose. We had glorious views of many thousands of Barnacle Geese, but the RBG eluded us. Up a ..read more
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Sunday 24th & Monday 25th March
Islay Birds
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4d ago
Sunday and Monday were two very different days. Yesterday was gloriously sunny, mild and pleasant. Today was another stinker, with cold rainy and windy conditions blowing in from the east as a change from the wet windy weather we'd had from the west last week. However, the birds and the birders didn't reflect these stark changes: Yesterday Marc Eden  noted a very good tally of 82 Whooper Swans departing Islay over Sanaigmore with another 10 sitting in a nearby field feeling less inspired to head off towards Iceland into a headwind - they'd probably be making good progress today with the w ..read more
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Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd March
Islay Birds
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6d ago
Two cold days with strong westerly winds and squally showers at times. Yesterday Marc Eden had the first Sand Martins for Islay this year - 3 of them sheltering in the lee of trees at Loch Skerrols. Today, James How found a Chiffchaff at Gruinart. I hope these first, brave summer arrivals survive the ghastly weather ..read more
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Thursday 21st March
Islay Birds
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1w ago
 Grey, windy and drizzly - not very pleasant at all - and nobody out there recording birds today. Malcolm Ogilvie pointed out that my comment yesterday that a few Barnacle Geese linger on is incorrect - in fact most of them are lingering on, as they often do into late March and early April. With the next few days threatening strong west and WNW winds, they are unlikely to be heading towards Iceland and Greenland in a hurry. Louise Muir had a fleeting view of a probable Common Sandpiper yesterday - that would be the earliest ever on Islay, the previous earliest being 25th March 2021. Jim D ..read more
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Wednesday 20th March
Islay Birds
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1w ago
A fine, bright, sunny day; spring is here and we had birds to prove it: David Dinsley saw the first Chiffchaff of the year at Kinnabus this morning, while Marc Eden found our first Wheatear - a lovely male - at Ardnave this afternoon. Winter is on the wane, but a few Barnacle Geese linger on, including some with blue darvic rings at Octovulin, seen by Fiona McGillivray which are from the Icelandic breeding population ..read more
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Tuesday 19th March
Islay Birds
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1w ago
Jim Dickson was in touch today to let us know that summer migrants are beginning to turn up in Argyll including Chiffchaffs and Wheatears. However, nothing showing on Islay yet. Clive McKay had sky-dancing Hen Harriers up at Bun an Uillt today and a count of 345 Bar-tailed Godwits at Gruinart. He also noted a cluster of Marsh Fritillary butterfly caterpillars at Creag Mhor ..read more
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Sunday 17th & Monday 18th March
Islay Birds
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1w ago
The nice sunny weather yesterday lasted until lunchtime today, then deteriorated into rain and wind this afternoon. No bird news for yesterday, though several of our regular contributors sent in notes about interesting moths and seeing their first Adders of the spring. Today, Morven from NatureScot kindly sent in the counts for the final international goose count of the season, carried out on 12/13 March, totals as follows: 27,648 Barnacle Geese, 4,926 White-fronted Geese and 918 Greylag Geese. Continuing the goose-themed blog, Jim Wells, who was over from N. Ireland on 11t ..read more
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Friday 15th & Saturday 16th March
Islay Birds
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1w ago
A sunny day yesterday with a cool breeze turning into a drizzly, windy afternoon today. Mary Redman saw a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Claddach and a White-tailed Eagle over McKenzie Island yesterday, while Elliott Bowman had a pair of White-tailed Eagles in woods near Mid Cragabus where he found a Golden Eagle today. Clive McKay reports 70+ Dunlin on wet pools close to the road at Gruinart flats today ..read more
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Thursday 14th March
Islay Birds
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2w ago
A mostly rainy, cool day. After seeking some help on our WhatsApp group yesterday on where to find Red Grouse, Mel Chowns, on her last day birding on Islay, was delighted that the info actually worked - finding a couple of grouse on the Bolsay track, up behind Port Charlotte. Mel also found a couple of Great Northern Divers at Loch an t Sailein in the morning ..read more
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