Category: Sightings

MID-ARGYLL: At Loch Crinan/Add Estuary this morning – 21 adult Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Dunlin, 5 Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank also fem + 4 juvs Goosander new in (Jim Dickson).

TIREE: Unusual gathering of 340 Gannets sitting on the sea off Hynish this pm, plus 1 Pomarine Skua there. 31 adult Black-tailed Godwits and 150 Golden Plover at Middleton. 1 Whimbrel, 2 adult Black-tailed Godwits and 410 Common Gull on cut silage at Ruaig. 538 Sanderling (all adults) on the main beaches today – still no sign of any juveniles (John Bowler).
COWAL: 30 Swifts above Dunoon early evening yesterday (easily the most I have seen this year).  An adult and a juvenile Sandwich Tern on the shore at Kirn this evening (George Newall).
KINTYRE: On Gigha at Ardminish Bay yesterday – 140 Ringed Plover, 70 Dunlin and 1 Osprey (David Jardine).
MID-ARGYLL: a Monarch butterfly was seen on the shore at Dunstaffnage (Clive Craik).

COWAL: 36 Sandwich Tern at Toward today (Cherry Cook). The Little Egret is still at the Holy Loch (Alistair McGregor).
KINTYRE: Another decent southerly wader passage at Machrihanish SBO today with 118 Oystercatcher, 9 Curlew, 39 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Red Knot, 115 Sanderling, 52 Dunlin, 6 Common Sandpiper and 97 Common Redshanks. Also, the first juvenile Black-legged Kittiwake >S and 4 Black-tailed Godwit were on Machrihanish links (Eddie Maguire).

MID-ARGYLL: At the Add Estuary/Loch Crinan this morning – 6 ad Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Greenshank, 74 Redshank, 145 Oystercatcher, 210 Dunlin, 6 Ringed Plover, 1ad Turnstone, 8 ad Sanderling, 3 Common Sandpiper, 3 Teal and 1 m Tufted Duck which was also seen later (6pm) at Loch Gilp (Jim Dickson).
A Green Sandpiper was watched feeding at a roadside pool south of Ardrishaig (Ben Reavey et al).
TIREE: John Bowler noted less waders on the island yesterday than the larger nos noted on 31 Jul when – 410 Dunlin, 381 Sanderling and 120 Ringed Plover counted at various sites (most at Gott Bay) – and yesterday at Loch a’ Phuill were 7 Greenshank, 32 Dunlin and 9 Ringed Plover.
COWAL: A Little Egret at the Holy Loch this afternoon also 8 Sandwich Tern of the coal pier Dunoon (Alistair McGregor).

MID-ARGYLL: Arrival of waders today with:  at Loch Crinan – 247 Dunlin, 22 Sanderling 16 Ringed Plover, 112 Redshank and 1 Black-tailed Godwit with a further 64 Dunlin and 22 Redshank nearby at the Add Estuary – also 1 Kestrel there. At Loch Gilp – 4 Sanderling, 2 Dunlin, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit and 3 Whimbrel (Jim Dickson).
KINTYRE: Superb southerly wader passage at Machrihanish SBO 08:00 -15:00hrs with most going through mid morning in overcast conditions / light drizzle. totals included 27 Oystercatcher, 33 Ringed Plover, 22 Curlew, 18 Black-tailed Godwit, 17 Ruddy Turnstone, 9 Red Knots (adults) 270 Sanderlings (11 flocks / largest ca. 90), 170 Dunlin  (8 flocks / largest ca. 75), 7 Common Sandpiper and 65 Common Redshanks (Eddie Maguire).
NORTH ARGYLL: At Ardtur/Loch Laich today – Redshank – 85 (a great count for this location), Osprey, Little Grebe – 3 broods b/1, b/2, b/3), Moorhen – 15 (!) – 4 ads with 4 broods and Water Rail – large chick (David Jardine).

ISLAY: A Green Sandpiper this morning on moorland pools along the Bolsay track above Port Charlotte (Mike Peacock). The Rosy Starling was seen again at Ardnave yesterday (James How per Ian Brooke).
MID-ARGYLL: At the Add Estuary this pm – m & f Hen Harrier, 3 Greenshank and 14 ad Dunlin (Jim Dickson).
TIREE: At least 1 Rose-coloured Starling (paler-bodied bird) still at east end of Traigh Bhi this afternoon. 1 juv Ruff at Loch a’ Phuill. 6 Sooty Shearwater SW off Hynish this afternoon (John Bowler).

MID-ARGYLL: A belated report of an adult (female?) Rosy Starling behind the school at Ardfern found on 23rd Jul and seen again there on 26th Jul – reported to Ju Randall by Colin Smith. At the Add Estuary yesterday 2 Wigeon – first of the autumn there, also a male Hen Herrier (Jim Dickson).

TIREE: Now 3 Rosy Starlings at the east end of Traigh Bhi, Balephuil today – 1 very pink male and 2 paler bodied birds – coming to feeders but also in amongst Starling flocks at Meningie. 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Gadwall, 11 Pintail and 1 Greenshank at Loch a’ Phuill (John Bowler).
MID-ARGYLL: 1 Bar-tailed Godwit at Loch Gilp and 1 Greenshank and 5 Common Sandpipers at the Add Estuary (Jim Dickson).

TIREE: 12 Sooty Shearwater headed SW off Hynish this evening in 1 hr in SE 6-7 together with 372 Gannet, 380 Manxie, 112 Kittiwake, 48 large auk, 16 Puffin, 9 Fulmar and a flock of 15 Sanderling. 1 juv Cuckoo at Balephuil (first seen on 22^nd). 1 Rosy Starling still at Balephuil last night (John Bowler).

TIREE: Update re. Rosy Starling – now 2 birds at east the east end of Traigh Bhi, Balephuil last night – the long-staying rather pale presumed female plus a much pinker-bodied bird (John Bowler).
MID-ARGYLL: No sign of the Rosy Starling in Kilmichael Glen this morning.
KINTYRE: Eddie Maguire managed to photograph a possible Roseate Tern at the Machrihanish SBO – it arrived at 15:00 hrs. Hopefully better photos tomorrow.