Category: Sightings

COLONSAY: A 2CY Iceland Gull at Kiloran Bay today (Patrick Styles).
KINTYRE: A report of a Nightjar ‘churring’ near Mausdale the last two evenings, after 10pm (per Alisdair Paterson).
TIREE: No further sign of the Common Rosefinch at Balephuil today but no fewer than 7 Spotted Flycatchers between there and Carnan Mor, 1 pair of Common Whitethroats, 1 pair of Blackcaps, 4 Common Redpoll and a record influx of 12 Woodpigeons including a flock of 10 which flew off W (John Bowler). Also 1 Pied Flycatcher today (Ben Steel per John Bowler).

Some photos below of a Meadow Pipit that was attacking a Collared Dove for about 5 minutes at Balephuil, Tiree the other day – the dove was pursued by the pipit in flight and continued to be mobbed on the ground – I’m sure the pipit mistakenly thought the dove was a Cuckoo – as a Cuckoo in the area. The Collared Dove looked perplexed! (Jim Dickson).

TIREE: A 2CY male Common Rosefinch singing and showing briefly at Balephuil this morning – also 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 1m Blackcap, 1m Whitethroat, 1m Cuckoo, 1 Dunnock, 2 Goldfinch and 1 House Martin there. 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Common Redpoll, 1m Blackcap and 1 singing Dunnock at the Glebe/Manse. Ad Little Stint again at Gott Bay. 3CY Iceland Gull and Common Redpoll at Kenovay (John Bowler). Later in the evening – 1 Garden Warbler  at Balephuil plus 4 Spotted Flycatchers (John Bowler).

TIREE: Looks like now two 2CY and also a 3CY Iceland Gulls between Lower Kenovay and Balevullin and a 3CY Glaucous Gull briefly at Kenovay. A bright rufous toned Little Stint was with the Sanderlings at Gott Bay this morning (Jim Dickson). Later at Balephuil – a male Common Redstart and 2 Spotted Flycatchers (John Bowler).
NORTH ARGYLL: In the Benderloch gravel pits area 2 singing Garden Warblers – also 2 juv Little Grebe (Robin Harvey).

TIREE: Seabirds moving N off West Hynish (08.15- 08.45) – 3,400 Manx Shearwater, 400+ Kittiwakes, 120 Gannets, good numbers of auks, 1 Great Skua (and 1 at Gott Bay yesterday evening) – also 1 Basking Shark. Drop in small wader numbers but still low hundreds of Sanderling, Dunlin (max 110 at Miodar) and Ringed Plover. Also total of 25  Turnstone, 1 Whimbrel still at Balevuliin and 1 Red Knot at Miodar. Several Northern Wheatears and 1 ‘Greenland’ Wheatear at Gott Bay (Jim Dickson).
ISLAY: Ian Brooke was in touch to say that the male Green-winged Teal was seen again at Gruinart yesterday.
KINTYRE: 4 Whimbrel arrived at the MSBO late morning (Eddie Maguire).

TIREE: Still 2 Whimbrel and 120 Ringed Plover at Balevullin, now joined by the 2CY Iceland Gull (from Kenovay). A Common Chiffchaff was in song at The Glebe, also Willow Warbler and Dunnock there. A Woodpigeon was at Balephuil and 7 Redpolls still there along with a Cuckoo. This evening a 2CY Curlew Sandpiper with 10 Dunlin and 160 Sanderling at Sorobaidh Bay (Jim Dickson).

COWAL: Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Sand Martin all nesting on a 50 yard stretch of the River Eachaig  – and also a pair of Kingfishers perhaps also nesting (Alistair McGregor).
ISLAY: A Little Egret at Gruinart reserve last evening and still there today (Ian Bradley per Ian Brooke) and a Greenshank at Saligo (Ian & Margaret Brooke).
TIREE: A few bits and pieces today included – an Arctic Skua at Gunna sound, at least 7 Great Northern Divers around the coast, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits at Gott Bay – also 2 Red Knot there – plus good nos of Ringed Plover, Sanderling and smallers nos of Dunlin around. 2 House Martins at Vaul, a Common Sandpiper at Mannal, a Spotted Flycatcher at Balephuil – also 7 Redpolls there, at least one a Lesser -other Commons, 2 Redpolls over the Glebe, a 2CY Iceland Gull at Kenovay, 2 Whimbrels at Balevuillin (Jim Dickson).
MULL: An adult Little Gull with Kittiwakes and Manx Shearwaters at rest on sea – also two Storm Petrels near Cairns of Coll (per Alan Spellman).

KINTYRE: A Common Eider fem with a single duckling today (the first of the year) – (Eddie Maguire).
MID-ARGYLL: First juv Robins seen in Lochgilphead yesterday, also 6 prs of Greylags with goslings at the Add Estuary (Jim Dickson).
NORTH ARGYLL: Yesterday on the slopes of Beinn Lora, Benderloch, one Wood Warbler in song (Robin Harvey).
TIREE: 1 Knot at Sorobaidh Bay, 1 Whimbrel at Heylipol,1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Goldfinch and 2 Common Redpoll at Balephuil (John Bowler).

KINTYRE: A 2CY Mediterranean Gull was bird of the day.  Also, 50 Ringed Plover, 60 Dunlin, the regular leucistic adult Herring Gull and 4 Sandwich Tern. (Eddie Maguire).
MID-ARGYLL: More Swifts around – 2 over Lochgilphead yesterday, and today – 4 over Kilmelford  and 9 over Oban. (Jim Dickson).
ISLAY: Some records at Loch Indaal from Mike Peacock – Common Scoter 26, Velvet Scoter 1 male, Common Tern 2, Arctic tern 7, Great Northern Diver 5, Red-throated Diver 2. Also a belated report of a Dotterel at RSPB Kinnabus on 2nd May (per SOC ).
TIREE: 3CY Iceland Gull at Kenovay, 5 Knot at Loch a’ Phuill – also 1 House Martin there, 5m Ruff at 3 sites,1 Whimbrel at Balevullin, 1 Common Redpoll at the Glebe, 1 Jackdaw, 1f Blackcap and 1 Spotted Flycatcher at Balephuil, 2 Common Tern in with ca 300 Arctic Tern at Milton, 5 Basking Shark off Mannal (John Bowler).

ISLAY: A Wood Sandpiper was at RSPB Gruinart (per Ian Brooke).
KINTYRE: At MSBO today – 22 Turnstones, a Whimbrel, 12 Sandwich Tern and 3 White Wagtails (Eddie Maguire).
MID-ARGYLL: Two groups of very tiny Greylag Geese goslings at Danna / Loch na Cille today – broods of 3 and 3 (Morag Rea). Had 5 Swifts circling and screaming round our house at Kilmichael Glassary for most of the day, 2 of which were banging and entering the box (Annette Anderton). 3 Whimbrel at Loch Gilp today (Jim Dickson).
NORTH ARGYLL: Walk in the drizzle up Glen Strae today included: 2 full plumage male Mandarins, 4 Goosanders a female Mallard with 8 small ducklings plus another pair and about 6 other males, 5 Teal (4 m, 1 f), also a male Whinchat, 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Cuckoos (3+m) and 2 Grey Wagtails being the highlights (Mike Anderson).

ISLAY: George Newall now home (with his photos) after 3 weeks over on Islay and had found a fem/1w Black Redstart at Claggain Bay on 13th May. A report of the male Ring-necked Duck again at Loch Finlaggan today (per BirdGuides). A drake Green-winged Teal again at the north hide RSPB Gruinart reserve today (James Butcher).
MID-ARGYLL: 7 Swifts over Oban this morning (3 last evening) – also 6 singing Wood Warblers Gen Nant today (Mike Anderson).