Category: Sightings

MID-ARGYLL: A juvenile MARSH HARRIER was hunting over the Add Estuary / Moine Mhor (Jim Dickson).

MID-ARGYLL: An adult BONAPARTE’S GULL was at the Add Estuary – found at 10.45hrs (Jim Dickson).

MID-ARGYLL: An adult LITTLE GULL – still with a full black hood, was on the mud at Loch Crinan mid-morning before flying out to sea and south (Jim Dickson).
ISLAY: A female MARSH HARRIER was seen from the Gruinart to Loch Gorm road (Clive McKay).

MID-ARGYLL / COWAL: A sea-watch from the Tarbert to Portavadie ferry produced: c350-400 MANX SHEARWATER with 1 & probably 2 BALEARIC SHEARWATERS, 70 + GANNETS, 3 COMMON TERNS & several Common Dolphins (Jim Dickson).

ISLAY: A sea-watch from Frenchman’s Rocks 0815 for 3 hours until 1115 produced:  c.1,000-1,200 MANX SHEARWATERS, 6  STORM PETRELS and 3 ARCTIC SKUAS (Peter Roberts).
ISLAY FERRY: A sea-watch from Calmac MV Isle of Arran, Kennacraig to Port Askaig & return produced highlights of: single ad POMARINE, juv ARCTIC & a GREAT SKUA, also 5 STORM PETRELS & 2 PUFFINS (Jim Dickson).
MID-ARGYLL: A LEACH’S PETREL was reported from Ganavan Bay, N Oban (per Birdguides).

MID-ARGYLL: An adult LITTLE GULL was reported in Oban Bay this morning (per Birdguides).
TIREE: A SOOTY SHEARWATER and 14 STORM PETRELS headed SW off Hynish in 1 hr from 0755hrs in SSW7-8, also 220 Manx Shearwater. Later, 1 BALEARIC SHEARWATER and 3 STORM PETRELS headed W off Aird in 1hr from 1145am in W9 (gusting to 11/12!), also 400 Manx Shearwater (John Bowler).
ISLAY: A sea-watch off Frenchman’s Rocks for 5 hours this morning from 11.15am produced: 2 adult SABINE’S GULL, 68 STORM PETREL, a SOOTY SHEARWATER and 13 ARCTIC TERN (Clive McKay).

TIREE: A male North American WOOD DUCK of unknown origin (un-ringed) was found in a sensitive undisclosed location (John Bowler).  This species is not yet on Category A of the British list and John says: “…many recent Azores Wood Duck records and also some from Iceland have now been accepted as genuine vagrants. BOURC have recently switched Wood Duck from Category E to Category D citing four recent records from locations such as Shetland and Uist, allowing the status of the species to be reviewed more regularly. However, suspect it would still take an American ringed bird or isotope studies to warrant a switch to Category A. ” There is one previous Argyll record of a female present at Balgie Burn & West Bay Dunoon, Cowal Oct 2000 – May 2001. Update: bird was seen again at same location on 24 July – previous sighting on 9 May.

KINTYRE: A 2cy MEDITERRANEAN GULL was with other gulls at the SW corner of Machrihanish beach (Roger Broad).

ISLAY: A first-summer LITTLE GULL was seen at Craigens, Loch Gruinart (Peter Roberts).

MULL: A first-summer male COMMON ROSEFINCH was seen and in song in a private garden along the road towards Duart Castle (Alex Bayly).