Category: Sightings

TIREE: after the rain stopped this evening: 1f Pied Flycatcher, 1 Wood Warbler (not singing), 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 1 Goldcrest at Carnan Mor (John Bowler).
KINTYRE: a Little Egret came in off the sea at 13:00hrs from the direction of Islay / Jura and landed in front of the Machrihanish SBO hide! (Eddie Maguire). A second-year Iceland Gull was near the MSBO near to the marine research buildings (Bob Relph).
ISLAY: reports per Ian Brooke….there was a Little Egret at RSPB Gruinart reserve yesterday evening (possibly the bird seen at Machrihanish today?), the Ring-necked Duck was still at Loch Finlaggan yesterday and today a male Garganey was at Gruinart.

TIREE: an immature Glaucous Gull at Vaul Bay – pale iris so presumably a 3CY bird. 1 Spotted  Flycatcher at Vaul and 1 at Carnan Mor – also 1m Cuckoo there (John Bowler).
KINTYRE: a ‘Yellow’ Wagtail was near the Machrihanish Observatory on 16 May and had a grey head therefore likely a Grey-headed or perhaps Blue-headed type (Bob Relph). Today Eddie Maguire reported flocks of Sanderlings and small tundra type Ringed Plover at the Obs (Uisead Point) and passing through.

COWAL: the imm/non-breeding Great White Egret is still at the head of the Holy Loch. The breeding adult has not been seen since Monday. It is feeding on small crabs and when it catches a flounder it flies off with it in the direction of the old gravel pits (Alistair McGregor).

COWAL: two Great White Egrets apparently turned up at the Holy Loch on Mon 15 May! Alistair McGregor and George Newall managed to see one of them the following day however no sign of them this morning. (update: one seen this evening). There had been two of this species at Baron’s Haugh, Clyde until late Sun 14 May….a full breeding adult and a non-breeding/imm therefore most likely the same birds. They may well turn up elsewhere in Argyll! in addition a Little Egret was reported from the head of Loch Riddon also on 15 May and Alistair McGregor managed to see it there yesterday. Swifts are back at Hillfoot, Dunoon this evening (George Newall).
MID-ARGYLL: a Garden Warbler seen and heard at Taynish early morning (Jon Close). 3 Swifts over Lochgilphead meadows this evening (Jim Dickson).
ISLAY: three Spotted Flycatchers at Kinnabus, The Oa today….first of the year there (David Wood).
TIREE: 1,700 Sanderlings and 900 Dunlins at Gott Bay including several leg-flagged Sanderling, over 2,100 Sanderlings on the island today.1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1m Cuckoo, 1 Goldfinch, 2 House Martins and 1 Chiffchaff at Balephuil. 1 Chiffchaff at Sorobaidh Bay creek. 1 Whimbrel at Loch an Eilein (John Bowler).

MID-ARGYLL: a belated report of a Magpie at Bridgend (north of Lochgilphead) on 6 May (John McInally)…always a good record in Mid-Argyll. At Kilmartin this evening a Spotted Flycatcher, a Garden Warbler, Blackcaps, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, a pair of Grey Wagtails, Redpolls and Common Sandpipers (Jim Dickson). Six Swifts over Oban (above Tescos) this evening (Anne-Lise Dickie).
ISLAY: a report of a male Ring-necked Duck today at Loch Finlaggan (Andrew Greenwood per Ian Brooke).
TIREE: 1 Knot and 7 Bar-tailed Godwits at Gott Bay (Zul Bhatia). 1 Pink-footed Goose at Balevullin. 1 Purple Sandpiper, 220 Ringed Plovers and 1 Whimbrel at Hough Bay (John Bowler).

COLONSAY: on Oronsay today, a fleeting view of a Garganey (Morgan Vaughan).
TIREE: 1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Swift at Loch a’ Phuill. 1 Arctic Skua (dark phase) off Hynish.1 Spotted  Flycatcher, 1 Grasshopper Warbler and 1 Chiffchaff at Balephuil (John Bowler).

TIREE: a Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 2 House Martins new at Carnan Mor (John Bowler).

COLL: two Spotted Flycatchers this morning at the Lodge plantation (John Bowler). Singing Wood and Garden Warbler in the Lodge plantation this afternoon (John Bowler).
COWAL: a photo of a Cuckoo from Glen Massan recently from Alistair McGregor who notes numbers down a bit in the area this year….