Category: Sightings

12th September

ISLAY: Highlights today included: 27 Common Scoters, 2 Greater Scaup, 2 Slavonian Grebes, 2 Ruff, 2 Whooper Swans, 2 Barnacle Geese, 11 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Arctic Terns, 3 Pintails, 1 Hen Harrier, 1 Peregrine and 3 Sparrowhawks (Jim Dickson).
KINTYRE: A sea-watch at the MSBO 07:00-16:00hrs / light wind variable mainly WSW. All species >S.  Gadwall 8, Northern Gannet 3 juveniles, Red-throated Diver 18 >S, Sanderling 60, Bar-tailed Godwit 8, Whimbrel 2 and the 2CY Iceland Gull was relocated nearby (Eddie Maguire & Jarrod Hadfield).
COWAL: The WeBS count at the Holy Loch today had highlights of a Kingfisher, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and a high count of 13 Goosanders (George Newall & Alistair McGregor).

Iceland Gull – Machrihanish, Kintyre 12 Sept (Eddie Maguire).
Red-throated Diver – MSBO, Kintyre 12 Sept (Eddie Maguire).

11th September

TIREE: A sea-watch from Aird in NW7-8 with squalls 0655-0825hrs produced (all heading W out of the Minch): 1 Grey Phalarope, 1 Pomarine Skua, 5 Arctic Skua, 6 Arctic Tern, 1 Red-throated Diver, 25 Great Skua, 44 large auk, 41 Fulmar, 49 Kittiwake, 230 Manx Shearwaters, 941 Gannet and 30 Golden Plover. Also, the 1w Red-breasted Flycatcher still in gardens at Balephuil all day, 2 juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Loch a’ Phuill, 1 juvenile  Little Stint at Vaul Bay and 9 Black-tailed Godwits at Sandaig (John Bowler).

Buff-breasted Sandpipers – Loch a’ Phuill, Tiree 11 Sept (John Bowler).
Red-breasted Flycatcher – Balephuil, Tiree 11 Sept (John Bowler).
Little Stint – Vaul Bay, Tiree 11 Sept (John Bowler).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KINTYRE: A sea-watch at the MSBO 07:00-19:00hrs (12hrs). NW 5 / light squalls produced: P-b Brent Goose 2, Common Scoter 5, Northern Gannet 2 juveniles (the first), Manx Shearwater 600, Leach’s Petrel 1, Grey Phalarope 3, Great Skua 4,  Pomarine Skua 1 juvenile, Arctic Skua 2, Long-tailed Skua 1 juvenile, Black-legged Kittiwake 700+, Sandwich Tern 5, Arctic Tern 12 (Eddie Maguire & Jarrod Hadfield)).

Leach’s Petrel – MSBO, Kintyre 11 Sept (Eddie Maguire).
Juv Long-tailed Skua – MSBO, Kintyre 11 Sept (Eddie Maguire).

10th September

TIREE: At Balephuil today there was a first-winter Pied Flycatcher seen this morning and a first-winter Red-breasted Flycatcher in the afternoon, both birds were being very elusive (John Bowler)

9th September

TIREE: A sea-watch from Aird in NW7 with squalls: highlights included – 1 Leach’s Petrel and 1 Pomarine Skua (John Bowler).
COWAL: A Kingfisher seen on the post from the bird hide on the Holy Loch this afternoon (George Newell /Alistair McGregor).
MID-ARGYLL: A Kingfisher was at Strone point near Inveraray (Hugh Nicol). 1 Whitethroat and 1 Whimbrel at Balviar, Seil today (John Sedgewick).
On Luing at Toberonochy – a juv Curlew Sandpiper and 8 calling Water Rails at Balvicar, Seil at dusk (David Jardine).
ISLAY: Highlights around Loch Indaal today included – a Ruff, a Whimbrel, an Osprey, 2 Brent Geese, a Long-tailed Duck, 2 Slavonian Grebes and at Loch Gruinart – 7 Knot and 2 Brent Geese (per Ian Brooke).
NORTH ARGYLL: An early report of a f/imm Goldeneye at Loch Creran during WeBS count (Robin Harvey).

Bar-tailed Godwits – Loch Gruinart, Islay 9 Sep (Jim Dickson).

8th September

KINTYRE: Eddie Maguire saw a juv Sabine’s Gull this afternoon passing the MSBO hide with other notable species including 2 Pomarine Skuas and 4 P-b Brent Geese.
TIREE: A juv Curlew Sandpiper was at Balephetrish Bay today and a juv Little Stint was at the Ruaig end of Gott Bay yesterday (Keith Gillon).
COWAL:  A Nuthatch was on a bird feeder outside the new squirrel/ bird hide at Benmore Gardens (Janis Webster).

Juv Sabine’s Gull – MSBO, Kintyre 8 Sep (Eddie Maguire).

6th September

TIREE: A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was found at Greenhill this afternoon, also 2 juv Curlew Sandpipers at Gott Bay (Keith Gillon). 1 Lapland Bunting today at Gott Bay – first found there on 3 Sept by Keith Gillon and 1 Lapland Bunting calling in flight at Greenhill (John Bowler).
ISLAY:  A 1.5 hours sea watch at Frenchman’s rocks –  W 5-6 by Peter Roberts, Bob Davison and Mike Peacock produced: Manx Shearwater 997, Fulmar 23, Kittiwake 24, Shag 4, Cormorant 1, Auk sp. 29, Black Guillemot 3, Common/Arctic tern 1, Great Black-backed Gull 10, Gannet 339 + 150 feeding around rocks, Great Skua 7, Sanderling 12, Whimbrel 1, Diver sp. 1 and at long last – Storm Petrel 1.

5th September

MID-ARGYLL: In the Moine Mhor/Add Estuary area today – 4 Whinchats, 1 Whitethroat, 1 White Wagtail and an Osprey near the Islandadd bridge also 20 Wigeons, 5 Goosanders and 1 Greenshank at the estuary. At Loch Gilp – 13 Wigeons and 4 White Wagtails (Jim Dickson).
TIREE: A Juv Curlew Sandpiper at Balephetrish Bay (Keith Gillon).

4th September

MID-ARGYLL: Near Barsloisnoch farm (Slockavuliin) – 45 Swallows and 4 House Martins. A male Blackcap was near the Cairnban hotel (Jim Dickson).
ISLAY: At Machir Bay – 51 Ringed Plover, 11 Sanderling, 2 Dunlin, a ringed dead Manx Shearwater was an interesting find – will send you the details when I get them back from the BTO, also 30 Twite and 2 near fledged Sand Martin chicks at the entrance to the nest hole (Mike Peacock). UPDATE ON THE MANX SHEARWATER – This bird was ringed by Bardsey BO as age 1st year, sex unknown on 05-Sep-2004 23:00:00 at Bardsey Island, Gwynedd, UK OS Map reference SH1121 accuracy 0, co-ordinates 52deg 45min N -4deg -47min W accuracy 0.
KINTYRE: Yesterday, a short distance east of Campbeltown Loch (from the Adrossan ferry) a Sooty Shearwater was in a large feeding aggregation with  c.1200 Manx Shearwaters on crossing as a whole of which most were probably in Argyll waters (Graeme Garner).

2nd September

TIREE: A Golden Oriole was at Vaul around mid-day (Keith Gillon). This is the first autumn record of this species for Tiree.

Golden Oriole – Vaul, Tiree 2 Sep (Keith Gillon).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KINTYRE: The Little Egret (probably a first-year bird?) is still at the head of West Loch Tarbert and presumably moves to Kennacraig where there was an Osprey this evening. Also 10 Black-throated Divers were off Cloanaig (David Jardine).
MID-ARGYLL: 10 Teal and 9 Wigeon at the Add Estuary (Jim Dickson).
COLL: A Wood Sandpiper was circuling the bay and calling at Arinagour (David Andrews per John Bowler).

1st September

ISLAY: Off Frenchman’s rocks today: 1 hours sea-watching NW 3:  Manx Shearwater 181, Gannet 201, Fulmar 29, Kittiwake 7, Shag 38 (on Frenchman’s rocks), Razorbill 17, Auk sp 15, Black Guillemot 1, Arctic Skua 1(dark phase) and a Sand Martin in off the sea (Mike Peacock/Peter Roberts).