KINTYRE: no further sign of the Sooty Tern at the Machrihanish SBO, which will be only the third Scottish record if accepted by the BBRC, but the bleached 2CY Iceland Gull is still hanging around there (Eddie Maguire).
4th June
Category: Sightings
3rd June
MID-ARGYLL: Mike Murray reports that nesting Barn and Tawny Owls appear to be doing well this summer. Mike was also out on Lunga, Treshnish Isles recently and got a photo of a ringed Puffin…presumably one of the birds ringed by the auk ringing group that visit each summer. Numbers there fluctuate each year around 3,000 or so apparently occupied burrows (per Robin Ward).
2nd June
KINTYRE: Eddie Maguire managed to photograph a Sooty Tern (at 100 metres at 11.04 am) as it flew S past the Machrihanish SBO. Quite an astonishing record for the west of Scotland and an excellent UK record. Well done Eddie (Jim).
TIREE: 1 Curlew Sandpiper at Gott Bay this morning (Mark Mallalieu per John Bowler).
1st June
MID-ARGYLL: the 2CY (first-summer) Little Gull is still at Loch Gilp, also 2 Bar-tailed Godwits there (Jim Dickson).
TIREE: 1 Pectoral Sandpiper and 1 Little Stint with ca 10 Dunlins and 10 Ringed Plovers briefly on mud in front of the hide at Loch a’ Phuill this evening but all flushed off by a Great Skua, also 2 Sandwich Terns and 167 Kittiwakes there. Off Hynish in SE6 as the rain eased at midday (totals for 1hr): 5,880 Manx Shearwaters, 1,440 auks (mostly Razorbills), 405 Gannets, 128 Fulmars, 90 Shags, 49 Kittiwakes, 36 Puffins, 4 Black Guillemots and 12 Storm Petrels (John Bowler).
31st May
KINTYRE: a bleached 2CY (first-summer) Iceland Gull was at Machrihanish SBO at 13:35 hrs today (Eddie Maguire).
TIREE: 1 Barnacle Goose at Loch na Gile, 1m Chiffchaff at the Glebe, 1m Chiffchaff and 2 Common Redpoll at Balephuil. Also 1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth at Traigh Bhi, first Marsh Fritillaries (50+) and Four-spotted Chasers out on central sliabh (John Bowler).
30th May
TIREE: a c/r Sanderling seen at Vaul Bay on 26 May (Jim Dickson) now has details back per John Bowler: Colour code: Y/GWR Ring: T075507 ESI Age: 6 Sex: – Date: 26/05/2015 Catching place: Punta Balea, Cangas (Pontevedra), Spain 42º14’55″N 08º47’27″W Anilladores/ringers: Antonio Fernández Cordeiro.
29th May
TIREE: 2 Sandwich Terns new at Loch a’ Phuill today, 1m Chiffchaff and 14 Collared Doves at Balephuil, 1m Pochard at Loch na Faing, 2 House Martins at Cornaigmore, 5m Ruff on a ploughed field at Balephetrish, 6 Storm Petrels off Balemartine early am (John Bowler).1 Little Stint at Balephetrish Bay (Mark Mallalieu).
28th May
TIREE: 1f Black Redstart was at Heylipol Church (Mark Mallalieu). 1 Dunnock new at Carnan Mor with 4 Common Redpolls there, 1 House Martin at Balemartine, 1m Pochard at Heylipol Church loch (John Bowler). 1 Storm Petrel between Coll and Mull (Jim Dickson).
27th May
TIREE: 1f Siskin, 1f Redstart, 4 Common Redpolls, 2 Woodpigeons, 4 Spotted Flycatchers, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Grasshopper Warbler and 3m Orange-tip Butterflies at Carnan Mor / Balephuil (only 1 previous Tiree record of this butterfly). 1 Woodpigeon and 1 Spotted Flycatcher at The Glebe (John Bowler/Jim Dickson).
MID-ARGYLL: Nine Swifts over the Tesco car park after the rain stopped this evening (Elspeth and Michael Anderson).
26th May
MID-ARGYLL: a Little Egret was found at the Add Estuary this evening. Other good birds there were a pair of Lapwing and an Osprey (Lynsey Gibson).
COLONSAY: a pale-phase Arctic Skua was off the NE island (David Jardine).
