14th May

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

Spotted Flycatcher – Carnan Mor, Tiree 14 May (John Bowler).
Lesser Whitethroat – Carnan Mor, Tiree 14 May (John Bowler).

13th May

NORTH ARGYLL: 34 Dunlins at Tralee Beach and a well grown juv Moorhen at the gravel pits (Robin Harvey). At Loch Tulla, Neil Hammatt noted Greenshanks and Wigeon there yesterday.
COLL: a Pomarine Skua was seen from (flew over) the Oban – Tiree ferry on Wed 10 May (Neil Hammatt). Today, 1 Swift over the Lodge plantation and 2 White Wagtails, 2 Sand Martins and 6 Purple Sandpipers on Gunna (John Bowler).
ISLAY: a male Ruff again at RSPB Gruinart reserve (per Ian Brooke).
MULL: the first spring Redstart on the island was at Ardura (Bryan Rains per Alan Spellman).

12th May

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….

Cuckoo – Glen Massan, Cowal May (Alistair McGregor).

11th May

MULL: a Turtle Dove was found at Kintra (Deargphort) at mid-day but not seen later (Jeremy and Margaret Roberts).
TIREE: this  evening, John Bowler saw an adult male Ruff on the shore at Mannal and a Spotted Flycatcher at Balephuil.
COWAL: two Sanderlings at Toward today (Alistair McGregor).

Sanderlings – Toward, Cowal 11 May (Alistair McGregor).
Sanderling – Toward, Cowal 11 May (Alistair McGregor).
Turtle Dove – Kintra, Mull 11 May (Jeremy Roberts).

10th May

COWAL: five Purple Sandpipers at Dunoon crazy golf, plus 1 Turnstone (George Newall). Five Common Swifts around Dunoon primary School this afternoon (Tom Callan).
MID-ARGYLL: three Sedge Warblers around Ormsary today (Stu Crutchfield).
TIREE: a Wood Sandpiper on pool at Kilmoluaig this afternoon (David Palmar per John Bowler).
ISLAY: at Kilchoman, Ian Brooke continues to create a feeding and nesting an area attractive to many species. An upgrade of the feeding station is proving popular with Golfinch at present. The drake Garganey is still at Gruinart, also a Ruff in breeding plumage and our first report of a Spotted Flycatcher (per Ian Brooke).

Turnstone – Dunoon, Cowal 10 May (George Newall).
feeding station at Kilchoman, Islay (Ian Brooke).

9th May

COWAL: Ian Giles sent in this great image on Mandarins at the Holy Loch taken on 3rd May. Two Common Swifts were over Toward Castle this afternoon (Cherry Cook).

Mandarins – Holy Loch, Cowal 3 May (Ian Giles).

 

 

 

 

 

 

KINTYRE: at Rhunahaorine Point this evening several members of the ABC committee roped off a small area to protect breeding birds vulnerable from disturbance. In a couple of hours over 50 species were noted in the area including several Great Northern Divers, 60+ Common Scoters, a Grey Plover, 4 Sanderlings, Crossbills and Tree Pipits (photo shows one with a brood patch).

Crossbill – Rhunahaorine, Kintyre 9 May (Jim Dickson).
Tree Pipit – Rhunahaorine, Kintyre 9 May (Jim Dickson).
Grey Plover – Rhunahaorine Point, Kintyre 9 May (Jim Dickson).
breeding bird protection area – Rhunahaorine

 

 

8th May

COWAL: at Ardkinglas woodland today a Nuthatch feeding a fledgling (Neil Hammatt).
MID-ARGYLL: in Glen Fyne – no sign of Ring Ouzels but Grey Wagtail, Whinchat, Redstart, Garden Warbler, Peregrine, Common Sandpipers, Cuckoos and Wheatears seen (Jim Dickson).
TIREE: no sign of the Subalpine Warbler today (John Bowler).
KINTRYE: seven Common Swifts over Campbeltown Lowland Church at 17:50hrs (Eddie Maguire).
ISLAY: a male Garganey again at Gruinart RSPB reserve (per Ian Brooke).
MULL: a Black Swan was at Lochdon – first seen at Duart Castle yesterday (Alan Spellman).

Grey Wagtail – Glen Fyne, Mid-Argyll 8 May (Jim Dickson).
Mistle Thrush – Inveraray, Mid-Argyll 8 May (Jim Dickson).

7th May

MID-ARGYLL: three Swifts at Kilmichael Glassarry today, with the first returning bird there on May 5th (Annette Anderton per Malcolm Chattwood).
TIREE: a male Western Subalpine Warbler in hawthorns at Carnan Mor this evening – occasionally in song – also 1 Common Redpoll and 1m Blackcap there. 1 Tree Sparrow, 1m, 1f Blackcap, 1m Grasshopper warbler, 2 Corncrakes fighting in the open, 1 Redwing and 2 Robins (nesting) at Balephuil. 1,500 Dunlins and 400 Ringed Plovers between Balephetrish and Clachan – also 1 Whimbrel and 26 Shelducks at Clachan (John Bowler).

Whinchat – Strachur, Cowal 7 May (Neil Hammatt).
‘Western’ Subalpine Warbler – Carnan Mor, Tiree 7 May (John Bowler).
‘Western’ Subalpine Warbler – Carnan Mor, Tiree 7 May (John Bowler).

 

6th May

KINTYRE: a Lesser Whitethroat was noted at Point Sands campsite yesterday (Neil Hammatt).
A report of 2 male Goshawks seen at the N and S ends of the Kintyre way last week – 30 Apr and 4 May (Chic McSherry).
MID-ARGYLL: at Barnakill, Crinan Canal today: Garden, Sedge, Grasshopper and Wood Warblers, also 3 Blackcaps, Cuckoo and Common Sandpiper (Jim Dickson).
A Swift was seen in Oban today (Malcolm and Sue Chattwood).
TIREE: Lesser Whitethroat, Tree Pipit, 2m Blackcap, Cuckoo, 6 Willow Warblers and 1 Common Redpoll at Carnan Mor. Tree Sparrow, 2 Lesser Redpolls, Whitethroat, 1m Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 3 Willow Warblers, 6 Sedge Warblers and 1f Chaffinch at Balpehuil (John Bowler).
A white-phase Gyrfalcon was reported from Tiree Airport on the evening of 4 May – seen by several people including Airport staff and a pilot but not seen since.

Lesser Whitethroat – Carnan Mor, Tiree 6 May (John Bowler).

5th May

MULL: another (or same as earlier) Nuthatch at Craignure today (Alan Spellman).
MID-ARGYLL: Whinchats seen in 6 areas around the Moine Mhor today also 6 Wheatears between Drimvore and Dalvore (Jim Dickson). A Whinchat was near the Loch Nant dam today (Roger Broad).
SCARBA: not many reports received from this island however on a visit there David Jardine noted Wood Warbler, Redstart, Whitethroat, Blackcap in the woodland below Kilmory Lodge. Also, returning via Corryvreckan, not without looking at Eilean Mor (there were no Puffins to be seen), but interestingly there was a single Purple Sandpiper with a couple of Turnstones.
TIREE: a Tree Sparrow all day at Balephuil, also 1 Common Redpoll, 1 Whitethroat, 1m,1f Blackcap, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Grasshopper Warblers, 3 Willow Warblers, 1f Chaffinch and 2 Chiffchaffs there. Low thousands of Dunlin and hundreds of Ringed Plovers on the machairs and beaches included 800 Dunlin and 500 Ringed Plover between Vaul and Caoles. 400 Dunlin at Balephetrish Bay. 520 Dunlin and 180 Ringed Plover at Loch a’ Phuill, also juv Glaucous Gull there, 5 White Wagtails, 80 Sand Martins and 3 Black-tailed Gowits. 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose at Gott Bay (John Bowler).
ISLAY: a Swift was seen over Loch Indaal today (Gary Turnbull).

Tree Sparrow – Balephuil, Tiree 5 May (John Bowler).
Common Redpoll – Balephuil, Tiree 5 May (John Bowler).