Sightings – Page 143 – Argyll Bird Club

4th May

COWAL: at Ardkinglass gardens today 2 Nuthatches and 2 Wood Warblers (Neil Hammatt et al).
COLONSAY: more recent sightings per David Jardine included a Dotterel on Oronsay on 1 May and a Whitethroat on Colonsay on 2 May.
MID-ARGYLL: at Taynish NNR this morning at least 8 Wood Warbler territories, also 5 separate sightings of Tree Pipits. Also on 1 May up to 5 Cuckoo’s calling and one female ‘burbling’ at Moine Mhor 05.00 hrs (Jon Close). Two Whitethroats in Ormsary on 2 May (Stu Crutchfield).
ISLAY: a male Marsh Harrier was at the Gruinart RSPB reserve today (James How per Ian Brooke).
TIREE: a reeling and 1 non-reeling Grasshopper Warbler new at Balephuil this morning with a Tree Sparrow there this evening. 1m Ring Ouzel briefly at Hynish plus 2 Common Sandpipers there, also late report of a juv Iceland Gull there on 30 April (John Bowler).

Tree Sparrow – Balephuil, Tiree 4 May (John Bowler).

3rd May

MID-ARGYLL: today at the Moine Mhor BBS square birds of note were Wood Warbler, Whitethroat, Redstart, 2 Blackcaps, 3 Whinchats, 4 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Sedge Warblers, 3 Cuckoos, Dipper and 2 Common Sandpipers. Nearby another Whinchat. A Garden Warbler was singing at Cairnbaan (Jim Dickson).
COWAL: Neil Hammatt has encounted several areas with Wood Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Redstarts and Garden Warblers in areas usually poorly covered in the past.
TIREE: a Garden Warbler, 1 Whitethroat and 1 Chiffchaff new at Balephuil. 1m Blackcap at Carnan Mor. 1 Wood Sandpiper at Loch a’ Phuill this evening – also 1 pair Pochard, 3 Whooper Swans, 1 Black-tailed Gowits, 6 Little Terns, 33 Arctic Terns and 290 Dunlins there (John Bowler). 56 Whimbrels were at Salum (Robin Harvey).
MULL: a Brambling was in a garden at Dervaig yesterday (Pam Brown per Alan Spellman).

Garden Warbler – Balephuil, Tiree 3 May (John Bowler).

Whitethroat – Balephuil, Tiree 3 May (John Bowler).

2nd May

COWAL: on Neil Hammatt’s new BBS square at Ardno, Cowal (nr. Cairndow) he noted Redstart, Whinchat, Garden Warbler and 3 Wood Warblers. Also two Ring Ouzels and Common Whitethroat in Glen Fyne, Mid-Argyll on 30 Apr. George Newall/Alistair McGregor saw Grasshopper Warbler at head of Loch Striven, heard a few Redstarts in Achnabreck Wood near Loch Riddon, and saw one male and several Cuckoos were singing. On the river at the first bridge in Glen Massan by the timber houses, 4 male Mandarin Ducks, 2 male Goosanders, and a pair of Grey Wagtail (Cherry Cook).
KINTYRE: 42 Whimbrels, 38 Sandwich Terns and 15 White Wagtails at the Machrihanish SBO today (Eddie Maguire).
TIREE: Mixed flock of ca 2,150 Dunlins and 1,250 Sanderlings at Gott Bay today including 9 leg-ringed Sanderling – also 1 Grey Plover there. Scattered mixed groups of hundreds of Ringed Plovers and Dunlins on the machairs and other beaches today. 1 Robin, 1 Cuckoo, 3m Corncrakes and 1 Goldcrest at Balephuil. 2 new moths for Tiree in the garden moth-trap last night: Early Tooth-striped and Clouded Drab (John Bowler).

Dunlin at Gott Bay, Tiree 2 May (John Bowler).

Whimbrel – Machrihanish SBO, Kintyre 2 May (Eddie Maguire).

1st May

TIREE: a male Cuckoo and 3 Sedge Warblers new at Balephuil this morning – also 1 Common Redpoll, 1m Chaffinch, 2 Goldfinch and 1 Goldcrest there. 370 Dunlins and 280 Ringed Plovers at Balephetrish Bay (John Bowler).
MID-ARGYLL: a Grasshopper Warbler reeling at Cairnbaan this afternoon, also 6 Dunlins at Loch Gilp (Jim Dickson).
COLONSAY: on Oronsay – 10 Arctic Terns and 1 pale phase Pomarine Skua this morning (David Jardine) also 2 Little Gulls there yesterday (Becky – RSPB staff per David Jardine)
COWAL: There are at least 15 occupied nests in the Little Eachaig Sand Martin colony (Geoerge Newall).
MULL: a Whinchat was at West Ardhu this morning (per Alan Spellman). Also a report of a Little Egret at Ardturn today.

30th April

TIREE: 1m and 2f Blackcap, plus 2 Redwings still at Balephuil. 1 Common Sandpiper (first of spring here) and 1 Woodpigeon east of Balevullin. 1 Purple Sandpiper and 1 Great Skua at The Green (John Bowler).
MID-ARGYLL: a Crossbill was in song in my garden (Scots Pine) at Cairnbaan (Jim Dickson).

29th April

COWAL: The colour ringed Lesser Black-Backed Gull remains a visitor to a garden in Dunoon tempted by cheese. It spends a fair bit of time on a neighbour’s roof showing its ring well (George Newall).
TIREE: Today at Sorobaidh Bay: 1f Lapland Bunting, 5 Arctic Terns, 3 White Wagtails and 1m Greenland Wheatear; 70 Black-tailed Godwits at Heylipol; 25 Black-tailed Godwits at Loch a’ Phuill, plus 6 Arctic Terns, 2 Little Terns and 81 Dunlin. 4 late Greenland White-fronts at Barrapol (John Bowler).
MULL: 28 Apr – an Osprey over Lochdon heading NW (Alan Spellman).

Colour-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull – Dunoon 29 Apr

28th April

NORTH ARGYLL: At the gravel pits at Benderloch today: 3 Little Grebe chicks; the Sedge Warblers have returned with 2 singing males (Robin Harvey)
TIREE: Today, 2m Lapland Buntings in full summer plumage at Loch an Eilein; 1f Lapland Bunting and 1 Pink-footed Goose at The Reef; 1m Blackcap singing at Balephuil; 108 Black-tailed Godwits at Heylipol and 65 Black-tailed Godwits at Balephuil (John Bowler).

Black-tailed Godwits Tiree 27 Apr (John Bowler)

27th April

MID-ARGYLL: Flocks of 120 and 150 Black-tailed Godwits staging through Loch Gilp and then heading off north today along with 4M and 4F Pintail (Simon Lawrence).
TIREE: Today, 6 Lapland Bunting again at the Sorobaidh Bay cattle feeders; 1 House Martin at The Reef; 128 Black-tailed Godwits, 20 White Wagtail and 55 Sand Martin at Loch an Eilein whilst 30 Pale-bellied Brents flew over heading north. Also 90 Black-tailed Godwits at Loch a’ Phuill (John Bowler).

26th April

COLL: A male Garganey at “canal loch” this morning (Ben Jones)
TIREE: Today – much reduced numbers of Black-tailed Godwits here as the N winds eased off overnight: 406 Black-tailed Godwits at Loch an Eilein – 1 new colour-ringed bird; 315 Black-tailed Godwits at Loch a’ Phuill; Also 1 juv Glaucous Gull at Loch a’ Phuill; 12 White Wagtails at Loch an Eilein (John Bowler)

25th April

COWAL: A colour ringed Lesser Black-Backed Gull was a visitor to a garden in Dunoon earlier today. (George Newall)
TIREE: Today 6 Lapland Buntings still at Sorobaidh Bay; A record influx of at least 2,270 Black-tailed Godwits: 1,750 in single flock at Kilmoluaig was quite a sight – including 15 colour-ringed birds; 470 at Loch an Eilein including 7 colour-ringed birds and a lone Knot, 38 at An Fhaodhail including 2 colour-ringed birds, 12 at Loch Bhasapol; 1 Arctic Tern and 5 Little Terns at Traigh Bhagh. Also scattered small groups of Whimbrel and low thousands of Golden Plover and still 6 Redwing at Balephuil. (John Bowler)
MID-ARGYLL: on 23 Apr two adult and one immature Whooper Swans at northern side of Loch Sween (Michael Gallico)