Category: Sightings

COLONSAY: A male GARGANEY was at Garvard today (Ian Fisher & David Jardine).

ISLAY: A male GARGANEY this evening at the south hide RSPB Loch Gruinart (James How).
JURA: A drake MANDARIN was found at Craighouse on 17th May (Colin Bayfield) and a first report for the island.
TIREE: A pair of RED-BILLED CHOUGH were seen on the island just prior to 21st May (exact date still unknown) – (Jane Clark per David Jardine).

MID-ARGYLL: A GREAT REED WARBLER heard giving a burst of song in scrub by the graveyard behind The Tree Shop, Cairndow at 9.20 am – seen a couple of times briefly – a Song Thrush sized reed warbler type bird (obviously larger than Blackcap there), plain brown above and pale below and a white supercillium (Hugh Nicol). Area checked between 13.30 and 15.00 but no sign of it (Jim Dickson).

COLONSAY: A drake GARGANEY found today at Ardskenish (Alison & Nick Blinston).

TIREE: An adult LITTLE GULL at Balinoe today but no sign of the Gull-billed Tern (John Bowler).
ISLAY: High passage wader numbers reported at Loch Gruinart today with c 4,500 Dunlin, 1,200 Ringed Plover, 50 Knot, 4 Ruff and 1 Little Stint.

TIREE: A GULL-BILLED TERN was at Loch a’ Phuill – dip-feeding but mobile and headed off north-east (earlier seen around a gull colony at Balinoe at 16:15).
MULL: A MARSH HARRIER was seen near Griburn today (Steve Fryday per Anand Prasad).

MID-ARGYLL: A flock of c 16 white-phase SNOW GEESE appeared from the NW and flew over Lochgilphead/Loch Gilp and carried on south down Loch Fyne around 2.15 pm (Lynsey Gibson). This ties in with 21 Snow Geese on Lewis yesterday and reports of flocks elsewhere in the UK now. These are presumed to be feral birds from sites in England rather than wild transatlantic vagrants.

A belated report of a WESTERN CATTLE EGRET has been received by Janet & David Jardine from James MacLellan at West Drimvore. Video was taken of an egret there on 22 Oct 2020 and has only now been confirmed as this species – a first record for mainland Argyll, however 3-4 previous reports in total from Islay/Mull & Tiree.

MULL: The COMMON CRANE was still present in NW Mull however seen flying off from Quinish.
NORTH ARGYLL: A report of a single WOOD SANDPPER today.

COWAL: A report of what appears to be a male GOSHAWK high over Innellan today (per Katie Flynn).

MULL: A COMMON CRANE was seen flying over Treshnish farm NM Mull around 1 pm (Anand Prasad).
ISLAY: A drake GARGANEY was at RSPB Loch Gruinart this afternoon (James How).