Monday, November 01, 2010

Left home at 3:30am to drive the 99 miles to Kennacraig (the only natural connection being Red Deer caught in the headlights in Glen Croe). West Loch Tarbet was like glass as the Islay ferry set off. Just after first light, birds started to appear. Most numerous were Great northern Divers with singles and groups of up to three birds in a variety of plumages. Other birds during the first half of the trip included Cormorant, Shag, Hooded Crow, Rook, Eider and Red breasted Merganser. Just off Ardbeg, a distant, gingery-brown skua with white primary patches might have been a Bonxie. Commonest birds during the stretch between Ardbeg and Port Ellen were small auks (presumably Razorbills and Guillemots). More Eiders and a Grey Seal were in Port Ellen harbour.
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Driving over to Bowmore, bird highlights included a flock of 150 Twite, a mixed finch/bunting flock, a dead Hedghog and a female Hen Harrier flying over the bonnet of the car.
By the end of the working day the weather had closed in, with torrential rain and gale force winds. However a tour of the north west of the island produced a Hare at Kilchoman, Whooper Swan, Raven and Turnstone at Ardnave, Shoveler and Wigeon at Loch Gruinart and both Greenland White fronted and Barnacle Geese in various fields. The main target species, Chough, was extremely elusive. A distant flock of 30-40 birds, in horizontal rain over Ardnave Point were almost certainly this species. However a later return to Ardnave, in slightly better conditions, produced two birds (and a "ball" of Starlings) heading to roost.

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