Thursday 20 March 2008

Thurs 20th March

As the weather has not been very good today, I have an entry relating to Wednesday from Malcolm.
Out Goose counting on Kildalton and Oa again today. There was definately no Bar-headed Goose at Cornabus today (Wed) either. Both the male and female Hen Harrier were seen again at Cornabus.
81 Barnacles at Kinnabus for the second day running. They are not very usual here, the nearest ones being at Cornabus, making me wonder whether they are arrivals from Ireland, stopping off at the first point they reached and joining the c.400 Whitefronts there.
The collared Whitefront seen by Catherine, must I think, have been FOL, which was seen in the Lyrabus-Blackpark area back in November, but not seen since. It was originally caught and ringed at Wexford, Ireland, in winter 1995/6, came to Islay the next winter and then returned to Wexford for the following winters. It returned back to Islay in 2001/2 and has been here every winter since, and almost always in the same area around Uiskentuie and Lyrabus. MAO
Yesterday, here at home we had 8 Meadow Pipits, and a first with a pair of Lapwings displaying in the field. As far as I can recollect, it was our first Lapwings seen here. Today, the Fulmars are back on the crag, and as I write tonight, the wind has certainly started to pick up. IKB

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