Thursday 18th February

Gary yesterday had been out a walk down towards Knockangle Point on the big strand where he saw 4 Sanderling, 3 Ringed Plover, 35 Golden Plover (2 going into summer plumage!), 4 Oystercatcher and also 2 different flights of Golden Plovers, over the airport and also over the golf course of 40 and 100 birds. Tom yesterday had seen 14 Mute, 5 Whooper Swan on Ardnave Loch along with 4 Tufted Duck. In the fields around the loch, 100 Lapwings were present. Out round Ardnave Point, 38 Sanderling, a Ringed Plover, 4 Turnstone, 4 Purple Sandpiper and a couple of Chough were seen Down at Saligo, a Merlin was added to their list. Ashley Saunders along with the Oriole birding group had another good day too yesterday seeing 2 Glaucous Gulls at Machir Bay. A walk round Ardnave produced 25 Chough, 3 Hen Harriers, 200 Golden Plover, at least 5 Purple Sandpiper, over 50 Sanderling and an Otter and an Iceland Gull at Ardnave Point itself. 3 Golden Eagles were seen flying out over the hills up on the Eastern side of Loch Gruinart, and back on Ardnave Loch, they had a Dabchick and 2 Pochard.  Up past Craigens, they had 2 more Hen Harriers and a flock of over 250 Twite along with the odd Linnet.