Tuesday 29th March

Yesterday, Dave Protherough and his friend Keith had seen a flock of 20 Chough down on Machir Bay. This morning, we had seen a male Siskin on the feeders here at home, a new tick for the house for 2016! Down at Uiskentuie, earlier this evening, Margaret managed to read a couple of neck collars on  Greylags. It was the third attempt at reading the collars, but job done and the info is away to my old friend Bob Swann.... 23 folk came along to the hide at Gruinart for the monthly meeting of the bird nerds, so cornered some of them for sightings.... Dave from down on the Oa had seen 2 Wheatear at Lower Killeyan with 3 GND in the bay there. Dave also has seen a pr of Dipper nesting on the Oa as well. Richard had seen an Iceland Gull at Machir Bay and then a probable Goshawk on the Rhinns. Another of visitors told me of seeing 3 Snow Buntings along the shoreline at the top of Loch Indaal. Ian Greenwood had seen 2 Gannets off Ardnave,  some Eider, a Wheatear there also while over the reserve at Gruinart, he saw a Golden Eagle, 2 Buzzard and a Merlin at various points. Coming back home this evening just as the light was fading, we saw 5 Red Deer stags close to the side of the road, no need for a big lens to capture them on the camera...