Wednesday 22nd May The day started rather overcast and misty and didn't improve much in the morning, while during the afternoon the wind got up from the north, reaching over 40 mph, and this is forecast to last through the night and most of tomorrow, with rain. Spring seems to gone into reverse. Only two reports have been received today. Linden had a Bullfinch at Gruinart in the morning, a not very common species, being mostly confined to the larger woodlands, as one might expect, though there is at least one past breeding record from Gruinart. Mary Redman saw a pair of Mistle Thrushes a ..read more

 Tuesday 21st May Another dry day, if not quite as sunny and warm as yesterday, ending with quite a dense mist as night fell, or at least there was here in Bruichladdich. The "best" bird of the day was undoubtedly the Red Kite seen by Linden over The Oa. They are not quite annual visitors here and can occur in any month of the year. When re-introductions started in Scotland in 1989 based round the Black Isle, a number of birds turned up here especially in autumn, perhaps of birds that felt they ought to migrate and presumably flew down the Great Glen and then turned south. Such sightings ..read more

Another lovely sunny day with clear blue skies. Ed Burrell, reporting from loch Cornabus notes a Greenland White-fronted Goose but no American Wigeon today. The goose is very late, but may not be fit enough to have flown back to nest in Greenland. Mary Redman reports Canada Geese on McKenzie Island - an unwelcome feral addition to Islay's birdlife, that seems to be slowly increasing its presence year by year. Linden Kingston up at Gruinart notes Redpolls, Spotted Flycatcher and a White-tailed Eagle. Craig Walker sent in this photo of a Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly at Loch Gorm this morning ..read more

 Cool with light cloud, but dry and quite pleasant. Nothing seen to get anyone setting off on a twitch around the island, but lots of good summer residents being reported: Spotted Flycatchers and Cuckoos at Cairnmore, more Spotted Flycatchers, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Treecreeper and Grey Wagtail in Bridgend woods, while at Glenpatrick over on Jura there were Sand Martins, 8 Yellowhammers, 6 Reed Buntings, Red-throated Diver, Shelduck and Golden Eagle. I was up at Kilinallan in the afternoon where a flock of 80 Bar-tailed Godwits were noted on the rising tide ..read more

A grey and cooler start to the day, but brightness and sunshine prevailed by the afternoon. The American Wigeon remains in situ at Cornabus. Otherwise, there was no news other than Linden finding a Whinchat at Loch Gorm. Mary-Ann Featherstone sent in an encrypted message from Kildalton mentioning "SPBF on the wing". I make an educated guess that this is Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly, Such a long name to type out on Whatsapp - I'm sure I'd have done the same abbreviation ..read more

A hot sunny day with  gentle breeze - lovely weather! Ed Burrell reports that his American Wigeon is still present at Cornabus, with David D. noting Spotted Flycatcher at Kinnabus (plus Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk Moth on The Oa). Sam Turnbull had a male Hen Harrier at Ballymartin and Mary-Ann Featherstone had 2 male Bullfinches at Seal Bay and a further pair at Kildalton Dower House. Bird of the day undoubtedly goes to a report from Louise Muir of a Turtle Dove seen by her husband Gordon on Jura - an increasingly uncommon migrant nowadays.  ..read more

A mostly sunny day with occasional very light smatterings of rain. Apart from Ed Burrell confirming that the 2CY American Wigeon is still in residence on loch Cornabus, there was just one other bird report - this was from Martin Kaye still out at 9pm on Machir Bay where there were 15 Sanderlings. Martin had been on Jura for much of the day where a pair of Hen Harriers near Feolin, a Golden Eagle and a male Whinchat near Loch Tarbert plus a total of 6 Cuckoos during the visit were noted.  It is Martin and Carole Nelson's last day on Islay tomorrow and they comment they have had a great wee ..read more

 A cloudy start turned into a rainy afternoon. Mary Redman was the first person this year to mention Islay's midges! A late entry for last night talks of Corn Crake, several Grasshopper Warblers, Hen Harrier and over 1,000 midges at Claddach. Another Corn Crake was heard yesterday afternoon by Steve and Lynn Rogers from the RSPB Gruinart Woodland Trail.  Today, Martin Kaye had 13 roadside Whimbrel near Kilchoman and a range of birds up at Gruinart - White-tailed Eagle (photo below), 80 Bar-tailed Godwits, hundreds of Ringed Plover and Dunlin, then a Brent Goose on Loch Indaal later ..read more

 Cloudier and breezier from the SE today, but still quite pleasant. Further bird news from yesterday includes  a report from Steven and Julia Garner of a Corn Crake calling down at Portnahaven, and 20 Choughs and 65 Ringed Plovers seen by Martin Kaye at Machir Bay and Kilchoman. Visitor Chrissie Nicholson saw a Little Egret out on Orsay which flew over to the mainland at Port Wemyss - a much less usual area to find one on Islay. Today James How had a high count of 1,285 Dunlin up at Gruinart along with 3+ Corn Crakes calling there and 3 Whooper Swans on the flats. David Wood was ..read more

A bright, breezy, sunny day. Gavin Walkingshaw sent in the following enthusiastic account of his birding on The Oa: "A great early afternoon walk at the Oa. Cuckoo - close view, perched on tree. Whitethroat singing. Skylarks having dust-baths on the track. Twite - one carrying sheep wool. Twite with right leg rings of orange above yellow. Whinchat on fence post. Chough, two calling and flying near waterfall gully. Five Hoodies in tumbling flight near waterfall. Starling and swallow around Upper Killeyan . Calling Willow Warblers everywhere." Elsewhere, birds of note include 4 Brent Geese seen ..read more