Migration Continues

This weeks photo shows two of the fifty three Black Tailed Godwits that passed through Islay last week. It was taken as a still photo through the video camera and is only one million megapixels but the results never cease to amaze me.

The wader passage on Islay continued into our second week with a flock of thirty Whimbrel feeding in a seashore field making an impressive sight. A male Ruff was also present on the RSPB reserve.

Our second week on Islay also produced more sightings of Short Eared Owls with six different birds being seen on one night. A Merlin and Golden Eagle just added to the spectacle.

Otters began to appear with two sightings, the best being in Port Charlotte bay on our last day. It was a dog Otter that finally brought a fish onto a rock to eat before being washed back into the sea by the waves.

Woodcock continued to elude us, the bird we flushed during the first week being the only one we were to see despite hours of searching in what was perfect nesting habitat.

Back home Dippers had fledged young along the hill streams and Grey Wagtails were feeding well grown young still in the nest . The vegetation now looks more like June than early May