Day 4 – Tuesday 6th November 2007
This was my last day on Islay and I had to decide where to go to spend my final hours.
I began by again visiting the east side of Loch Indaal which again did not disappoint with huge numbers of birds as was the case on the Sunday.
However, in addition to the species seen there on Sunday, I added 3
Slavonian Grebe, 1 male and 3 female
Goldeneye, 1 male
Common Scoter and c.30
Brent Geese.
The Brent Geese were very distinctive from the dark-bellied type that I am familiar with in Essex and other parts of eastern England as they were the pale-bellied type which winter further north in the UK.
The strangest sighting here was of 8
Rooks and 2
Ravens foraging amongst the foreshore rocks and on the mudflats. I thought these were farmland and upland birds respectively!
After birdwatching at Loch Indaal, I decided to again visit the Machrie area in the hope of getting some photos of
Choughs. On the way I added 2 further species to my trip list at the RSPB farm at Loch Gruinart: a male Reed
Bunting and 3
Collared Doves amongst the flocks of
Chaffinches,
House Sparrows and
Starlings.
The surrounding fields around Loch Gruinart held the usual huge numbers of
Barnacle Geese and
White-fronted Geese.
Between Loch Gruinart and Machrie I saw even more large groups of
Barnacle Geese and
White-fronted Geese, a female
Merlin perched on a roadside fence post (which immediately flew off when I raised my camera!), a pair of adult
Whooper Swans with 3 immatures plus 4
Roe Deer.
I rarely see
Roe Deer but I am used to these mammals as very shy woodland deer. It was therefore very pleasing to see them relatively unconcerned in an open moorland boggy type of habitat.
At Machrie the
Rock Dove flock had increased to c.200 birds and there were around 10
Choughs moving around the stubble fields. I did get some photos of the
Choughs but the
Rock Doves were much too flighty.
I had to catch the mid afternoon ferry from Port Askaig back to Kennacraig and therefore spent the last part of my trip up at Bunnahabhain. Yes, this is the location of another malt whisky distillery! Apart from a
Red-throated Diver on the sea, the highlight here was the highlight of the trip …. that close up view of a feeding
Otter …. just amazing!
Otter encounter 
As I descended in to Port Askaig thinking that was the end of a wonderful trip, Islay produced one more surprise. A single
Woodpigeon flew over in front of the car! A very common bird in southern England but quite a rare sight further north.
The return ferry crossing in rain and gathering darkness produced 6
Great Northern Divers, 4
Black Guillemots, 1
Guillemot and several
Kittiwakes.
The long drive in the dark from Kennacraig back to Glasgow did not produce any “wildlife of the night” but did allow me to reflect on what had been an exceptionally rewarding and exciting trip. I can not wait until next November.
That's all!
Richard