Bangor West Patchwork Challenge: Return to Islay

Monday 14 March 2022

Return to Islay

Before I cracked a rib I had signed up for a boat trip to Islay. I decided I would still go as I was two weeks from the accident and things were easing. I knew I couldn't walk a lot but reckoned the boat trip would be ok and the bus was fine. That meant a lot of hide sitting but sure I'm a birder so I could do that. Things panned out much as I thought, the car, boat and bus were ok and I got to the first hide at the RSPB Loch Gruinart reserve which was not showing a lot of life. The main attraction on Islay are the Barnacle geese and there weren't a lot to see from Hide 1. I decided to try for Hide 2 but it was a bridge too far and I ended up back at the centre and spent the rest of the time there observing the fields and the feeders hoping for a piece of predator action. Despite this lack of mobility I did manage 44 species and added barnacle geese and golden plover to the year list. The best was saved for last when a barn owl flew up from the roadside as we were driving back to Port Ellen for the boat.

This was my fourth trip to Islay in the last eight years. Previous trips were as follows and the latest two have a link to the blog post. The Oa trip in September 2014 was before I started blogging.

Islay and Jura in July 2021

https://bangorwestndcp.blogspot.com/2021/07/island-hopping-2-islay-and-jura.html

https://bangorwestndcp.blogspot.com/2021/07/jura-revisited.html

Islay, Loch Gruinart October 2016

https://bangorwestndcp.blogspot.com/2016/11/islay-2-and-ton-up.html

https://bangorwestndcp.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-magic-of-islay.html

The Oa RSPB reserve in September 2014

If you read this blog you will know that I like lists so I had a look at the lists from previous trips to see what the star birds were. The Oa turned up golden eagle, hen harrier, chough, peregrine and twite. In 2016 the star bird of 37 species was barnacle goose and in 2021 sea eagle hit the top. Two of the three trips had a storm petrel off Rathlin.

Late evening view over the fields

Closest I got to barnacles

Greenland white-fronted goose

Magical evening light

Fortunately there were a lot of very good photographers on the trip and there is a dedicated Facebook page where boating birders post their work. The link is here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/jbirds

John Mason posts on this site, and he kindly let me add a few of his shots from the trip including the chough at Ardnave. This was the walk I wanted to do but couldn't. Hopefully the next time I go I will be able to do the walk and see these brilliant birds. These last four pictures are all John's.