maybe some of you do not see it so I thought I would oblige by posting it here too!
Big news this week is that the Barnacle Geese arrived. I witnessed some arrivals on Friday with clients - 2000 plus in the morning and by today over 26,000 have touched down. This really signifies that winter has arrived. Other birds have also been seen: a couple of Lesser Canada, Whitefronts, Pale Bellied Brent, Ruff and plenty of sea duck. We also had a wee flock of Black Tailed Godwits from Craigens interspersed with Bar Tailed Godwits. The local Sparrow Hawk causing havoc. On Loch Indaal we have watched large flocks of Scaup, Scoter and Wigeon.Yesterday there were two very late Arctic Terns in Bruichladdich and Gannets fishing too.There are still plenty of Swallows, so it is strange to see the cross over of migrating birds arrivals and yet to depart. some of these barnacle records are of Geese that have come from
the European race in North Norway and Svallbard etc..
For interest sake I know many nationalities read this so here are some translations of Barnacle Goose: Ca: Oca de galta blanca Da: Bramgås De: Weißwangengans Es: Barnacla cariblanca Fi: valkoposkihanhi Fr: Bernache nonnette It: Oca facciabianca Nl: Brandgans No: Hvitkinngås Pt: Ganso-de-faces-brancas Sv: Vitkindad gås US: Barnacle Goose Ru: Белощекая казарка thanks to http://www.birdguides.com/ I am also including latest record notes of arivals of Barnacles this season - the Argyll one was mine!
12:15 04/10/08
Barnacle Goose
N Yorks
Long Nab, Burniston
21:15 03/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Argyll
Islay
10:30
20:20 03/10/08
Barnacle Goose
N Yorks
Nosterfield LNR
17:17 03/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Lancs
Pilling Lane Ends
14:08 03/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Durham
Whitburn Coastal Park
11:00 03/10/08
Barnacle Goose
E Yorks
Flamborough Head
20:42 02/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Lothian
Aberlady Bay
20:06 02/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Lancs
Martin Mere WWT
19:51 02/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Northumbs
Cresswell Pond NWT
18:40
17:23 01/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Northumbs
Budle Bay
15:30
Most of these will have arrived from Greenland/Iceland although the east Coast birds may well have set off from Svallbard/Norway.
Of course there will be plenty of birders about looking for rareities amongst them and I know that a Snow Goose has been seen farther north...maybe it will arrive on Islay.
Let us not forget the Red Deer that have also been busy this week with the rut and Otters that have been see in several spots on the island.
With all this migration excitment though one can hardly not really recognise the importance of new arrivals and all that that entails for this wee Hebridean island right on the edge of Europe.
For interest sake I know many nationalities read this so here are some translations of Barnacle Goose: Ca: Oca de galta blanca Da: Bramgås De: Weißwangengans Es: Barnacla cariblanca Fi: valkoposkihanhi Fr: Bernache nonnette It: Oca facciabianca Nl: Brandgans No: Hvitkinngås Pt: Ganso-de-faces-brancas Sv: Vitkindad gås US: Barnacle Goose Ru: Белощекая казарка thanks to http://www.birdguides.com/ I am also including latest record notes of arivals of Barnacles this season - the Argyll one was mine!
12:15 04/10/08
Barnacle Goose
N Yorks
Long Nab, Burniston
21:15 03/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Argyll
Islay
10:30
20:20 03/10/08
Barnacle Goose
N Yorks
Nosterfield LNR
17:17 03/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Lancs
Pilling Lane Ends
14:08 03/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Durham
Whitburn Coastal Park
11:00 03/10/08
Barnacle Goose
E Yorks
Flamborough Head
20:42 02/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Lothian
Aberlady Bay
20:06 02/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Lancs
Martin Mere WWT
19:51 02/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Northumbs
Cresswell Pond NWT
18:40
17:23 01/10/08
Barnacle Goose
Northumbs
Budle Bay
15:30
Most of these will have arrived from Greenland/Iceland although the east Coast birds may well have set off from Svallbard/Norway.
Of course there will be plenty of birders about looking for rareities amongst them and I know that a Snow Goose has been seen farther north...maybe it will arrive on Islay.
Let us not forget the Red Deer that have also been busy this week with the rut and Otters that have been see in several spots on the island.
With all this migration excitment though one can hardly not really recognise the importance of new arrivals and all that that entails for this wee Hebridean island right on the edge of Europe.
