21st-22nd October

 A good couple of days of Easterlies and some difficult birding conditions on 21st as the day was basically a wash-out, or would have been if it wasn't late October! We were rewarded on 22nd with some nicer weather and good birds.

An unseasonal Stonechat was at Bewan to kick the 21st off and never really got going much beyond this, a Long-eared Owl came in off the sea up North, good numbers of Woodcock were around the island and common passage migrants made up the rest of the days totals. The highlight of the day came late on in the shape of a Blyth's Reed Warbler found at Iris Taing. 

The 22nd was altogether better, the day was started with news of a Red-throated Pipit near Kirbest, a very obliging bird that fed in front of the gathered obs staff and even gave an unprompted fly-over giving loud diagnostic calls, a good start! It wasn't long until the next goody arose, a 'strange Sylvia warbler' on the West Side turned out to be a very tricky looking Subalpine Warbler, the bird was trapped and dropped feathers collected for DNA analysis. Other species were talked about and almost all ruled out but we'll wait for DNA to confirm anything outright. Otherwise it was very much business as usual, plenty of thrushes in mixed flocks, three Black Redstarts around the North end and plenty of Woodcock, Robin, Blackcap scattered around and the Yellow-browed Warbler remained on both dates.

Subalpine Warbler sp.

Red-throated Pipit