Friday 29th December

The weather was a little kinder today - lighter winds, less rain and even patches of blue sky.

Phil Edwards was enjoying the slight reprieve from the gales and rain, supplying this account and some more of his photos to brighten the blog:

"Well what might not pass muster as a nice day under normal circumstances certainly did in the current run of torrid weather.  Light north-easterlies and sunny spells had us head to Jura.  A moderately quick scan through countless thousands (15K+?) of Barnacle Geese on Gruinart Flats on the way failed to reveal the Red-breasted Goose.  There were two Black Guillemots by the Feolin Ferry, and shortly after landing on Jura there was an Otter feeding not too far out in the Sound of Islay; worth the ferry fare alone.  Craighouse Bay had two Great Northern Divers close in by the jetty and half-a-dozen Red-breasted Mergansers, some males of which were displaying.  The rest of Jura was quiet with no raptors other than some Buzzards and two Sparrowhawks but we did spend about an hour at Tramiag Bay having lunch in the sun while watching another Otter fishing.  A gentle, yet lovely day"

Elsewhere on the island Mary-Ann Featherstone saw a wintering male Blackcap at her garden bird table over at Kildalton and Clive McKay saw a pair of Long-tailed Ducks off Kilnave on Loch Gruinart - not a usual site for the species.