Islay Autumn Wildlife Expedition: 17th-21st October 2026:

17th - first afternoon

We all met at the Kennacraig ferry terminal and started with the ferry trip to Port Askaig, in

stunning calm sunny weather. Before we got going we had a Kingfisher and an Otter at the

Terminal!

Through West Loch Tarbert we had Red-throated Diver, Wigeon, Little Egrets, several Little

Grebe, 2 drake Common Scoter, Eiders, Greenshank, Razorbill, Guillemots and a few

Harbour Seals. Out in the open water we had Gannets and Kittiwakes, plus a bonus pod of

Common Dolphins!

Down the Sound of Islay there were a fair few Red Deer on the moors of Jura. A pair of

White-tailed Eagles (WTE) were sitting on top of an island.

Heading straight off the ferry to Loch Indaal we quickly found a Great White Egret, still a

scarce bird up here, a first for Ewan and Theo in Argyll!

Heading further on we had great shoreline views of 3 Snow Buntings feeding in the

strandline, a delightful autumn scarcity here.

Back home for lunch at our base, the gorgeous Foreland House, Goldcrest and Siskin in the

garden amongst others plus 2 flyover WTE.

Flat calm conditions so we covered Loch Indaal for the afternoon finding Long-tailed Ducks,

a Scaup, Slavonian Grebes, Common Scoters, 3 Tufted duck, R-B Mergansers, Eiders, R-T

and G-N Divers. Plus thousands of Barnacle Geese, Brent Geese, Whooper Swans, Wigeon,

Greenshank, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwits and Turnstone on the coastline mud.

Back at the house as evening came in we looked out over the marsh and saw a Golden

Eagle perched on a post, an imm WTE, 2 Hen Harriers, Snipe, White-fronted Geese

overhead and a few passerines flying around. Finished by a gorgeous orange sunset over

the grassland with Red Deer out feeding.

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18th - Day 2

Those out early for sunrise heard a flyover Whimbrel and a Fieldfare with the Redwing.

Another stunning sunny and calm day. We started around Loch Gorm, finding 3 drake

Pochard, a scarcity up here. Alongside White-fronted, Barnacle, Greylag and a single

Pink-footed Goose plus an immature WTE sat on the shoreline and a flyby Sparrowhawk.

Driving around the loch we found a Carrion Crow with the Hooded Crows, another

Sparrowhawk, Roe Deer and a pair of Hen Harriers separately.

Heading down the east side of Loch Gruinart we had Brent Geese, Grey Plovers, Bar-tailed

Godwits, Greenshank, Kestrel, Peregrine, Golden Eagle plus a bonus close flyby calling pair

of Chough!

After lunch we headed to Ardnave for an afternoon walk. We saw an immature WTE circling

on arrival and a ringtail Hen Harrier. On a wander we had superb views of a Merlin eating

prey, 10 Chough, Sanderling, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwits, Ringed Plovers, a Greenshank,

Brown Hares and Grey Seals with pups.

Back to Loch Gruinart scanning from the centre Theo spotted a Richardson's Cackling

Goose, however the whole flock quickly flushed and never returned, how frustrating!

We saw a male Hen Harrier before an eagle fest with 3 Golden and 1 WTE bizarrely perched

together on a distant fenceline, before 2 adult WTE were eating prey on the flats.

We finished the day with 2 flyby Chough at the stunning Machir bay sunset!

19th - Day 3

Heading down to the south of the island for the day, once again great weather. We headed

on a bit of twitch to see a Snow Goose, which didn’t take long to find. A very smart grey

juvenile with the Greylags. 13 Canada Geese were also in the field there.

Next we headed for the bays of the SE, finding Harbour and Grey Seals, Fallow and Red

Deer and Fieldfares and Redwings moving through of note, plus a Kestrel.

Next stop was lunch at RSPB The Oa with Twite on the feeders, before a scenic walk around

the headland looking towards Northern Ireland.

Into the afternoon, We headed for Loch Indaal enjoying a superb Barnacle Goose flock

flyover plus nice views of common waders.

We finished the day on a high, finding an adult Russian White-fronted Goose with its

Greenland cousins, a scarcity here in NW Scotland and a little further down we relocated

yesterday's Richardsons Cackling goose, all managing great scope views this time! Before

heading for home as the light dropped.

20th - Day 4

A change in the weather with a breezier morning and rain in the afternoon. We headed for

Loch Indaal, for more geese, ducks and waders including our first Pintail of the trip.

Next stop at Loch Skerrols where we saw a Scaup and 3 Goldeneyes with the Tufted Duck

flock and a Treecreeper in the woods.

We stopped in to see the delightful Snow Buntings once again on our way to Loch Gruinart,

but just the 2 this time.

We spent the rest of the day around Loch Gruinart down the hides and around the marshes

seeing lots of wildfowl including the Cackling Goose again, Pink-footed Goose, Whooper

Swans, Gadwall, Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal and a Moorhen. Plus lots of Snipe and 4

Black-tailed Godwits. The raptors were around a plenty with at least 5 WTE’s, a Peregrine

and a couple of flybys from a male Hen Harrier.

We headed to Kilchoman distillery for a browse whilst Whooper Swans, Pink-footed and

Greylag Geese were in the stubble before heading for home.

21st - Last day

An earlier ferry meant we just had a few hours in the morning. We checked Loch Ballygrant

and Loch Finlaggan with Bullfinch, Little Grebes and a pair of adult WTE’s of note.

Down at Bunnahabhain we had a big flock of Fieldfare and Redwing and down the coast

Shags, Seals, another flock of Bullfinch and a Bank Vole and a Brown rat.

The ferry crossing back through the Sound of Islay was productive with 15 + Bottlenose

Dolphins milling around, an Otter out fishing, 2 ad WTE perched on an island, G-N Divers

and lots of Black Guillemots.

In the flat calm open water he had lots of Harbour Porpoises, leaping Common Dolphins,

Gannets and lots of Auks. Finally through West Loch Tarbert we saw lots of Great-northern

Divers, most still in summer plumage, Red-throated Divers, Eiders and 3 Slavonian Grebes.

A fine way to end the trip!

Theo DC