Inner Hebrides Blog

David Wood, Site Manager for The Oa nature reserve tells us about one of Islay’s lesser-known birding spectacles and why Twite should be more in the spotlight. A couple of isolated sycamore trees sit next to The Oa reserve office. At this time ...

With the majority of breeding birds finished for the year, lots of juvenile birds can be seen. Twite, Linnet, Whinchat and Stonechat are all numerous. Territorial Grayling butterflies are visible fluttering over the steep rocky cliffs at the c...

Earlier in the year, whilst out surveying the cliffs for breeding birds, one of the team spotted the carcass of a whale in a remote bay on The Oa reserve on Islay. A couple of days later I ventured down the cliffs to take a closer look at what I pres...

We arrived on Coll late morning on October 1st, after a lazy ferry journey in which we had a great view of a short-beaked common dolphin surfing the bow waves. We had a quick nosey around the village and then popped into T.E.S.Co (The Ethical Sales Company…terrific...

Any guesses for how many geese are in this picture? Yesterday morning there were over 15,600 barnacle geese on the reserve - that's a lot of goose chatter! A very welcomed noise here at Loch Gruinart.

The barnacle geese have began to arrive in their thousands (over 3500 already). To mark this, we have two guided "goosey gander" walks on Friday 12th and 19th starting at 2pm here at Loch Gruinart.

Yesterday on the Oa reserve on Islay we were doing some work on peatland restoration. This included fitting peat piles into areas that looked good to re-flood by blocking the ditches that would have been used for drainage years ago. Below is one of the...

Hello, My name is Stephane Jenaer. I am not a young man, I’m 66! I’m a Belgian who has been living in Cardiff for 22 years, where I teach French. I am not a builder, conservationist or scientist; I just enjoy watching birds and hope to...

At Loch Gruinart, the rushes are being cut on front of the hides before we reflood the area. This is all to improve the habitat for the wintering wildfowl, such as: teal, wigeon, pintail, shoveler and the waders like redshank, lapwing, curlew and snipe...

Check out these marsh frittilary caterpillars! This afternoon at Loch Gruinart we were out surveying for marsh frittilary larval webs.

Pictured is an antler moth found in the moth trap on the Oa. Along with this lovely lepidoptera were over 400 others - the majority different species of ear moth.

Golden-ringed dragonfly #dragonflychallenge2018 Alongside the dragonfly on the moorland trail this afternoon was the following: Aromia moschata (musk beetle) Tachina grossa (fly) Adder Common hawker dragonfly Dark green fritillary...

Yesterday afternoon I was privileged to join site manager, James How, monitoring one of the hen harrier nests on the reserve this year. On return to the office to double check this years numbers, he confirmed that there are four nest sites on the Loch...

Another glorious day on Islay. Yesterday on the Oa was beautiful and full of wildlife again - with perfect views of the chough feeding nearby. However, in particular the magpie moth was seen in large numbers - a lovely, colourful day flying moth.

A rather noisy greeting at the visitor centre this afternoon. I was met by a large flock of jackdaws, which I think have been nesting in the trees outside the centre at Loch Gruinart. They put on some display. Apologies for the picture quality, it's...

Here at Loch Gruinart Reserve there is lots of new life - from the last of the calves being born to the many fledglings flying around. The chough fledglings are flying around and distinct by their pale yellow beak rather than the adults' bright red...

Newly on the wing, the rare marsh fritillary butterfly. Pictured here on the Loch Gruinart reserve, enjoying the Islay sunshine as much as we are. What's On... Our weekly guided walks are well under way now, with the next one tomorrow...

Monday morning visitors to the RSPB office here at Loch Gruinart.

Evening Chorus Last Wednesday (2nd May) we held our first evening walk at Loch Gruinart to listen to the many breeding waders we have here. The evening was highlighted by a sighting of some early lapwing chicks scurrying between the soft rushes. Unfortunately...

On Sunday 22nd April, was Loch Gruinart Reserves farm open day, held at Aoradh. The farm was bustling all afternoon with people of all ages excited about the farm's spring arrivals. From live lambing births and calves to "splat the rat"...

Recently on Islay we have started to say goodbye to the some 30000 barnacle geese and say hello to some African migrants – with the first swallow sighting of the year on the 7 th April. Bats are beginning to get hungry and emerge from hibernation...

In the bottom right of the picture is the vols accommodation on the Isle of Coll. In front of the accommodation are the wader meadows and corncrake habitat. Would you like to come and help with surveys and habitat work with all this right on your door...

Pray for us.

Today's blog comes courtesy of Connor, who is just finishing a 6 week residential volunteering spell with us here on Islay. If you fancy following in his footsteps, we have vacancies for long and short term residential volunteers here on Islay in...

Heady days here on Islay, as we all dig out our best frocks and try to get James to comb his hair ready for our 15 minutes of fame. BBC Winterwatch will be returning to our screens for 4 nights, from Monday 29th January, and Islay and its fabulous wildlife...