Chough Count

Islay is home to a significant proportion of the UK’s Chough population.  The Chough is a charismatic bird with a distinctive call.  Rare in this country, maybe 10% or more of the 4 to 500 breeding pairs in the UK live here on, or around, the island. So I was very pleased to find out that we’d be counting Choughs on my first day of ‘work’ on the island.

David turned up late last night, from his stag weekend in Edinburgh, but is up in time for sunrise this morning, as am I.

Catherine pops in to inform us of our jobs for the day, and then we’re on our way for 8.30.  We spend the day performing a Farmland Bird Survey (FBS) at Ardnave, the peninsula North of where I’m staying, and finding Choughs to identify.

Most of the 29 Choughs we see have rings, and we manage to identify colours in a number of cases.  These will be reported back to a special Chough watch information centre by the RSPB, to provide information on their movement.

We then count 26 of them into their roost, although one flies off as it gets dark, and, as far as we can tell, doesn’t come back!

We also see a good many birds on the Loch at Ardnave, and by the sea (where the Choughs were feeding), including Goldeneye, Hooper Swan, Bar Tailed Godwit, etc, and plenty of Twite and Reed Bunting around the farm.  By 4.30 I’m tired, and I nearly fall asleep in the passenger seat of the Landrover on the way back to the bothy.  Later I write up our results for the day and eat, before going to bed.  What a great way to start my stay.