The geese arriving on the farm
 I counted 23 Basking Sharks off Easter Ellister on 17th August 2011 and there were more to be seen all the way down Lochindaal - including a Minke Whale at Rhinns Point.  An Islay speciality, this cornrake was photographed in my back garden at Lagmore House in Portnahaven. Their numbers are increasing, thankfully - in my opinion more to do with the demise of hedgehogs which were introduced to Islay in the 70s.
For wildlife information and blog, got to the Islay Natural History Trust at www.islaynaturalhistory.org  Wild Barnacle geese on the right are one of the major attractions to tourists on Islay; they're winter visitors which breed in Greenland. (the geese, not the tourists) Below: one of the Longtailed Ducks which I've bred in large numbers since 1977. Wild ones are to be seen on Lochindaal through the winter, along with numerous other species of waterfowl, for which Islay is a haven.  Below: Port Charlotte beach on Lochindaal Photo: Heather MacKenzie
 Liz Mangham at Curry Sands, approx 10 minutes from Ellister. Photo by Wendy Sanders  |
These are Barnacle Geese, although we do also have smaller number of Greenland Whitefronted Geese.  The large triangular fin is about half way down the body - and you can just see the nose breaking the surface of the one on the left. We went out in the boat a few days later and were surrounded by them from Rhinns Point to Octofad. I reckon there must have been at least 40 and maybe many more.   The chough, left, is the main reason I got into the breeding of Highland Ponies, as they feed on invertebrates which live in dung. This one was photographed from my window at Lagmore House.  Below: the Oa on the far side of Lochindaal as seen from Easter Ellister garden
 Below: Portnahaven Photo: Lucy Dawson  Wendy Sanders at Cladach near Portnahaven. Photo by Liz Mangham  |
