February started with a cold predominantly dry spell.  Throughout the month there were eleven days with no rain.

Winter visitors were to the fore with four Purple Sandpipers on Hamilton Rocks on 4 February, forty Fieldfare at Balmichael on 9^th, thirty one Wigeon at Machriewaterfoot on 17^th, a Little Grebe in Lochranza on 19^th, three hundred and sixty six Greylag with thirty five Pink-footed Geese on Cleats Shore on 22^nd and sixty Redwing in High Kildonan on 25^th.

Other groups included: fifteen Wren in a roost in Blackwaterfoot on 2^nd; eighteen Golden Plover in a Kilpatrick field on 6^th; seventy two Teal on Kilpatrick shore on 8^th; fifty six Lapwings in South Feorline on 9^th; twenty three Skylark in High Kildonan on 15^th; five Snow Bunting on the ridge between Mullach Buidhe and North Goatfell on 18^th and eighty four Jackdaw sitting on the roof of the Kinloch Hotel on 27^th,

On Saturday 7 February there was a report of a Great Crested Grebe in Whiting Bay.  The bird was actively feeding and, although in winter plumage, there were some signs of emerging breeding plumage.  Great Crested Grebe sightings are rare round Arran.  In 2007 one bird was in Lamlash Bay from 27 February to 1 March.  In 2008 there was only one report, a group of four in Machrie Bay on 29 July.

On the morning of Friday 20 February all three divers, Red-throat, Black-throat and Great Northern were seen off Drumadoon Point.  

Other sightings included a Long-eared Owl near the top of the String on 5^th, a stunning male Yellowhammer in Kildonan on 7^th with four regularly visiting a garden in Dippen throughout the month, a male Bullfinch in Cladach on 25^th and seven Siskins in Lamlash on 15^th.  There will be more about these acrobatic little finches in the next bird notes.

Finally, there were some signs of approaching spring with reports of garden birds in song throughout the island, House Sparrows gathering nest material in Kilpatrick on 8^th, over thirty pairs of Fulmars on the cliffs on the Holy Isle on 15^th, a pair of Golden Eagle displaying over Lochranza on 19^th and the first record of the year of returning Lesser Black-backed Gull at Whiting Bay on 18^th.

March could see the start of the arrival of other summer visitors like Wheatear, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Sand Martin, Swallow and House Martin.  Look out for them.