After the dry warm June, July was decidedly showery with nearly three times as much rain as June.  On the west coast there was 112mm of rain and only four days with no rain.

As in June, raising young continued to be a priority in July.  Reports of breeding included: eight young Red Grouse in Monamore Glen on 5^th, a young Blackcap in Marganaheglish on 7^th, young Common Sandpipers on the shore at Dougarie on 9^th, on 13^th in Glen Rosa young Whinchat and a late Cuckoo calling: a Lesser Whitethroat singing in Auchenhew Bay on 15^th, and on 18^th a young Great Spotted Woodpecker in a garden in Pirnmill.  This is the first breeding record of this species in Pirnmill.

To date there have been no breeding records of Fulmar and there have been no reports so far this year of Common Tern or Redstart.  On the other hand, after the successful eradication of rats from Ailsa Craig, formerly a stronghold of Puffins, there have been more reports of Puffin in Arran waters, including one on Pladda on 29^th.

July marks the end of the breeding season for some birds.  Birds, which have been breeding further north, appeared again on their migration south including: a Knot in summer plumage at Drumadoon on 16^th, an Arctic Skua from the “Caledonian Isles” on 30^th, a pair of Common Scoter in Machrie Bay on 30^th, a Greenshank at Clauchlands on 30^th, two Dunlin including one juvenile at Machriewaterfoot on 31^st and an intriguing Goldeneye at Port-na-Lochan on 1^st.  Is this very early record an indication that they may be breeding not too far away? 

Other observations received included: on 2^nd a Short-eared Owl by the Ross Road and a Long-eared Owl by the Kilmory Track, a female Goosander off South Feorline shore on 12^th, twenty four Crossbills in High Kildonan on 19^th, twenty nine Gannets in Whiting Bay and a similar number off Fairy Dell on 31^st and also on 31^st in one hour, over two hundred Manx Shearwaters passed through Whiting Bay.