Skye Birds - A Birding Guide to the Isle of Skye
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Bird sightings on the Island of Skye and the neighbouring area

The objective of this page is to keep everyone, locals and visitors, up to date with what birds are about. It is therefore dependent on everyone contacting me as quickly as possible to ensure I can update the site so that others might benefit from the observations. In the case of rarer species details would also be passed on the Highland Recorder Peter Stronach (  who may require a full description before the record was accepted. This website will very much be locally focused but some records will be included in the SOC Highland website www.highlandbirds.scot. and may also reach national sites.  We have complete discretion as to what information is added to these pages and will try to avoid any details which might reveal breeding sites of vulnerable species.  It is impossible to record everything reported and for the more regularly observed species, we would encourage the use of 'Birdtrack' - http://blx1.bto.org/birdtrack.  Records sent to us are also submitted to Birdtrack.

Date Species Image Details
14th Dec 2019 Slavonian Grebe 5 in Loch Ainort (NB)
14th Dec 2019 Iceland Gull View Image 1st winter bird still Bayfield, Portree & female Common Scoter still on nearby loch (JDJ)
13th Dec 2019 Ptarmigan View Image two at Bealach na Ba, Applecross (RMcM) (see Gallery) also a Dipper on the pool at 600metres
13th Dec 2019 Snow Bunting View Image single on the north side of Bealach na Ba, Applecross (RMcM)
12th Dec 2019 Blackcap View Image male at feeders at Kyleakin (AH)
12th Dec 2019 Rock Dove Jonathan Jones has started a colour ringing project with Rock Doves in the Portree area - please pass on details of any sightings - see the Gallery for examples of the rings
11th Dec 2019 Blackcap View Image male visiting feeders at Achnahanaid, Braes (GR)
11th Dec 2019 Magpie single seen at Kensaleyre (AR)
10th Dec 2019 Iceland Gull View Image 1st winter again at Bayfield, Portree (NB)
9th Dec 2019 Carrion Crow View Image single still at Uig (M.Williams)
8th Dec 2019 Iceland Gull View Image 1st winter bird at the head of Loch Portree - and a single Knot & two Whooper Swans (NB)
8th Dec 2019 Yellow-legged Gull adult still Loch Poolteil (AS)
5th Dec 2019 Slavonian Grebe three in Loch Ainort (NB)
4th Dec 2019 Tree Sparrow still at Lower Milovaig (day 26) (AS)
2nd Dec 2019 Common Scoter female type still in Loch Portree ((NB)
1st Dec 2019 Whooper Swan View Image single at Loch Dunvegan (MC); 9 south at Kinloch (MB) and 5 at Loch nan Eala, Arisaig (SMacD)
1st Dec 2019 Mandarin drake again at Morar (SMacD)
1st Dec 2019 Water Rail adult visiting garden pond at Annishader, Snizort (MS) (see Gallery)
1st Dec 2019 Common Scoter two females still in Uig Bay (SG)
1st Dec 2019 Carrion Crow View Image single still at Uig (SG)
30th Nov 2019 Blackcap View Image male on feeders at Dunhallin, Waternish (RA)
30th Nov 2019 Tree Sparrow still coming to feeders at Lower Milovaig (AS)
30th Nov 2019 Pink-footed Goose View Image 6 near Trumpan, Waternish (MS)
30th Nov 2019 Water Rail single ran across road at Ashaig, Broadford (CMcA)
28th Nov 2019 Goldcrest View Image up to 10 in garden in Staffin (SP) - these are possibly scandinavian migrants
28th Nov 2019 Water Rail still visiting garden pond in Elgol (DW)
28th Nov 2019 Common Crossbill View Image 12-15 in Glen Varragill, Portree (JDJ)
28th Nov 2019 Bar-tailed Godwit View Image 11 at Waterloo is the normal winter max for this site (NH)
28th Nov 2019 Whooper Swan View Image now 10 on Loch nan Cor, Inverinate (DM)
27th Nov 2019 Tree Sparrow still at Lower Milovaig & on its 19th day (AS) - very unusual in winter
27th Nov 2019 Whooper Swan View Image 6 at Inverinate (D.Evans)
26th Nov 2019 Snow Bunting View Image two on the north side of Bealach na Ba, Applecross (RMcM)
26th Nov 2019 Little Grebe View Image 12 at Loch Mor, Waterstein + 10 Goldeneye (AS)
25th Nov 2019 Blackcap View Image another male, in garden at Portnalong (KS)
25th Nov 2019 Carrion Crow View Image single again at Uig ferry terminal (AS)
24th Nov 2019 Iceland Gull View Image 1st winter at Bayfield, Portree (NB) - a different bird from Friday (see Gallery)
24th Nov 2019 Blackcap View Image another male at Kyleakin feeding on fallen apples (HS)
24th Nov 2019 Common Scoter female type still Loch Portree ( NB)
23rd Nov 2019 Brambling View Image two at Kinloch, Rum + 50 Fieldfare (SM)
23rd Nov 2019 Blackcap View Image males at feeders Caroy (MS) & at Kildonan (CT) - we regularly have records in Nov/Dec & the view is these are not local breeding birds but winter visitors from east Europe, a pattern which has emerged in the last 20 years
22nd Nov 2019 Yellow-legged Gull adult still on Loch Poolteil, at the fishfarm (RMcM, AMcN, AW)
22nd Nov 2019 Iceland Gull View Image first winter at Bayfield, Portree (NB)
22nd Nov 2019 Blackcap View Image two at Stein, Waternish (SR)
22nd Nov 2019 Purple Sandpiper View Image 14 on rocks of Mallaig Pier (NR)
21st Nov 2019 Red Kite View Image single at Elgol (IR)
21st Nov 2019 Slavonian Grebe 9 on Loch nan Ceall, Arisaig (SMacD) and four in Broadford Bay (RD)
21st Nov 2019 Waxwing View Image single near Loch nan Eala, Arisaig (SMacD)
21st Nov 2019 Long-tailed Duck View Image female type still by Arisaig Marina (SMacD)
19th Nov 2019 Waxwing View Image single over Drumfearn, Sleat (PK)
19th Nov 2019 Yellow-legged Gull adult still at Lower Milovaig, Glendale (AS)
19th Nov 2019 Woodcock good numbers at Dun Ringill, Strathaird with up to 8 flushed on forest walk (IR)
19th Nov 2019 Slavonian Grebe three at Camas na Sgianadin, Broadford (ML)
18th Nov 2019 Black-throated Diver View Image 14 on Loch Slapin, Kilmarie Bay & four off Lusa (RMcM)
18th Nov 2019 Slavonian Grebe three in outer Loch Ainort & three in Broadford Bay (RD,NB) with two off Lusa (RMcM)
18th Nov 2019 Great Northern Diver View Image 7 in Kilmarie Bay (RMcM) four in Loch Ainort & 10 in Broadford Bay (NB); 12 off Lusa (RMcM)
18th Nov 2019 Common Scoter 7 in outer Loch Ainort (NB) and two in Uig Bay (SG)
18th Nov 2019 Blackcap View Image female at feeders at Lower Milovaig (see Gallery) + Tree Sparrow still (AS)
18th Nov 2019 Cetaceans late Minke Whale off Neist Point (AS); 25 Common Dolphin in Inner Sound 2 miles n/east of Lusa (RMcM)
18th Nov 2019 Long-tailed Duck View Image 1st winter still at Arisaig on Loch nan Ceall (RD) (see Gallery)
17th Nov 2019 Greenland White-fronted Goose 6 adults grazing an island off Ashaig, Broadford (NH) - this may be part of a small flock which formerly wintered in the area but the remnant group has not been seen for several years
17th Nov 2019 Snow Bunting View Image two over Barkeval, Rum (SM)
17th Nov 2019 Mediterranean Gull 1st winter bird still at Loch Portree + 800 Common Gull & 280 Black-headed Gulls (NB)
17th Nov 2019 Common Redpoll single caught & ringed Glen Varragill, Portree (JJ)
17th Nov 2019 Common Scoter female type in Loch Portree (NB)
17th Nov 2019 Whooper Swan View Image four at Loch Dhughaill, Sleat (R.Doughty); a single on Loch Mealt (JJ) & three at Loch Suardal (AS) (see Gallery)
16th Nov 2019 Yellow-legged Gull adult again at Loch Poolteil (AS)
16th Nov 2019 Tree Sparrow still visiting garden feeders at Lower Milovaig (AS)
16th Nov 2019 Fieldfare View Image still 200 at Kyleakin (A&EH)
15th Nov 2019 Pink-footed Goose View Image single with Greylags Breakish Obbe (NH)
15th Nov 2019 Waxwing View Image unfortunately two were found dead by the roadside at Ferindonald, Sleat, yesterday (DR)
15th Nov 2019 Snow Bunting View Image three at Shamhnan Isir, Rum (SM)

© 2019 Skye Birds