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
18th Jun 2018 Quail further reports of possibly 2/3 birds calling in the Waternish area recently (C.Griffiths)
17th Jun 2018 Sanderling View Image four at Kilmory, Rum (SM)
17th Jun 2018 Water Rail probably a breeding pair at Chailluim Chille, Kilmuir (RMcM)
16th Jun 2018 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image adult with two fledged youngsters at Kyleakin (AHi)
15th Jun 2018 Whimbrel View Image three at Broadford headed south-west (NB)
15th Jun 2018 House Martin View Image pair also nesting at Ose for the first time (LM)
14th Jun 2018 House Martin View Image seems to have been a significant increase in the number of pairs in the south of the island (NB,RMcM) - unfortunately a nest on Bob’s house was blown out last night.
13th Jun 2018 Whimbrel View Image late single in Broadford Bay (MB)
12th Jun 2018 Whooper Swan View Image straggler still at Ardmore, Waternish (RMcM)
11th Jun 2018 Risso’s Dolphin four at Neist Point (AS) (see Gallery)
10th Jun 2018 Iceland Gull View Image 2cy bird at Portree fish farm (NB)
10th Jun 2018 Common Scoter drake at Loch Pooltiel, Glendale (AS)
10th Jun 2018 Quail possibly two calling birds in Ardmore, Waternish (C.Griffiths)
9th Jun 2018 Swift single over Harrapool heading north (MB)
9th Jun 2018 Grey Wagtail View Image pair fledged three young at Glendale (AS) (see Gallery)
9th Jun 2018 Ring Ouzel View Image single at Coire na Seilg, Luib (SB)
8th Jun 2018 Quail calling bird on Waternish (SP)
7th Jun 2018 Corncrake View Image though still early days, the number of calling birds on the island is looking slightly better than 2017 (SP)
7th Jun 2018 Hen Harrier View Image very grateful for several reports about this species - currently monitoring about 8 territories in Skye & Lochalsh. At least one has hatched young and at another territory a male was still skydancing today, so birds are all at different stages. (RMcM)
6th Jun 2018 Sandwich Tern View Image two north over Kildonan Point, Eigg (JC)
5th Jun 2018 Nuthatch young successfully fledged from a site in the Arisaig area (RD, SMacD et al) - this is the first confirmed breeding of the species in the Highland recording area.
5th Jun 2018 Quail calling bird at Ullinish (C.Goodall)
5th Jun 2018 Great Northern Diver View Image still 5 in Loch Bracadale including two adults (C.Goodall)
5th Jun 2018 Iceland Gull View Image juvenile at Camus Tianavaig (A.McLean)
5th Jun 2018 Osprey View Image single over Kilmory, Rum (per SM)
4th Jun 2018 Rosy Starling late news of another bird seen and photographed at Drumbuie, Lochalsh on the 2nd (RA) (see Gallery)
4th Jun 2018 House Martin View Image two pairs nest building at our house in Scullamus Moss - never bred here before & clearly late arrives (RMcM - see Gallery)
4th Jun 2018 Mandarin drake still with Mallard on River Morar at entrance to Loch (BenMacD)
3rd Jun 2018 Garden Warbler singing bird at Leitir Fura, Kinloch (MB)
2nd Jun 2018 Rosy Starling back at feeders Aird Kennels at 1400 (KM)
2nd Jun 2018 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image pair still visiting feeders in Broadford (JD)
2nd Jun 2018 Whooper Swan View Image straggler still at Ardmore Bay, Waternish (N.Tims)
1st Jun 2018 Rosy Starling bird found by Karen MacAskill at Aird Kennels, Sleat, in afternoon - this is probably part of the major irruption into France, Spain & the UK (see Gallery)
1st Jun 2018 Red-legged Partridge View Image bird now returned to Kyleakin where it is clearly being better fed than in Broadford visiting two different gardens (A&EH) (AHi) see Gallery
1st Jun 2018 Short-eared Owl View Image single by the roadside at Druim na Cloich (south of Sconser) (NB)
31st May 2018 Osprey View Image bird reported fishing the Storr lochs (D.Urquhart)
31st May 2018 Dunlin View Image nest found on Rum which is possibly the first breeding record on the island (SM) (see Gallery)
31st May 2018 Short-eared Owl View Image pair present in the Strath, Broadford, area (IR)
30th May 2018 Rosy Starling single seen flying from Glen Conon over Uig towards Idrigill this morning (AB) - this may be the bird which was at Geary recently
30th May 2018 Ring Ouzel View Image four noted on a walk on the Quirang including a female feeding young (B.Lawrie)
30th May 2018 Woodcock single noted at Drumfearn (Ludwig) - breeding records on Skye are scarce
29th May 2018 Yellowhammer calling bird at Lower Breakish (NH)
29th May 2018 Garden Warbler singing bird at Ord (RMcM)
29th May 2018 Rosy Starling late information that bird was at Geary between 16-22 May (L.Frost) (see Gallery) - might be the same bird seen earlier at Strath
29th May 2018 Osprey View Image single bird in Glen Drynoch today mobbing Golden Eagles then seen later heading inland at Gesto (A.McLean)
28th May 2018 Whooper Swan View Image straggler in Uig Bay (SG)
27th May 2018 Rosy Starling there is a major irruption of this species on the continent at the moment with some already reaching UK - unconfirmed report of a bird on Waternish
27th May 2018 Nuthatch though the exact location is being withheld meantime there is a breeding pair of Nuthatch on the mainland which are presently feeding young
26th May 2018 Gannet one grounded at Allt an Subh, Sallachy (PS)
25th May 2018 Shetland see the Blog for details of a recent Shetland trip
25th May 2018 Long-tailed Skua four reported from Waternish Point (B.Lawrie)
25th May 2018 Little Grebe View Image single on Giants Footprint lochan on Eigg is only the 4th record for the island and the first since 2011 (JC)
25th May 2018 Long-eared Owl View Image pair with two well grown young near Dunvegan (R.Milne)
23rd May 2018 Whimbrel View Image with the high pressure system over us most migrant waders are pushing through & just a lingering Whimbrel in Broadford Bay (RMcM); single at Loch Cleap, Quiraing (MP)
23rd May 2018 Wood Warbler singing bird in Manse Wood, Eigg (JC)
23rd May 2018 Marsh Harrier at 2100 a male flew north at Duisdale towards Kinloch harassed by hoodies (RMcM) (see Gallery) - this is only our 4th record in the contemporary period and the 1st in ten years
22nd May 2018 Crossbill family group of 5/6 seen near Balmeanach, Struan (RMcM) (see Gallery)
22nd May 2018 Magpie potentially good news that the ‘north end’ bird has found a mate as two have been seen - whether it is a relationship which will blossom remains to be seen but we live in hope 💕 (AR)
21st May 2018 Sanderling View Image 17 at Kilmory, Rum, last night & this morning (SM) & 5 at Kildonan Bay, Eigg (JC) - this is a relatively scarce visitor to the small isles
21st May 2018 Red-legged Partridge View Image our wandering bird on the move again & was in a garden near the hospital this morning (KBryan)
21st May 2018 Highland Bird Report 2016 please see the Blog/News for details of the recently published Highland Bird Report
20th May 2018 Hawfinch bird reported at a garden in Drumfearn this morning (per PK)
20th May 2018 Magpie bird reported in Riverbank, Broadford, may be that recently reported in Sleat (S.Ben.)
20th May 2018 Bar-tailed Godwit View Image a flock of 7 at Kilmory Rum beats the cumulative total of records on the island in the previous 20years (SM) - also 7 Turnstone

© 2018 Skye Birds