Skye Birds - A Birding Guide to the Isle of Skye

Bird sightings on the Island of Skye and the neighbouring area

The objective of these pages 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 Gordon (  who may require a full description before the record was accepted. This website will very much be locally focused but has become part of the SOC local recorder system and other networks and we hope we can enhance these systems. We will also 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.

Date Species Image Details
23rd Jul 2014 Storm Petrel two at sea off Waternish Point (RMcM)
23rd Jul 2014 Cuckoo adult at Bailmeanach, Raasay (L.French), & young still being fed by Meadow Pipit at Elgol (G.MacKinnon)
22nd Jul 2014 Spotted Flycatcher View Image single in Lime trees at Raasay House (L.French)
21st Jul 2014 National Whale and Dolphin Week please see the Blog for a number of events relating to this.
21st Jul 2014 Ring Ouzel View Image single reported from Sgurr Mor, north end of Trotternish ridge (SB)
20th Jul 2014 Bar-tailed Godwit View Image two in Broadford Bay & two Whimbrel (MB)
18th Jul 2014 Knot 5 at Ashaig + 60 Oystercatchers (A&EH)
18th Jul 2014 Greenshank 2 at Loch Portree & a Whimbrel (TB)
17th Jul 2014 Swift single at Lower Breakish (PP)
17th Jul 2014 Common Sandpiper View Image 12 in Broadford Bay late evening (MB)
16th Jul 2014 Knot 5 at Ardnish (RMcM)
16th Jul 2014 Sanderling View Image 5 in Broadford Bay (MB)
16th Jul 2014 Oystercatcher 240 in Broadford Bay (MB) and 100 at Ashaig in evening (RMcM)
16th Jul 2014 Sandwich Tern View Image single at Ashaig (am) and 4 at Waterloo in evening (RMcM)
16th Jul 2014 Black-tailed Godwit View Image 22 at Waterloo in evening (RMcM)(see Gallery)
16th Jul 2014 Greenshank 7 at Ashaig and 2 at Broadford Bay (RMcM)
16th Jul 2014 Dunlin View Image numbers building up with 50+ Broadford Bay (RMcM)
16th Jul 2014 Great Northern Diver View Image summer plumage adult in Tarskavaig Bay (L.French)
15th Jul 2014 Whimbrel View Image singles at Ashaig & Waterloo (RMcM), then two at Harrapool in evening (MB)
15th Jul 2014 Redshank 70+ on Ardnish (EH)
15th Jul 2014 Cuckoo juvenile still being fed near Bealach Mor, Trotternish (L.French)
14th Jul 2014 Greenshank 12+ at Ardnish, Broadford & 120 Oystercatcher later (RMcM)
13th Jul 2014 Curlew c50 in Broadford Bay (EH)
13th Jul 2014 Greylag Goose View Image 50+ at Ardnish including goslings (EH)
13th Jul 2014 Greenshank 6 in Broadford Bay included 3 juveniles (MB)
13th Jul 2014 Common Sandpiper View Image 9 on the shore at Tianavaig Bay (L.French)
12th Jul 2014 Black-tailed Godwit View Image two on Ardnish, Broadford + 90 Oystercatcher(RMcM)
11th Jul 2014 Redshank 40+ at Ardnish + 4 Golden Plover (EH)
10th Jul 2014 Oystercatcher 80+ in Broadford Bay (MB)
9th Jul 2014 Redshank 17 in Staffin Bay (MP)
8th Jul 2014 Short-eared Owl View Image bird in display near Fairy Bridge (C.Reynolds)
8th Jul 2014 Tufted Duck View Image male on the small loch at the top of Bealach na Ba, Applecross (MP)
8th Jul 2014 Corncrake View Image away from normal areas one calling in Glen Eynort (F.Dohrmann)
7th Jul 2014 Sandwich Tern View Image three in Broadford Bay (MB)
7th Jul 2014 Short-eared Owl View Image single in late evening near Crossal (S.Davies)
6th Jul 2014 Wheatear View Image more birds on the move with c20 juveniles between Hallin & Ardmore, Waternish (RMcM)
5th Jul 2014 Greylag Goose View Image 30-40 in mixed aged group on Ardnish, Broadford (EH)
5th Jul 2014 Wheatear View Image early passage with 30+ on Ardnish, Broadford (EH)
5th Jul 2014 Corncrake View Image one seen at the roadside at Roag (M.Forsyth)
4th Jul 2014 Black-tailed Godwit View Image 15 in Breakish Obbe (LP)
4th Jul 2014 Redshank 80+ in Broadford Bay (MB)& 28 at Traigh, Morar (SMacD)
4th Jul 2014 Sandwich Tern View Image 3-4 in Broadford Bay (MB)
1st Jul 2014 Great Skua View Image up to 5 birds on Rubha Hunish but no evidence of breeding (TH). On a trip to Fladda-chuain there were at least 5 pairs, with evidence of two breeding and a further pair with a chick on nearby Gaeilavore Island (SB, RMcM et al)
1st Jul 2014 Greylag Goose View Image On a trip to Fladda-chuain there were several offshore rafts of moulting adults and goslings with a total count of 200+ (SB, RMcM et al)
1st Jul 2014 Short-eared Owl View Image up to three birds seen at Ullinish, possibly included juveniles (PE)
1st Jul 2014 Puffin the best breeding colonies for this species in Skye waters are on the islands of An t-Iasgair, Gearran and Gaeilavore Islands. On a trip today it was estimated at least 500 pairs were breeding and it was noted that sand eels seemed readily available (SB, RMcM et al)(see Gallery)
1st Jul 2014 Arctic Tern View Image The colony on Fladda-chuain is long established and has peaked at over 1200 pairs in previous years - it was estimated that 5-600 pairs were present on a visit today with many chicks just hatching (SB, RMcM et al)(see Gallery)
1st Jul 2014 Cormorant breeding records for this species are scarce on Skye so 20+ pairs on Thon Eilean was noteworthy (see Gallery) (RMcM)
1st Jul 2014 Bullfinch several recent reports from gardens but adult feeding fledged young at Balmeanach, Braes is unusual (WM)
30th Jun 2014 Lapwing a small post-breeding group of 10+ on the shore at Loch Caroy (MS)
30th Jun 2014 Great Skua View Image single reported from Rubha an Dunain (F. Dohrmann)
30th Jun 2014 Red Kite View Image one over the 'five sisters', Kintail (RA)
27th Jun 2014 Citrine Wagtail probable on Canna but only fleeting view (PKnott) - Spotted Flycatcher & Chiffchaff also present
26th Jun 2014 Black-throated Diver View Image four flew in to Loch Long at Sallachy early morning (PS)
25th Jun 2014 Redshank early migrants on the move with 18 in Broadford Bay (MB)

© 2014 Skye Birds