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 alike, 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 event of rarities being found, details might be passed on to other website networks. Details would also be passed on the Highland Recorder Hugh Insley (  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 such as Birdline Scotland . The intention is that Skye-Birds.com will enhance these systems. Skye-Birds.com will also have complete discretion as to what information is added to these pages. In particular, any details which might reveal breeding sites of vulnerable species will be excluded. No information will be published which may in any way put birds at risk.

Date Species Image Details
2nd Feb 2012 Iceland Gull View Image juvenile still at Bayfield, Portree (PE)
1st Feb 2012 Iceland Gull View Image two adults at Bayfield, Portree now joined by 2nd winter bird (JL)
31st Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image still two adults at Bayfield, Portree (JLawson)
31st Jan 2012 Woodcock 4 at Struan Causeway (MHerbert)
30th Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image still three adults at the burn mouth at Balmacara Bay (PSpeak). Also two adults at Bayfield, Portree and a 3rd winter on Tim Bowditch's house roof - an excellent garden bird.
30th Jan 2012 Whooper Swan View Image 11 at Loch Suardal including a young bird (RWright)& 14 Wigeon (JGrant)
30th Jan 2012 Barn Owl View Image singles at Keppoch, Strathaird (D.Love-Jones)and at Camuscross (JGrant)
30th Jan 2012 Fieldfare View Image 20 at Duirinish + 17 Redwing (BN)
30th Jan 2012 White-fronted Goose single with Greylags on The Brae, Plockton (BN)
29th Jan 2012 Common Scoter 3 in Pabay Sound (RMcM)
29th Jan 2012 Greenland White-fronted Goose 5 flew from Pabay to Waterloo (RMcM)
29th Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image 2nd winter bird at Bayfield, Portree (J.Lawson)
29th Jan 2012 Hen Harrier View Image male near Drumuie, Portree (TB) and a ringtail at Waterloo (RMcM) - also reports of a male regularly in the Elgol area (IMacK)
28th Jan 2012 Glaucous Gull View Image still a first winter bird at Bayfield, Portree (J.Lawson)
28th Jan 2012 Black-throated Diver View Image single off the Black Rock, Portree + two Red-throated Diver (J.Lawson)
27th Jan 2012 Goldeneye 5 at Ashaig (AH) - who also had 3 Bottle-nosed Dolphins at Kyleside this morning.
27th Jan 2012 Greenland White-fronted Goose still 35 at Kilmuir (RMcM)
27th Jan 2012 Bean Goose single with Greylags at Linicro (see Gallery) (RMcM)
27th Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image four in Balmacara Bay, Lochalsh at least three of which were adults and the other 3rd winter (BN)
26th Jan 2012 Whooper Swan View Image pair at Lochlonghead (PS)
26th Jan 2012 Barnacle Goose View Image 36 at Staffin (TBowditch)
26th Jan 2012 Fieldfare View Image 30 at Kilmaluag (T.Bowditch)
24th Jan 2012 Treecreeper though BN has had this species below feeders before at Carr Brae, for the first time he recorded a bird taking a nut from a feeder despite being chased off by a female Great Spotted Woodpecker
23rd Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image at least 15 at Mallaig Pier (see Gallery) (RMcM)and a Kumlien's Gull (see Gallery) (SMacD)
23rd Jan 2012 Glaucous Gull View Image two at Mallaig Pier (see Gallery) (RMcM)
22nd Jan 2012 Common Sandpiper View Image flight shots and a call to-day have confirmed that the bird is a Common Sandpiper and resolved our conundrum! (MB,RMcM)
22nd Jan 2012 Little Grebe View Image two in Kyleakin Obbe (MB,SB and a single at Struan (MH)
21st Jan 2012 Common/Spotted Sandpiper? a wintering bird at Kyleakin Obbe was eventually photographed yesterday (see Gallery). The absence of markings on the greater coverts and tertials suggest it could be a Spotted Sandpiper, a north American vagrant. Other features however, do not suggest this so it is a conundrum that a rarities committee may have to sort out. (RMcM)
20th Jan 2012 Glossy Ibis View Image 5 at Bay of Laig, Eigg, may have been around for several days - one of the birds has a yellow colour ring suggesting it was ringed in 2006 at the mouth of the Rhone (per Birdguides & H.Insley)
20th Jan 2012 Yellowhammer still two at feeders at Kyleakin.
19th Jan 2012 Yellowhammer now a pair at feeders at Kyleakin (H&MScott)
19th Jan 2012 Glaucous Gull View Image 1st winter at Lower Milovaig (AS)
19th Jan 2012 Little Auk one found dead at Achnacloich, Sleat, presumably brought in by storms (Jan MacDonald)
18th Jan 2012 Glaucous Gull View Image at least 4 at Mallaig this afternoon (SMacD)
18th Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image adult at Faoilean, Loch Slapin (see Gallery) (RMcM) - pales to insignificance beside the 13 Icelands and 2 'Kumlien' types in Mallaig Harbour in late afternoon (SMacD)
18th Jan 2012 Shelduck 3 at Broadford Bay + 28 Bar-tailed Godwits & 30 Dunlin (MB)
18th Jan 2012 Redwing/Fieldfare mixed flock of c40 at Duirinish (BN) - similar sized flock at Heribusta on the 15th
17th Jan 2012 Hen Harrier View Image male at Halistra (TBowditch)-perhaps the same bird seen yesterday at Stein
16th Jan 2012 Slavonian Grebe always scarce in Lochalsh there was a single in Loch Duich at Eilean Donan on the 15th and another at Plock of Kyle to-day (BN)
16th Jan 2012 Brambling View Image two males and a female visiting feeders at Isleornsay (RC)
16th Jan 2012 Hen Harrier View Image single males reported at Stein (CMyhill) and Elgol (M.Day)
15th Jan 2012 Bean Goose single still at Chaluim Chille, Kilvaxter with a small group of Greylags (MB,RMcM)
15th Jan 2012 Greenland White-fronted Goose count of 35 at Chaluim Chille, Kilvaxter is a peak for this wintering flock (MB,RMcM)
15th Jan 2012 Barnacle Goose View Image flock of c150 above Kilmaluag had probably been spooked by a White-tailed Eagle (MB,RMcM)
15th Jan 2012 Whooper Swan View Image 5 on Loch Suardal, Dunvegan (R.W) and a single juvenile at Chaluim Chille.
15th Jan 2012 Eider numbers building up with c70 at Kyleside, Kyleakin (A&EH)
15th Jan 2012 Common Sandpiper View Image the late bird at Kyleakin Obbe has appeared again and is clearly wintering, which is a first in the area (A&EH)
14th Jan 2012 Red Grouse near Broadford, 8 on the Heaste road to-day (CB) and 3 on the Elgol road on the 11th
14th Jan 2012 Glaucous Gull View Image 1st winter at Glenelg for several days (PJones)
14th Jan 2012 Barnacle Goose View Image single at Lower Milovaig seemed to head out across the Minch (AS)
13th Jan 2012 Yellowhammer male at feeders at Kyleakin - only the 3rd visit in 18 years (H&MScott)
13th Jan 2012 Purple Sandpiper View Image 3 at Ardnish + a Slavonian Grebe & 12 Turnstone (A&EH)
13th Jan 2012 Bean Goose single 'Tundra' with Greylags at Chaluim Chille, Kilvaxter (RMcM) - if accepted this will be a 'first' for Skye and Lochalsh
13th Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image adult at the head of Loch Ainort and 2nd winter on the shore of Loch Sligachan at Peinchorran (RMcM)
13th Jan 2012 Common Scoter 5 at the head of Loch Ainort (RMcM)
13th Jan 2012 Barnacle Goose View Image c4 on Staffin Island and 16 at Kilmaluag(RMcM)
13th Jan 2012 Jay two at the west end of Loch Morar (SMacD)
12th Jan 2012 Grey Heron View Image c25 in the air near Eilean Donan castle...possibly disturbed from the nearby roost (JP)
11th Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image single adult in Balmeanach Bay (WM)
11th Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image at least 10 at Mallaig including 3 adults - + 3 Glaucous Gulls (SMacD)
10th Jan 2012 Short-eared Owl View Image single at Rhenetra, Kensaleyre (INorris)
9th Jan 2012 Dipper recent reports include two at Glenbrittle River (JT), two at the mouth of the Ord River (AL), singles at Lower Breakish (LP) and Kilmarie (see Gallery)(RMcM)
9th Jan 2012 Song Thrush View Image an early singing bird in Kyle (BN)
9th Jan 2012 Grey Plover View Image 10 on Ardnish is a good count (A&EH)
9th Jan 2012 White-tailed Eagle View Image pair at Faoilean, Loch Slapin (DM)
9th Jan 2012 Grey Heron View Image though known to predate birds, one at Longlonghead had caught a Little Grebe (PSpeak)
8th Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image 1st winter at Kyle Pier has apparently been around for several weeks (see Gallery) (MB,RMcM)
8th Jan 2012 Glaucous Gull View Image with the current influx of white-winged gulls there are 2 Glaucous in Mallaig Harbour + 5 Iceland Gulls (SMacD)
7th Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image adult at Glenelg (also yesterday) (P.Jones); still 2nd winter at Faoilean, Loch Slapin (RMcM)
7th Jan 2012 Barn Owl View Image report of two birds at Upper Breakish (SB)
6th Jan 2012 Iceland Gull View Image three at Faoilean, Loch Slapin, two adults and a juvenile (see Gallery)(RMcM)- also 4 at Mallaig.
5th Jan 2012 Greylag/Canada hybrid single hybrid with Greylags at Feorlig is possibly a bird which has been reported previously from this area (RMcM)
5th Jan 2012 Knot 2 at Loch Portree + a Greenshank and 43 Wigeon(RMcM)
5th Jan 2012 Glaucous Gull View Image probable 2nd winter at Camus a Mhor, Balmeanach.(WM)
5th Jan 2012 Hen Harrier View Image male near Dunvegan (CAlston)and ringtail still hunting Lower Breakish (LP)

© 2012 Skye Birds