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Bird sightings on the Island of Skye

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 could be passed on to other website networks. Details would also be passed on the Highland Recorder Al McNee who might require a full description before the record was accepted. This website will very much be locally focussed but recognises the existing requirements 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
30th December 2007 Iceland Gull click for image 1st winter at the mouth of the Broadford River - our first report of the winter and just a possibility it could be a Kumlien's (MB)
30th December 2007 Great Spotted Woopecker a report from Rhenetra, Kensaleyre is extremely unusual & as far north as they have been recorded on Skye (?) Tim Dix
30th December 2007 Barnacle Goose click for image 200 on pasture at Claigan (Marjorie MacInnes) - these are birds which normally winter on the island of Isay.
28th December 2007 Long-tailed Duck click for image 3 females/imms in Broadford Bay + 2 Slavonian Grebe - from the Co-op Car Park. (MB)
27th December 2007 White-tailed Eagle click for image red-tagged bird at Glenelg hunting duck then headed towards Kylerhea (Pete Jones)
24th December 2007 Gannet click for image always scarce in south Skye in winter there was a single bird of the year at Strathaird Point.(RMcM)
22nd December 2007 Bar-tailed Godwit click for image 10 at Waterloo + 26 Turnstone + 3 Knot and single Grey Plove & Greenshank (MB)
21st December 2007 White-tailed Eagle click for image excellent weather for seeing large raptors with a young Sea Eagle White M at Halistra on Waternish - this bird fledged earlier this year on Mull which is an indication of the distances young birds wander - see Gallery.
20th December 2007 Knot click for image 2 at Broadford Bay + 6 Bar-tailed Godwit & 48 Dunlin (MB)
19th December 2007 Golden Plover click for image numbers at Ardnish up to 22 + 12 Purple Sandpiper (RMcM. Also 13 Golden Plover in Glen Brittle on the 18th (Jean Thomas)
18th December 2007 Lapwing click for image an excellent day for plover at Ardnish, Broadford to-day with 18 Lapwing, 8 Golden Plover, a single Grey Plover and 60 Ringed Plover. Also 8 Purple Sandpiper,15 Turnstone and 7 Snipe. The Lapwing & Golden Plover are interesting but probably 6-8 weeks earlier than we would expect them - they possibly think its an early spring!(A&EH) - and on the suggestion of spring now evident that a pair visited their breeding territory at Elgol.
17th December 2007 Common Crossbill click for image more activity near Loch Connan with two groups, one of 8 and one of 6 - see Gallery.
17th December 2007 Gadwall click for image still 2 pairs wintering at the head of Loch Sligachan.
17th December 2007 Merlin click for image scarce in winter there was a 'brown' bird chasing a Pipit on nill ground south of Achnacloich, Sleat (KNellist)
16th December 2007 Twite click for image flock of 13 at The Obbe Kyleakin (H&MScott) - this is a very good winter record for a species which normally migrates - also a single at Elgol on the 17th (RMcM).
16th December 2007 Snow Bunting click for image pair at Lealt, Trotternish by the path to Loch Cuithir (Martin Perry)
15th December 2007 Whooper Swan click for image there were 11 at Ashaig/Ardnish (A&EH) which is pretty unusual at this time of the year. There were also 5 at Faoilean, Loch Slapin yesterday (RMcM, the first birds seen in the Strathaird area for some time. The absence of wintering birds from regular areas such as Strathaird and Loch Shiel had been noted.
11th December 2007 Common Crossbill click for image whilst out 'atlassing' in the Sandaig/Upper Sandaig areas near Glenelg, Brian Neath had two groups of Crossbills, one of 10 and one excellent flock of 25.
11th December 2007 Blackcap click for image male at bird table at Kensaleyre (Tom & Alison Smit) - this species has been scarce this winter.
11th December 2007 Blackcap click for image male at bird table at Kensaleyre (Tom & Alison Smit) - this species has been scarce this winter.
10th December 2007 Purple Sandpiper click for image 10 on WeBS count at Broadford Bay + single Grey Plover & Knot, 2 Lapwing, 5 Greenshank and 3 Slavonian Grebes - also a Golden Plover seen later by (DR).
10th December 2007 Long-tailed Duck click for image two females in Broadford Bay just off Waterloo (DR)
10th December 2007 Long-eared Owl interesting report of a single bird at Uignish, Dunvegan. (Heather MacDonald)
8th December 2007 Great Spotted Woodpecker click for image single in a garden in Kyleakin (L.Card)
8th December 2007 Shelduck click for image a single at Ardnish is the first report of returning birds (A&EH)
8th December 2007 Grey Plover click for image a single at Ardnish is the first report this winter + 6 Purple Sandpiper (A&EH)
3rd December 2007 Greenland Whitefront Goose click for image usual wintering group at Kilmuir numbering 25.
2nd December 2007 Moorhen although there has been a recent report from Loch Suardal - records away from that area remain unusual and there were two on Loch Cillchriosd in Strathaird.
2nd December 2007 Snow Bunting click for image two at the side of the road in Glen Brittle (KC&KN)
2nd December 2007 Ringed Plover click for image 32 at The Aird, Balmeanach, Braes + 2 Turnstone and a solitary Lapwing (WM)
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