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
30th Apr 2005 Black throated Diver View Image single in full breeding plumage in Ullinish Bay, Bracadale.
30th Apr 2005 Twite View Image A number of reports of Twite at the moment and good numbers are obviously moving back in to breed. (Bob) is trying to plant some grass at the moment and about 20 Twite are exploiting the feeding opportunity - have to remind myself that they are 'red listed' as of high conservation concern!
30th Apr 2005 Whooper Swan View Image Report from Hugh Scott of party of 6 on Loch a Ghlinne, Sleat - these look like very late migrants.
30th Apr 2005 Linnet A scarce species on Skye, there is a report of a pair in a garden at Ullinish. Also a report from Dave Monks of a bird regularly using a bird table in Portree.
29th Apr 2005 Whinchat View Image report from Kensaleyre but seems to be scarcer this spring?
26th Apr 2005 Brent Goose View Image single bird only on Glas Eilean at Harrapool - also there the following day - generally scarce on Spring passage.
25th Apr 2005 Whimbrel View Image Group of 6 at the head of Loch Slapin at High Tide.
25th Apr 2005 Great Norther Diver Birds still moving through with 7 at Plock of Kyle, Lochalsh.
25th Apr 2005 Wood Warbler bird singing at Carr Brae, Dornie.
25th Apr 2005 Shelduck a report of 4 at Plock of Kyle is unusual (Brian Neath)
25th Apr 2005 Grasshopper Warbler First report of 'reeling' bird (briefly) from Harrapool, Broadford.
24th Apr 2005 Whooper Swan View Image still a straggler at Loch Shiel.
24th Apr 2005 Sand Martin View Image Fairly uncommon in the area there were 3 at Morvich on Lochalsh.
24th Apr 2005 Short Eared Owl View Image bird seen at Ullinish in the late evening.
24th Apr 2005 White Wagtail View Image Numbers building up with 5 at Cmas Malag near Torrin.
23rd Apr 2005 Redstart report of singing bird from Carr Brae, Dornie.
23rd Apr 2005 Blackcap View Image Adding to the list of summer migrants there was a singing bird at Carr Brae.
23rd Apr 2005 Whimbrel View Image Group of 3 at the end of Loch Slapin at high tide.
23rd Apr 2005 Purple Sandpiper View Image report of a group of 3 at Loch Dunvegan - always an elusive species on Skye.
22nd Apr 2005 Hawfinch Report from Alan and Elaine Horner of a Hawfinch at their bird table at Kyleakin. This is a terrific record and follows a report in May 2004 at Portree. There have been increasing records over the last few years from the west coast for what is a rare and elusive species anywhere in Scotland.
22nd Apr 2005 Common Sandpiper View Image first of the year at Loch Slapin (not particularly early!)
22nd Apr 2005 Pomarine Skua View Image single bird tracking eastwards up Loch Slapin at dusk.
22nd Apr 2005 Tree Pipit View Image first record of singing bird on Carr Brae, Dornie.
21st Apr 2005 Whimbrel View Image a single bird at Loch Slapin so look out for the main passage coming through.
21st Apr 2005 Black throated Diver View Image Count of 26 at Dusk in Loch Slapin between Kilmarie and Glasnakille - the origins of these birds is a bit of a mystery as most Scottish breeding birds are back in territory.
21st Apr 2005 Swallow seem to be slowere to arrive in Lochalsh with first report from Carr Brae.
19th Apr 2005 Merlin View Image This is a good time to see Merlin and there have been several reports in recent weeks from throughout the island including Braes and Isle Ornsay (Malcolm Parsons). Birds are back in breeding territories and Bob watched a pair mating yesterday in Glen Colbost. It would be valuable to get a handle on the Skye breeding population so all records, historical or otherwise, would be welcome.
19th Apr 2005 Cuckoo first report from Lochalsh, at Plockton.
17th Apr 2005 Willow Warbler View Image reports from Waterloo, Broadford, and from Carr Brae, Lochalsh.
17th Apr 2005 Cuckoo 1st report of the year from Pat Newman at Aird in Sleat.
16th Apr 2005 Iceland Gull View Image Report from Carl Farmer of what appears to be a 2nd winter bird at the mouth of the River Varrigal at Loch Portree. This is perhaps the same bird which was reported earlier in the winter.
16th Apr 2005 House Martin View Image early reports from Loch Achaidh na h-Inish, Lochalsh of 6 on the 16th and 4 the following day.
15th Apr 2005 Greater White-fronted Goose View Image report of 40 at Staffin Slipway - ?possibly returning north as this is not a normal winter haunt.
15th Apr 2005 Tufted Duck View Image Good count of 15 at Loch Mealt, Staffin.
15th Apr 2005 White Wagtail View Image report from Simon Dix of a single at Loch Leathan - probably an Icelandic bird returning north.
14th Apr 2005 Arctic Skua View Image report of 2 'pale phase' Arctic Skuas off Neist Point (Carl Chapman)
14th Apr 2005 ChiffChaff though we had an extremely early record from Lochalsh this appears to be the first record for Skye - one singing at Orbost.
13th Apr 2005 Black Throated Diver View Image Count of 17 in Loch Slapin - this is the best count of the 04/05 winter and probably reflects a movement into the area of birds which have wintered further south.
13th Apr 2005 Willow Warbler View Image 1st report of the spring from Loch Mealt, Staffin.
13th Apr 2005 Whooper Swan View Image good 'herd' of 38 at Loch Suardal. According to John Phillips a group of 4/5 were the overwintering birds because 33 flew off and seemed extremely agitated to be on the move.
13th Apr 2005 Teal View Image good flock of 22 at Loch Fiadhairt Dunvegan.
12th Apr 2005 'Northern' Bullfinch report from Brian Neath of a female Bullfinch with the diagnostic 'toy trumpet' call on Carr Brae - there is a suggestion in the latest Scottish Bird News that some of these 'big bullies' may even stay and breed!
10th Apr 2005 Jack Snipe View Image single flushed on Ardnish, Broadford.
10th Apr 2005 Greater White-fronted Goose View Image Flock of 48 feeding on Ardnish, Broadford.
9th Apr 2005 Yellowhammer Report from Simon Dix of an adult male at Sligachan. This is a significant record as the only recent sporadic reports have been from Aird in Sleat.
8th Apr 2005 Turnstone Flock of 35 at Kilmarie Bay, Loch Slapin.
8th Apr 2005 Whinchat View Image 1st report of the year from Crawford Godfrey at Aird Bernisdale.
6th Apr 2005 Swallow Report from Sarah Kay of further Swallow - from Staffin - with our return to winter weather our early migrants will have a real challenge.
4th Apr 2005 Redwing View Image Though there have been several reports of small groups passing through 'several hundred' at Isle Ornsay was significant - with a few Fieldfare in tow.
3rd Apr 2005 Whooper Swan View Image Big count of 43 heading north over Lower Breakish.
3rd Apr 2005 Ring Ouzel View Image reliable report of a bird on Carn More, Ben Cleat, Strathaird.
2nd Apr 2005 Swallow First report of the year from a holiday-maker Wayne Jones - of a bird on the wires at Lower Breakish.

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