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 John Poyner ( 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 |
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29th Sep 2005 | Albino Redshank | Amongst the Redshank at Harrapool to-day Martin Benson found an albino example. This is possibly an Icelandic bird passing through so it will be interesting to see where it turns up next. | |
29th Sep 2005 | Whooper Swan |
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Further birds arriving with 7 coming in off the sea at Camas Mor, Kilmuir. |
28th Sep 2005 | Leach's Petrel | single only, off Strathaird Point in late afternoon. | |
27th Sep 2005 | Pomarine Skua |
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Seawatch at Strathaird Point recorded two separate birds, tracking south in strong westerlies. |
27th Sep 2005 | Barnacle Goose |
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single bird in high winds at Strathaird Point, probably lost and looking for its mates - first report of the autumn. |
27th Sep 2005 | Whooper Swan |
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report from Sylvia Porter of 7 resting on the sea in Staffin Bay. |
25th Sep 2005 | Red-throated Diver |
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Good count of 17 between Camas na Sgianadin and Moll with the best numbers in Loch Ainort. |
25th Sep 2005 | Whooper Swan |
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First arrivals with 6 on the Storr Lochs and 4 at Kilmuir. |
25th Sep 2005 | White-tailed Eagle |
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Following the report on the 23rd, young bird (Red 7) causing mayhem amongst the waders, duck and gulls on Loch Portree. This bird fledged from Canna this year. |
25th Sep 2005 | Brent Goose |
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Still 13 remaining on the saltings at the head of Loch Ainort. |
24th Sep 2005 | Scaup | Report from Martin Benson of a flock of 22 birds in Broadford Bay. These are possibly Icelandic migrants temporarily held up by the strong southerlies. | |
24th Sep 2005 | Great Skua |
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Duncan Ritchie reports another 3 flying south at Loch Bracadale. |
23rd Sep 2005 | White-tailed Eagle |
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Hard on the heels of a report of 6 Golden Eagles to-gether is a report from Dave Monks of 5 White-tails to-gether just south of Portree above the main road at the Varrigal Bridge - 4.30p.m. this afternoon. |
23rd Sep 2005 | Brent Goose |
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further report from Simon Dix of 35 on the saltings at the head of Loch Ainort. These are the pale bellied 'hrota' race which breed in West Greenland and high arctic Canada and are on route to winter in Ireland. A number of birds were radio tagged this summer and flights can be seen on www.wwt.org.uk/supergoose. |
23rd Sep 2005 | Great Skua |
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with the strong westerlies at least 10 moving north during a 2 hour watch at Strathaird Point. |
22nd Sep 2005 | Great Skua |
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report from Duncan Ritchie of 5 south at Loch Bracadale |
21st Sep 2005 | Black-tailed Godwit |
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Still a group of 7 at Harrapool/Waterloo - also 2 at the Obbe, Kyleakin. |
21st Sep 2005 | White Wagtail |
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report of 5 at Armadale. |
20th Sep 2005 | Brent Goose |
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The first group of the autumn (18) were at Glas Eilean, Broadford, to-day. |
20th Sep 2005 | Black-tailed Godwit |
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Two separate groups of 4 and 8 in the Ardnish and Waterloo areas. |
20th Sep 2005 | Slavonian Grebe | First record of the autumn with a single bird in Pabay Sound, Broadford Bay. | |
20th Sep 2005 | Gadwall |
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report from John Bannon of 3 (1m&2ff) on the sea off Tokavaig, Sleat - this is an extremely scarce passage migrant and they are probably Icelandic birds. |
20th Sep 2005 | Common Swift | report of a single at Ord, Sleat, on what is an extremely late date - in general terms there have been few reports this year. | |
19th Sep 2005 | White Wagtail |
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Group of 4/5 at Ashaig were probably Icelandic birds. |
19th Sep 2005 | Linnet | Interesting flock of 20 at Lower Breakish feeding on thisle heads - also in the flock were Goldfinch, Reed Bunting and Lesser Redpoll. | |
19th Sep 2005 | Raven | Good count of 27 at Ord. | |
18th Sep 2005 | Linnet | flock of 20 south over Ord - we have few reports of flocks of this size but sightings are becoming more frequent. | |
16th Sep 2005 | Ringed Plover |
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Report from John Jones of flock of 70 at Ashaig, Broadford Bay - probably migrants. |
12th Sep 2005 | Merlin |
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Report of a foraging bird near Dunvegan - possibly a migrant. |
12th Sep 2005 | Osprey |
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this is a scarce wanderer so a report from W.Davis of a single bird at Sconser was interesting. |
11th Sep 2005 | Gadwall |
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report from W.Davis of 3 Gadwall at Loch Suardal - a location where this scarce migrant was seen at much the same time in 2004. |
10th Sep 2005 | Golden Eagle |
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We rarely record Eagle sightings on the site for reasons of security. A report from Peter Elford of 6 birds soaring to-gether north of Dunvegan near Claigan was obviously spectacular and well worth recording. |
8th Sep 2005 | Ruff | A single bird, probably an imm. at Broadford Bay. This is an excellent record from Martin Benson, only the second known for Skye. | |
8th Sep 2005 | Great Skua |
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Dave Monks recently sailed round Skye and reported 'Bonxies' widely distributed in moderate numbers. Best count was 7 off South Rona on this date. |
4th Sep 2005 | Bar-tailed Godwit |
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count of 15 between Ardnish and Waterloo, Broadford Bay. |
4th Sep 2005 | Black-tailed Godwit |
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Martin Benson and David Rogers had a good count of 22 in Broadford Bay - as well as 3 Whimbrel. |
3rd Sep 2005 | Little Grebe |
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Brian Neath reports 7 in the Ardelve/Eilean Tioram area of Lochalsh. |
2nd Sep 2005 | Arctic Skua |
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report of a single bird off Ashaig, Broadford. |
2nd Sep 2005 | Wigeon | Numbers already building up with 15 at Balmacara Bay. | |
2nd Sep 2005 | Goosander |
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Count of 14 at Shiel Saltings, Lochalsh. |
1st Sep 2005 | Short-eared Owl |
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Report from Helen and Steve Birch of a bird at Lower Breakish - unfortunately this species remains scarce on the island. |
1st Sep 2005 | Arctic Skua |
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pale phase bird chasing terns in Broadford Bay. |
1st Sep 2005 | Whimbrel |
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still some through passage with 4 at Harrapool in the early evening. |
1st Sep 2005 | Lapwing | Few reports of recent times so 9 at GLen Drynoch was interesting. | |
1st Sep 2005 | Goshawk | Interesting report of a single bird near Ullinish. |