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 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
30th Apr 2007 Corncrake View Image report from Grace Yoxon of a calling bird at Broadford
30th Apr 2007 House Martin View Image 3 at Uig (Sam Forest)
30th Apr 2007 White Wagtail View Image 2 at Meanish Pier (AStables)
30th Apr 2007 Willow Warbler View Image count of 29 singing birds between Dornie & Carr Brae viewpoint (BN)
30th Apr 2007 Wood Warbler singing bird at Gleann Beag, Lochalsh - as well as a Whinchat & two Tree Pipits (BN)
29th Apr 2007 Canada Goose View Image two at Broadford Bay - possibly the same birds which were recently at Lochcarron - see photograph (Martin Benson)
29th Apr 2007 Whimbrel View Image 5 at the Coral Beaches, Dunvegan (Marjorie MacInnes) and 10 at Waterloo, Broadford (MB)
29th Apr 2007 Scaup drake in Broadford Bay along with a drake Tufted Duck (MB)
29th Apr 2007 Wood Sandpiper bird located on a small Skye loch - location withheld meantime - this is only the third record for Skye and it is not known yet whether it is a passage bird or a potential breeder (RMcM)
29th Apr 2007 Corncrake View Image report from Alan Silence of at least two calling birds in the Waternish area - an extremely early start.
28th Apr 2007 House Martin View Image birds investigating the eaves of a new house at Harrapool (DR)
28th Apr 2007 Black-throated Diver View Image still birds in Loch Slapin with two to-gether and a group of eight.
28th Apr 2007 Sedge Warbler View Image first report of the year with bird singing at Harrapool (MB)
28th Apr 2007 Black Swan report via a number of 'third parties' of a single bird, presumably the same bird which spent a few days at Loch Mor, Waterstein.
27th Apr 2007 Whinchat View Image two reports of a male at Harrapool, possibly the same bird (RMcM, MB)- then a later report from Dave Rogers of two males in the same area.
27th Apr 2007 Common Tern View Image single at Ashaig, Broadford (A&EH)
27th Apr 2007 Common Sandpiper View Image moving through in good numbers with 5 at Ashaig/Lusa (A&EH)
27th Apr 2007 Garden & Wood Warbler reports from Brian Neath of singing birds on Carr Brae, Dornie - both these species are relatively scarce on Skye.
27th Apr 2007 Meadow Pipit View Image some birds still in flocks with 40 at The Brae, Plockton (BN)
26th Apr 2007 Whimbrel View Image 10 at Waterloo, Broadford (DRogers)
26th Apr 2007 Grasshopper Warbler reeling birds at Dornie, Ardelve(2), and several Harrapool (BN,MB,DR)
26th Apr 2007 Jack Snipe View Image a single at Dubh Aird, Plockton, is an interesting late spring record for this elusive species (BN)
26th Apr 2007 White Wagtail View Image 3 at Dubh Aird, Plockton - also 4 Linnets (BN)
25th Apr 2007 Tree Pipit View Image 2 singing Armadale Castle Gardens (Steve Duffield)
24th Apr 2007 Grasshopper Warbler reeling bird at Harrapool, first of the year (MB)
24th Apr 2007 Black-tailed Godwit View Image super summer plumage flock of 21 at Waterloo (MB) - spring records of such numbers are scarce and these will more than likely be Icelandic birds.
24th Apr 2007 Cuckoo seems to have been an influx with reports from Elgol, Breakish, Kylerhea and Dunvegan
23rd Apr 2007 Whimbrel View Image 4 at the Obbe, Kyleakin (EHorner) - our first report of a regular migrant which peaks next month hence its name 'the May fowl'
23rd Apr 2007 Common Sandpiper View Image first report from Uig (Sam Forest) and also on the 24th from Milovaig (AStables)
23rd Apr 2007 Black-tailed Godwit View Image two on the shore at Loch Brittle (KC&KN)
22nd Apr 2007 Common Sandpiper View Image now moving in with two at Kilmarie and three at the head of Loch Slapin (RMcM) and a single at Broadford (MB)
22nd Apr 2007 Redshank presumably returning Icelandic migrants but 34 at Harrapool is a good count (MB)
22nd Apr 2007 Grey Plover View Image single at Harrapool, Broadford (MB)
22nd Apr 2007 Black-tailed Godwit View Image c25 in breeding plumage landed on the banks of the River Snizort (C&HGodfrey)
21st Apr 2007 'Comic' Tern two at Broadford, probably Common - an early date anyway (MB)
21st Apr 2007 Chiffchaff report of two singing at Attadale, Strathcarron (BN)
20th Apr 2007 Common Sandpiper View Image single at the head of Loch Slapin is the first report so far.
20th Apr 2007 Cuckoo firsts of the year (so far) at Skinidin (Val Hunkin)and at Ose (Carole Millington)
20th Apr 2007 Red-breasted Merganser View Image good count of 38 at Ashaig (A&EH)
19th Apr 2007 Chiffchaff 1st report from Erbusaig, Lochalsh (Dennis Bates)
19th Apr 2007 Great Skua View Image two birds (separately) near Heaste but pushing across country from Loch Eishort towards Broadford Bay
19th Apr 2007 Jack Snipe View Image probably a spring migrant on a wet footpath near Kinloch, Sleat.
19th Apr 2007 Pink-footed Goose View Image though there are still 3 at Ardnish (A&EH) a skein were passing north over Harrapool at 10.0pm, obviously migrants heading for Iceland (DR)
18th Apr 2007 Canada Goose View Image report of two at Lochcarron (Josephine Dean)
18th Apr 2007 Whooper Swan View Image still a single on the little pond at Faoilean, Loch Slapin, where it has spent most of the winter joined by other small groups which have since moved on. Could this be the same bird which lingered well into May last year?
17th Apr 2007 Blackcap View Image first singing bird at Carr Brae (BN)
17th Apr 2007 Mute Swan View Image group of 2/3 on Loch Harport - perhaps the same birds which were at Broadford Bay (Paul Roberts)
17th Apr 2007 Sand Martin View Image report from Rule Anderson of 20 on Loch Shiel
15th Apr 2007 House Martin View Image single at Kilmarie, Strathaird - also several Swallows and good numbers of Willow Warblers
15th Apr 2007 Swallow another report from Loch Cill Chrioisd (JJones)and also from Harrapool (DR)
15th Apr 2007 Linnet always a scarce bird on Skye so a report of 10 at Lower Milovaig is interesting(AStables)
15th Apr 2007 Shoveler excellent report of a drake off Ardnish (DRogers)
15th Apr 2007 Greenland White-fronted Goose still 13 at Ardnish (DRogers)
14th Apr 2007 Chiffchaff further reports of singing birds at Skullamus, Broadford (MB)and Lime Park, Broadford (DR)
14th Apr 2007 Willow Warbler View Image another report from Harrapool (MB)
14th Apr 2007 Gannet report of 2 in Broadford Bay off Ardnish, the first for some time (A&EH)- also 2 off Kilt Rock (Sam Forest)
14th Apr 2007 Pink-footed Goose View Image report of 3 at Ardnish along with 14 Greylags (A&EH)
14th Apr 2007 Tufted Duck View Image 5 probable migrants in Broadford Bay (MB)
14th Apr 2007 Meadow Pipit View Image still prone to flock as weather changes and 80 at Lower Milovaig (AStables)
14th Apr 2007 Puffin large numbers noted in the Sound of Sleat over a period of several days - hundreds (Gillian Woodman-Smith)
14th Apr 2007 Manx Shearwater View Image first report of 8+ in Sound of Sleat off Mallaig (Gillian Woodman-Smith)
14th Apr 2007 Golden Plover flock of 50 at Claigan, Dunvegan (C&HGodfrey)
14th Apr 2007 Coot View Image single still on Loch Suardal (C&HGodfrey)
13th Apr 2007 Willow Warbler View Image another report from Lochalsh, this time from Plockton (BN)as well as the first report from Skye, at Harrapool (DR)
13th Apr 2007 Chiffchaff report from Lochalsh with a single at Duirinish (BN)
13th Apr 2007 Swallow first reports for Skye with singles at Colbost (Val Hunkin) and Broadford (MB)
13th Apr 2007 Wheatear View Image continuing to move through in good numbers with 6 at Boreraig (Val Hunkin)
13th Apr 2007 Barnacle Goose View Image still flock of 60 at Staffin (Sam Forest)
12th Apr 2007 Wheatear View Image count of 6 on Arnish (A&EH) - passage has been a bit slow but this would suggest that the warmer weather may bring a good arrival of early migrants.
12th Apr 2007 Willow Warbler View Image first report from Carr Brae, Lochalsh (BN)
11th Apr 2007 Swallow first report - 4 at Morvich, Lochalsh (Rule Anderson)
9th Apr 2007 Redwing View Image continuing this theme there were about 50 birds in our garden in Elgol to-day, birds possibly brought down by the low cloud - on being disturbed they all went into a tree and started singing. According to the Birds of Western Palearctic birds on spring migration will often give sub-song - some even full song which then elicits a chorus of sub-song (RMcM)
7th Apr 2007 Greenshank pair at The Obbe, Kyleakin (A&EH) - possibly local breeders.
7th Apr 2007 Purple Sandpiper View Image 3 on Scalpay shore (Pete & Barbara Nelson)
6th Apr 2007 Redwing View Image continuing to move through and an interesting report from Andy Stables of a gathering of 50-70 in trees at Lower Milovaig - extremely noisy with 'Starling like' chattering - interesting to speculate that this excited behaviour may be pre-migratory. This has stimulated a further report from Val Hunkin at Skinidin of similar behaviour in a group of a dozen Redwing. Andy Stables has read that there is a sub-song in spring so this might be the explanation. Redwing are capable of 'long hops' on migration and there is every likelihood that on leaving Skye the next stop is Iceland.
6th Apr 2007 Wheatear View Image single at Elgol (DM) - birds still trickling through but no evidence of heavy passage.
6th Apr 2007 Wheatear View Image single at Gleann Lichd, Morvich - first for Lochalsh (Rule Anderson)
5th Apr 2007 Lesser Black-backed Gull View Image moving in with 6 at Loch Mor (Black Swan still there!) (AStables)
5th Apr 2007 Lapwing up to 5/6 pairs displaying in the CillChrioisd area of Strathaird (DMonks)
4th Apr 2007 Black Swan report from Robert Lathbury of a Black Swan at Loch Mor, Waterstein, which has apparently been there since the 2nd. Although this is an escapee I am not aware of any previous record for Skye (BobMcM)- and we thought the recent Mute Swans were a rarity!
4th Apr 2007 Redwing View Image quite a number passing through at the moment with the largest count 25 at Lower Milovaig (A Stables) Also report of 50 at Isleornsay (RCottis) - these are more than likely Icelandic birds.
4th Apr 2007 Chiffchaff report from Gilleasbuig Ferguson of a singing bird at Kensaleyre.
4th Apr 2007 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image a drumming bird at Kilbryde, Strathaird, which is a little away from the normal areas (JJones)
4th Apr 2007 Whooper Swan View Image 9 on the Black Lochs, Broadford - probably the same group seen the previous day at Loch na Dal (RCottis)
3rd Apr 2007 Lesser Redpoll View Image 10 at Glasnakille, Strathaird (RCottis)
3rd Apr 2007 Common Scoter report of a single at Duntulm (Sam Forest)
2nd Apr 2007 Melanistic Rook an interesting looking chocolate brown Rook paired with the normal black variety at Portree (see photograph). Gilleasbuig Ferguson of Kensaleyre has been in touch to say that this bird has been about Portree for 12-15 years - it has a limp - which is absolutely accurate.
1st Apr 2007 Grey-lag Goose View Image lot of movement of probable Icelandic birds to day, all moving north with 130 over Elgol, 40 over Isleornsay and 70 at the head of Loch Slapin.
1st Apr 2007 Wheatear View Image another bird between Suisnish/Boreraig, Strathaird (MB)
1st Apr 2007 Greenshank breeding birds back with 4 at the head of Loch Slapin
1st Apr 2007 Greenland White-fronted Goose report of 28 at Ardnish heading over towards Pabay (DR) - also report from A&EH of up to 50 grey geese, possibly whitefronts in the same area over the last few days.
1st Apr 2007 Purple Sandpiper View Image 3 at Roag Island (Pete & Barbara Nelson)

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