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, 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 Gordon (  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 and we hope we can enhance these systems. We will also 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.

Date Species Image Details
30th Nov 2008 Iceland Gull View Image report of probable Iceland at An Aird, Gedintailor, Braes (P.Dark)
30th Nov 2008 Red Grouse a report of 5 in the snow below the turbines on Ben Aketil is a good report for what can be an elusive bird on Skye. (C.Alston)
29th Nov 2008 Lesser Whitethroat View Image still visiting the garden at Halistra, Waernish and as well as feeding on nuts, also feeding on suet balls (Judith Hodgkin)
28th Nov 2008 Whooper Swan View Image 8 birds flew west over the Skye Bridge this morning - perhaps a weather movement (RMcM)
28th Nov 2008 Greenland White-fronted Goose wintering flock at Kilmuir has 28 birds (RMcM)
28th Nov 2008 Water Rail a scarce winter visitor there was a calling bird at Chaluim Chille, Kilvaxter (RMcM)
27th Nov 2008 Fox on the Feeder though foxes will readily come to food in many gardens in urban areas a report from Steve Clarke of a fox feeding at a nut feeder at Kensaleyre seems unusual for Skye.
25th Nov 2008 Chiffchaff single in garden Rhenetra, Kensaleyre (TDix)
24th Nov 2008 Treecreeper report from Colin Alston of bird in his garden at Dunvegan - always difficult to know how far this species will range but there is good woodland in the Dunvegan area which should suit this species. (Peter Elford has been in touch to confirm that the species can be found in the Castle Gardens.)
24th Nov 2008 Pintail always a scarce bird on Skye there was a drake on Loch na Dal, Kinloch (MPerry)
24th Nov 2008 Barn Owl View Image another report from the Sligachan area (MPerry)
22nd Nov 2008 Barn Owl View Image report of a single bird at Galtrigill (S.Robson)
22nd Nov 2008 Storm Petrel a single was seen off Soay by Ronnie Dyer delivering mail with the MV Shearwater. Later that night a bird crashed into a window at Bracora on Loch Morar and was released back to sea at Arisaig the next day (Stephen MacDonald - see Gallery). It is getting late in the year and interesting that small petrels are still around.
22nd Nov 2008 Iceland Gull View Image one out of Uig from the ferry (PElford)
20th Nov 2008 Lesser Whitethroat View Image still visiting bird feeders at Halistra, Waternish (JHodgkin)
20th Nov 2008 Blackcap View Image female on berries in garden at Ose (CMillington)
18th Nov 2008 Blackcap View Image male in garden at kyleakin (H&MScott)
18th Nov 2008 Eider after several years of absence Eider numbers building up with 90 in Kyle Akin (H&M Scott)
18th Nov 2008 Grey Plover View Image Single on Ardnish + 3 Lapwing (A&EH)
18th Nov 2008 Grey Phalarope View Image just when we thought they had gone away, Perry Dark found two at Gedintailor.
18th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image 10 at Dunvegan Castle gardens (BCookson) & 12 at Inverinate (BN)
18th Nov 2008 Whooper Swan View Image seemingly still passing through with 6 at Harrapool (DR)
16th Nov 2008 Greenland Whitefronted Goose During WeBS count in Broadford Bay there were 19 on Ardnish - other birds of note was the first returning Shelduck, single Barnacle & pale-bellied Brent, 5 Greenshank & 10 Purple Sandpiper. (RMcM)
16th Nov 2008 Lesser Whitethroat View Image bird still at Halistra, Waternish (JHodgkin)
16th Nov 2008 Chiffchaff very late bird at Killilan, Lochalsh (BN)
14th Nov 2008 Lesser Whitethroat View Image still happily feeding in the garden at Halistra, Waternish (JHodgkin)
14th Nov 2008 Storm Petrel one literally crash-landed in the strong winds at Uig Pier - picked up and then took off again (Colin Alston)
13th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image still birds about with 20 in the trees at the Portree Co-op car park (Steve Clarke) - and 30 at Glenelg (Pete Jones)
12th Nov 2008 Grey Phalarope View Image still a single straggler at the Aird, Gedintailor, Braes (PDark)
12th Nov 2008 Lesser Whitethroat View Image still visiting gardens at Halistra, Waternish (J.Hodgkin, AMearns)
12th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image 17 at Sallachy, Lochalsh (BN)and 15 at Glenelg (PJ) - most of the birds now seem to have left our area though there are reports of big numbers further east.
11th Nov 2008 Lesser Whitethroat View Image still in garden at Waternish (JHodgkin)
11th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image still 15 at Bayfield, Portree (Alison Stables)
10th Nov 2008 Lesser Whitethroat View Image still in Judith Hodgkin's garden in Halistra, Waternish - feeding on nuts - see image in Gallery.
10th Nov 2008 Brent Goose View Image 22 at Traigh, Morar for the last two days (S.MacDonald)
10th Nov 2008 Whimbrel View Image a late bird at Traigh, Morar (S.MacDonald)
10th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image still 100 in the Arisaig area (S.MacDonald)
9th Nov 2008 Eider there was formerly a large wintering flock at Kyle Akin which has disappeared over the last few years - numbers are now building up again with a count of 48 (Hugh Scott)
9th Nov 2008 Blackcap View Image female feeding on apples in Kyleakin garden (Hugh Scott)
9th Nov 2008 Lesser Whitethroat View Image one seen in garden at Halistra, Waternish (Judith Hodgkin)- this bird was photographed in poor light but was identified by Allan Mearns - again illustrating the benefits of even poor photographs - this is a rare vagrant on Skye.
8th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image flock of 35 moving south in Glen Varrigal (RMcM)
8th Nov 2008 Brent Goose View Image group of 20 still at Loch Portree (RMcM)
8th Nov 2008 Grey Phalarope View Image numbers at An Aird, Gedintailor, Braes have slowly dwindled and although it was thought they had all gone, there were still two this afternoon (P.Dark)
8th Nov 2008 Storm Petrel dead bird found at the Raasay jetty (per SBungard)
7th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image still moving through with 20 at Ose (RMcM) and 40 at Ferindonald (Pat Newman)
7th Nov 2008 Gadwall View Image now 2 pairs at the head of Loch Sligachan which will hopefully again winter (RMcM)
6th Nov 2008 Brent Goose View Image still some stragglers with a single at Waterloo and 7 on Ardnish (A&EH)
6th Nov 2008 Grey Plover View Image 2 on Ardnish + 7 Snipe & a single Lapwing (A&EH)
6th Nov 2008 Long-tailed Tit View Image excellent flock of 24 at Lower Breakish (A&EH)
6th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image still birds about Portree but numbers much reduced, probably a sign that many birds have moved through (AS) - check the Gallery for several images taken in the last few days.
6th Nov 2008 Fieldfare View Image scarce in Lochalsh this autumn there were 100 at Morvich (Rule Anderson)
6th Nov 2008 Black-throated Diver View Image two in Loch Ainort (BHawker)
5th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image large numbers still reported from Portree though no specific counts. Elsewhere c40 at Moorlands, Breakish (M.French), 40+ at Isleornsay (RC), 20 at Ferindonald (JMcDermott) and 8 at Attadale (RMcM)
5th Nov 2008 Brent Goose View Image still stragglers going through with c20 at Loch Portree (Brian Smith)
5th Nov 2008 Barn Owl View Image report of singles at Crossal (SBirch) & Fasach, Glendale (AS)
5th Nov 2008 Woodcock beginning to arrive in numbers with 4 seen at locations between Portree & Glendale (AS) - also a single in Portree.
5th Nov 2008 Peregrine Falcon report from Steven Birch of a pair of Peregrine Falcons hunting bats near a crag on Minginish. Though bats have been recorded as prey in USA there appears to be no record of such prey items in the UK.
5th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image 3 in Glen Brittle (BHawker)
4th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image still c400 around Broom Place and other birds well dispersed throughout Portree (see Gallery)(AS)
4th Nov 2008 Grey Phalarope View Image birds still about but widely dispersed - 20 initially then 35 seen later off Camastianavaig (RMcM, A.Mearns)- then report of up to 80 later.
4th Nov 2008 Slavonian Grebe 3 in Loch Ainort at Luib (BHawker)
4th Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image 23 on garden berries at Ose (CMillington)
3rd Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image report of 120+ in Broom Place, Portree at 0830 then also mid-afternoon (AS) - also c50 in Budmhor, Portree yesterday & to-day - a single at Gedintailor then 12 later at Balmeanach & c20 in Glen Varrigal (RMcM, WM) Late afternoon - report from Neil Bennett of a flock of 4-500 feeding on yellow rowan berries at the Portree House Hotel - looks like we are going to have bumper numbers again!!
3rd Nov 2008 Fieldfare/Redwing huge flocks with birds arriving all the time & foraging on Rowan berries at Camastianavaig - 2,500+ (RMcM)
3rd Nov 2008 Grey Phalarope View Image still birds off Gedintailor, Braes - though difficult to count there were c100 flying north and feeding around NG520380 - these birds are pretty mobile depending on wind & tide.(RMcM)
3rd Nov 2008 Barnacle Goose View Image flock of 19 came from the north and landed near Camus a Mhor, Braes, before continuing south (WMarshall)
3rd Nov 2008 Water Rail single flushed at Ardelve, Lochalsh is the first report in the area for some time. (BN)
3rd Nov 2008 Brent Goose View Image flock of 21 at Camus a Mhor, Gedintailor (Tim Dix)
3rd Nov 2008 Grey Phalarope View Image 3 at Tianavaig Bay + 19 Brent Goose at Gedintailor & 10 Waxwing (BHawker)
2nd Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image still 20 at Isleornsay mid morning (RCottis), 50 at Aird Old Church, Sleat (JMcDermott), 88+ though Broadford by lunchtime (MB) and 28 in Glen Varrigal early morning (Al McNee)
2nd Nov 2008 Fieldfare/Redwing mixed flock of 4-500 over The Obbe, Kyleakin (A&EH)and 100 at Aird Old Church, Sleat (JMcDermott)
2nd Nov 2008 Grey Phalarope View Image birds still very much in evidence off the northern tip of An Carnan, Gedintailor with an amazing count of 197 in the afternoon (Al McNee)
2nd Nov 2008 Iceland Gull View Image report of a first winter bird at Gedintailor (Al McNee)
2nd Nov 2008 Gadwall View Image 2 males and a female with Wigeon on the freshwater pool at Camus a Mhor, Gedintailor (Al McNee)
2nd Nov 2008 Barn Owl View Image recent reports from Fiscavaig, Portnalong & Crossal suggest there is more than one bird in the area (Sue Tate)
2nd Nov 2008 Long-tailed Duck View Image a female for the last two days at Camas a Mhor, Gedintailor, Braes (WMarshall)
2nd Nov 2008 Waxwing View Image flock of 30-40 at Gedintailor (T&ASmit,SPorter)
1st Nov 2008 Brent Goose View Image still 6 pale bellied on Ardnish (A&EH) - there were also 30 at Harrapool yesterday (CBenson)
1st Nov 2008 Golden Plover excellent counts of 100+ at Ramasaig & 50 at Lorgill (A&AStables)
1st Nov 2008 Woodcock 1st report of the autumn with a single at Ramasaig (A&AStables)
1st Nov 2008 Reed Bunting View Image scarce in Duirinish there were 4 near Borrodale on the Ramasaig Road (A&AS)
1st Nov 2008 Black-throated Diver View Image 2 in Loch Poolteil (A&AS)

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