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
31st Dec 2008 Blackcap View Image female at bird table Isleornsay for the last few days (RCottis)
31st Dec 2008 Lapwing though a few Lapwing have wintered on Ardnish a count of 30 was exceptional (A&EH)
31st Dec 2008 Common Scoter 7 between Ardnish and Pabay - also 2 Long-tailed Duck (DR)
29th Dec 2008 Whooper Swan View Image 4 at Loch Mor,Waterstein + 3 at Loch Cuithir & 2 on Loch Fada (AS & CHawley) also 6 Golden Plover at Loch Mor(per AS)
29th Dec 2008 Black Guillemot View Image moving back to inshore waters with summer plumage bird at Loch Poolteil (AS)
29th Dec 2008 Turnstone 12 at Waterloo (MFrench)
29th Dec 2008 Red-throated Diver View Image good count of 6 at Invertote (CHawley)
27th Dec 2008 Ptarmigan View Image 2 winter plumage birds on Sgurr na Coinnich / Beinn na Caillich, Kinloch (P&R Davison)
27th Dec 2008 Long-tailed Duck View Image 3 at Ardnish + 9 Slavonian Grebes, 8 Purple Sandpipers & 45 Turnstone (A&EH)
27th Dec 2008 Goosander View Image 4 at Loch Mor, Waterstein + 6 Goldeneye (A&AS)
27th Dec 2008 Fieldfare View Image 30 at Waterstein (A&AS)
26th Dec 2008 Black-throated Diver View Image 2 at Loch Pooltiel - also 3 Red-throats (A&AS)
24th Dec 2008 Merry Christmas just to wish all our site visitors & contributers a merry christmas & a happy new year with many thanks for all your support. Although we are away I will be trying to keep the site up to date - there may be the occasional glitch!
23rd Dec 2008 Glaucous Gull View Image one feeding on a Red Deer carcass on the tideline at Duisdalemore (RCottis)
22nd Dec 2008 Barn Owl View Image single seen at Achacork (CLomas)- & two between Drynoch & Struan (PElford)
21st Dec 2008 Hen Harrier View Image stunning male at Harrapool (DR)
20th Dec 2008 Long-tailed Duck View Image 2 in Broadford Bay during WeBS count - also a Grey Plover, 6 Greenshank, 7 Slavonian Grebe & 14 Purple Sandpiper (RMcM)
17th Dec 2008 Iceland Gull View Image currently three in Mallaig Harbour - an adult and two juvs. (SMacDonald)
17th Dec 2008 Blackcap View Image a male at Fank Brae, Mallaig (SMacDonald)
16th Dec 2008 Grey Phalarope View Image report from Sylvia Porter of a 'possible' bird in the surf at Staffin Bay - the description certainly suggests this and it is a species which is occasionally recorded in winter.
16th Dec 2008 Treecreeper another report - this time from Sylvia Porter in Staffin. This is certainly quite remote from any suitable mature woodland with resident breeding populations - adding support to the theory that there may be Scandinavian immigrants about.
16th Dec 2008 Purple Sandpiper View Image 4 at Ashaig, Broadford (A&EH)
15th Dec 2008 Treecreeper another report of a wandering bird in the 'Three Chimneys' garden at Colbost (S.Spear) - following other reports at Rhenetra and Glenelg there has been some discussion that some of these birds are very white breasted and 'possibly' Scandinavian in origin - it is extremely difficult to differentiate the two.
14th Dec 2008 Waxwing View Image still two stragglers at The Obbe, Kyleakin (A&EH)
13th Dec 2008 Barnacle Goose View Image at least 50 on the island of Clett - seen from Waternish (AMearns)
13th Dec 2008 Lesser Whitethroat View Image wintering bird still present at Halistra, Waternish,regularly at feeders in several gardens (AMearns, JHodgkin)
11th Dec 2008 Whooper Swan View Image 10 at Loch Cillchroisd, Strathaird - larger group than normal at this time of the year and possibly result of frosty weather further east.
9th Dec 2008 Snow Bunting View Image single at the roadside between Dunvegan & Skinidin (A&AS)
9th Dec 2008 Waxwing View Image still two at The Obbe, Kyleakin (A&EH)
9th Dec 2008 Slavonian Grebe single at Balmeanach Bay, Braes (WM)
8th Dec 2008 White-tailed Eagle View Image A young 2007 bird with a white tag & letter 5 at Loch Slapin earlier to-day (LCard)- now established that this bird fledged on Canna.
7th Dec 2008 Snow Bunting View Image a single bird at Lower Milovaig - also a Black-throated Diver in Loch Pooltiel (AS)
6th Dec 2008 Crossbill not exactly the normal habitat - but pair at Meanish Pier, Glendale (A&AS)
6th Dec 2008 Waxwing View Image still 9 at Arisaig + a single at Fank Brae, Mallaig & a male Blackcap (SMacD)
6th Dec 2008 Purple Sandpiper View Image 4 at Ardnish + 7 Snipe, 9 Golden Plover and 3 Lapwing (A&EH)
5th Dec 2008 Waxwing View Image still 5 at Kyleakin.
4th Dec 2008 Waxwing View Image still a few about with 5 The Obbe, Kyleakin (A&EH) and 8 at Arisaig yesterday (SMacD) - also 30 Goldfinches at The Obbe, Kyleakin.
4th Dec 2008 Twite View Image 2 at The Obbe, Kyleakin (A&EH) - this is a species which is scarce in winter as most of our breeding birds migrate.
3rd Dec 2008 Blackcap View Image male back in garden at Kyleakin (H&MS)
3rd Dec 2008 Purple Sandpiper View Image single at Waterloo along with 20 Turnstone (DR)- also 6 reported from Mallaig (SMacD)
3rd Dec 2008 Great Crested Grebe View Image this is a scarce bird in the west and there was a single at the south end of Loch Morar (SMacD)
3rd Dec 2008 Water Rail report of a probable rail flushed from a ditch in woodland near Dunvegan Castle (LMillington) - the 2nd report within days suggests there may have been an influx following the bad weather further east. Further report from Brian Neath of one at Ardelve.
3rd Dec 2008 Woodcock report of 4 at Conchra, Lochalsh (BN)
2nd Dec 2008 Mallard we very rarely have this species on the site but a count of 108 at Loch nan Dubhrachan, Sleat, is good by our standards - the loch also had 35 Teal & 6 Whooper Swans. It is suspected that the local estate is putting out grain to attract waterfowl.
2nd Dec 2008 Waxwing View Image though most Waxwings have moved through there was a report from Stephen MacDonald of 6 on berries at Arisaig - still some stragglers about.
2nd Dec 2008 Reed Bunting View Image report of 5 at Carr Brae, Lochalsh (BN)
1st Dec 2008 Treecreeper a single in the garden at Rhenetra,Kensaleyre is a new record for the Dix family.

© 2013 Skye Birds