Skye Birds - A Birding Guide to the Isle of Skye

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	Details
31st Mar 2009	Cuckoo	report from Roger Cottis of a bird flying near the Black Lochs south of Broadford - this would be one of the earliest records in Scotland.
31st Mar 2009	Whooper Swan	large group of 59 resting at Pool Roag (RForrest)
30th Mar 2009	Whooper Swan	Big movements north with 50+ at Milovaig (Clare Gray), then 100 north at Loch Dunvegan at 1500 hours and 49 on nearby Loch Suardal (Rob Wright)
30th Mar 2009	White Wagtail	starting to move through with two at Neist Point - also a female Merlin (AS)
30th Mar 2009	Black-headed Gull	38 at Broadford Bay + 4 Lesser Black-backs (MB)
29th Mar 2009	Bird Atlas	many of you who are already participating in the Atlas in Skye will have received an email from Bob Swann and myself about the coming breeding season Atlas visits. If you are participating in the Atlas and have not received this email please get in touch. We still have a good number of free tetrads so it is not too late to start participating - the more the merrier. Contact me through the site or at 01471 866305 if you need any further information - Bob.
29th Mar 2009	Whooper Swan	the big flock of 40+ was still at Loch Meodal yesterday but birds were moving north to-day with two big herds of 30 & 40 over Lower Milovaig (AS)
29th Mar 2009	Barn Owl	single bird at Bernisdale (WBurge)
29th Mar 2009	Glaucous Gull	single at Holm Island which flew towards Raasay (CHawley)
28th Mar 2009	Great Spotted Woodpecker	male at bird table at Kyleakin (A&EH) - also recent reports from Lower Ostaig, Sleat, and Strathaird House.
28th Mar 2009	Short-eared Owl	several recent reports including Kildonan (HWest), the Ose valley (Rob Forrest), near Sligachan (KC), and Aird Bernisdale.
27th Mar 2009	Merlin	single through the garden at Lower Milovaig (AS) who has also commented that there are still few pipits about. The flush of migrants a week ago has certainly been halted by the cold, wet weather.
27th Mar 2009	Canada Goose	still a single at Kyleakin Obbe with two Greylags but seeing one of the Greylags off - Pair bonding ? (A&EH)- hybrid pairs of Canada/Greylag are apparently quite common amongst feral flocks.
25th Mar 2009	Glaucous Gull	probable third winter bird at Portree (RMcM)
25th Mar 2009	Chiffchaff	report of two birds at Lower Milovaig (AS)
23rd Mar 2009	Whooper Swan	large flock of 45+ still at Loch Meodal - obviously holding back until the weather changes.
22nd Mar 2009	Chiffchaff	1st report from Lower Milovaig (AS)
21st Mar 2009	Wheatear	another male at Broadford (MB)
21st Mar 2009	Barn Owl	report of a single at Kyleakin (A&EH)
21st Mar 2009	Whooper Swan	several reports of large group of Whoopers (up to 47) on Loch Meodal, Sleat. These are migratory birds heading north to Iceland.
20th Mar 2009	Wheatear	a female at Torrin and a male at Glasnakille (RMcM) + 2 males at Meanish Pier (AS) - there are now 9 records from 17-20 March which is the earliest ever group of records for this species on Skye. From the website, earliest dates in the last 5 years were 27.3.04, 20.3.05, 29.3.06, 27.3.07 and 30.3.08.
20th Mar 2009	Owls	three species of Owl seen from Steve & Helen Birch's house at Upper Breakish between 16th & 19th - Tawny, Barn and Short-eared - must be some kind of record.
19th Mar 2009	Sand Martin	another very early migrant - a single at Lower Milovaig (AS)
19th Mar 2009	Barnacle Goose	c90 feeding on Eilean Mor off Lyndale Point (RMcM)
19th Mar 2009	Wheatear	more early reports with 2 at Scorr Farm, Loch Pooltiel (K.Lindsley) and singles at Ardnish (A&EH)and Uiginish, Dunvegan (Heather MacDonald)
19th Mar 2009	Canada Goose	single apparently paired with a Greylag at Kilmaluag (RMcM)- coincidentally another with Greylags at The Obbe, Kyleakin (A&EH)
19th Mar 2009	Lapwing	good count of 26 on Ardnish + 4 Purple Sandpiper & 2 Golden Plover (A&EH)
18th Mar 2009	Glaucous Gull	two sub-adult birds coming to a garden feeding station at Carr Brae, Dornie, along with Herring Gulls (BN)
18th Mar 2009	Sand Martin	first report of spring and again early - at Lusa (MPerry)
17th Mar 2009	Wheatear	a very early male at Elgol + the first pair of Twite, and lots of Pied Wagtails, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits singing - spring has sprung (RMcM)-report of lots of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wags. in Broadford as well (MB)
17th Mar 2009	Barn Owl	single Harrapool/Broadford near main road (MB)
17th Mar 2009	Whooper Swan	21 heading north towards Claigan at Dunvegan (M. Wright)
17th Mar 2009	Lesser Black-backed Gull	single at Fasach (AS)
17th Mar 2009	Gannet	2 at Meanish Pier - also a Woodpigeon, a relative rarity at Lower Milovaig (AS)
17th Mar 2009	Great Northern Diver	excellent count of 16 between Drumbuie and Port-an-eorna - also 3 Slavonian Grebes (BN)
16th Mar 2009	Short-eared Owl	one hunting at Ullinish (L.Henderson)
16th Mar 2009	Moorhen	still 3 at Loch CillChroisd (RMcM)
16th Mar 2009	Redwing	two birds in garden at Lower Milovaig behaving very much as a pair with chasing and singing (AS)
15th Mar 2009	Barnacle Goose	single at Ardnish is unusual (A&EH)
14th Mar 2009	Lesser Black-backed Gull	single at Broadford River, first report this spring. (MB)
14th Mar 2009	Gannet	spring reports of singles at Gedntailor (PDark) and Staffin (DCJardine)
14th Mar 2009	Barnacle Goose	counts of 120 at Staffin and at Kilmaluag - also on the goose front 13 Greenland Whitefronts at Kilmuir and a single Brent Goose still at Loch Greshornish (DCJardine)
14th Mar 2009	Gadwall	still 3 at Loch Sligachan + 3 Goosander (DCJardine)
12th Mar 2009	Glaucous Gull	now 2 over Eilean tioram, Ardelve (BN). Brian also reported his first 4 Skylarks - interesting that they are quite a bit later than in Skye.
10th Mar 2009	Glaucous Gull	still at Ardelve with Herring Gulls (BNeath)
9th Mar 2009	Moorhen	this species is scarce on Skye so 3 at Loch Cill Chroisd, Strathaird, is unusual and encouraging for potential breeding (RMcM)
8th Mar 2009	Skye Bird Race	unfortunately weather conditions for our sponsored race were rather hostile but we still managed a creditable 62 species mainly in the south of the island only going as far north as Portree. Highlights included 3 Gadwall at Loch Sligachan, 2 Iceland Gulls at Portree, a Great Spotted Woodpecker at Isleornsay and c100 Kittiwake off Ord. Full list supplied on request. (R.McMillan, M.Benson, R.Cottis & J.Phillips)
7th Mar 2009	Barn Owl	hunting and seen catching a vole at Breakish in mid afternoon (JPhillips)
5th Mar 2009	Redwing	small flocks of Redwing in Broadford suggesting return migration of Icelandic birds. (MB)
4th Mar 2009	Greenland white-fronted Goose	small flock of 15 on Ardnish + 40 Golden Plover and 2 Purple Sandpiper (A&EH)
1st Mar 2009	Greenshank	single on Loch Slapin, possibly the early return of breeding birds (see Gallery) (RMcM)
1st Mar 2009	Twite	30 at Tokavaig, Sleat, which may be early returning birds (MB)
1st Mar 2009	Brent Goose	single bird on the shore at Loch Greshornish along with Wigeon (HWest) - records in spring are fairly scarce.
1st Mar 2009	Jack Snipe	single in garden at Luib near dusk (Janis Miller)

Bird sightings on the Island of Skye and the neighbouring area

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