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 Jul 2009 Black-tailed Godwit View Image total of 16 at Waterloo (see Gallery), + 4 Knot & 2 Sanderling at Harrapool and a single Whimbrel at Ashaig (MB, DCJ)
31st Jul 2009 White Wagtail View Image 2 at Harrapool (DCJ)
30th Jul 2009 Common Crossbill View Image party of 10 in Upper Sandaig plantation, Glenelg (RMcM,MK)
29th Jul 2009 Sanderling View Image now 6 at Harrapool along with 80+ Dunlin, still 41 Knot, 30+ Ringed Plover, 2 summer plumage Turnstone and 2 adult Sandwich Tern (MB & DR)
28th Jul 2009 Knot still 48 at Harrapool, all in summer breeding plumage suggesting most are adults (RMcM)
28th Jul 2009 Sanderling View Image single in summer plumage at Harrapool along with Dunlin and Ringed Plover (MB)
27th Jul 2009 Knot excellent count of 56 at Broadford Bay (MB)- see Gallery.
27th Jul 2009 Ring Ouzel View Image a pair on the shoulder of Beinn na Caillich (RMcM)
27th Jul 2009 Swift single over Lower Milovaig, Glendale (AS)
27th Jul 2009 Shelduck 8 at Ashaig + 22 Lapwing, 24 Dunlin & 20 Ringed Plover (A&EH)
26th Jul 2009 Great Skua View Image up to 5 at Neist Point including colour ringed E8, originally ringed on Handa, which was also in the area in 2008. (A&EH)
26th Jul 2009 Turnstone 16 at Camus a Mhor, Braes + Redshank, Dunlin & Ringed Plover passing through (WM)
24th Jul 2009 Arctic Skua View Image 3 at Neist Point (SBungard)
23rd Jul 2009 Golden Eagle View Image annual monitoring on Skye has established 29 pairs on territory, 22 nesting attempts, with 11 pairs fledging 13 chicks (KC & KN.) Another poor year for productivity despite good weather.
23rd Jul 2009 Whimbrel View Image 7 at Ashaig at high tide + 265 Oystercatchers, 30 Lapwing, 45 Curlew, 15 Redshank and single Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwit (RMcM)
23rd Jul 2009 White-tailed Eagle View Image report from Peter Elford on the Brigadoon that the first of two Sea Eagle chicks at Portree has fledged - this is a good time to see them from the boat trips. Otherwise it has been a poor year for Sea Eagles with only two nests successful producing three young (per AMcLennan)
22nd Jul 2009 Glaucous Gull View Image immature birds still summering at Portree and at Dornie (BN)
20th Jul 2009 Knot good count of 22 at Ardnish + 24 Dunlin (A&EH)
19th Jul 2009 Arctic Skua View Image 5 moving north overland from Loch Slapin following Kittiwake (RMcM)
17th Jul 2009 Linnet successful breeding at Ardmore, Waternish where min. of 8 pairs recorded in an Atlas tetrad - see Gallery (RMcM)
16th Jul 2009 Curlew nice post-breeding flock of 70 at Harrapool (A&EH)
14th Jul 2009 Water Rail a further two territories at Loch Suardal, Dunvegan + Moorhen with 3 chicks and Little Grebe with 3 chicks (RMcM)
14th Jul 2009 Great Northern Diver View Image group of 4 summering birds at Ashaig, Broadford (A&EH)
14th Jul 2009 Red-breasted Merganser View Image several small broods at different locations but bumper brood of 18+ at Ashaig (A&EH)
13th Jul 2009 Great Northern Diver View Image single summering bird off Ashaig, Broadford (RMcM)
13th Jul 2009 Glaucous Gull View Image report of a bird in Portree Harbour feeding on chips!! (PE)
13th Jul 2009 Glaucous Gull View Image unusual summer record from Portree - (C.Craggs & image per Birdguides)
12th Jul 2009 Knot 3 at Harrapool including a bird with colour rings/flag (DCJ)- it has now been established that this bird will have been ringed on spring migration north at Porsangerfjord in Norway. It is of the islandica race breeding in Greenland and Canada and is probably an early returning migrant. There has been the worst spring for decades in the Canadian Arctic and birds were reported to be flocking for the return migration two weeks ago on Ellesmere Island.
11th Jul 2009 Common Whitethroat View Image numbers seem to have been down this year but pair at Kyleakin (L.Card)
11th Jul 2009 Water Rail there is no breeding record for Skye but territorial birds have been heard calling at Loch Cillchroisd, Strathaird and at Chaluim Chille, Kilmuir (DCJ)
11th Jul 2009 Red-throated Diver View Image excellent count of 14 in Staffin Bay - also 2 summering Great Northern Diver (MPerry)
11th Jul 2009 Bar-tailed Godwit View Image single at Harrapool (DCJ)
11th Jul 2009 Reed Bunting View Image up to 8 pairs in small area of Chaluim Chille, Kilmuir (DCJ)
11th Jul 2009 Arctic Skua View Image intermediate phase off An t-lasgair, from Camas Mor, Borneskitaig (DCJ)
11th Jul 2009 Tufted Duck View Image excellent count of 14 in moult at Loch Mealt + female with brood of 6 (DCJ)
10th Jul 2009 Garden Warbler fledged brood at Killilan, Lochalsh + fledged Spotted Flycatcher and a singing Grasshopper Warbler - on Ben Killilan - Golden Eagle, Ptarmigan and Dunlin - all recorded on final visits to tetrads (BN) - remember to try and get your second Atlas visits done !!!
9th Jul 2009 Merlin View Image this species breeds sporadically on Skye - 4 young fledged from a nest utilising an old Hoodie Crow site in forestry at Waternish - see Gallery.
9th Jul 2009 Common Crossbill View Image another good report of 30+ at Glen Bharcasaig, Orbost (GReed)
9th Jul 2009 Cuckoo reports of young Cuckoos are very rare so one with adopted Stonechat parents at The Hoe, Minginish is very interesting (GReed)
8th Jul 2009 Common Crossbill View Image good flocks feeding in the Allt Ruaridh plantation, Balmeanach, Struan - at least 50+ and part of the current influx of Scandinavian birds (RMcM)
8th Jul 2009 Ring Ouzel View Image 2 females on the Quirang (GReed)
8th Jul 2009 Blackcap View Image 2 singing - also 4 on 6th (MAustin)
8th Jul 2009 Little Grebe View Image 5 at Loch Suardal (MAustin)
7th Jul 2009 Curlew 21 in Ardmore Bay -(GReed)- numbers of waders are already building up in post-breeding flocks.
7th Jul 2009 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image successful breeding at Kyleakin with youngster visiting garden feeders (A&EH)
6th Jul 2009 Common Dolphin nice little pod of 20 Common Dolphins between Elgol and Soay including calves - see Gallery (RMcM)
6th Jul 2009 Common Crossbill View Image 14 at Dunvegan (MAustin)
6th Jul 2009 Coot View Image single on 6th & 8th which showed signs of juvenile plumage, having possibly bred elsewhere (MAustin)
6th Jul 2009 Spotted Flycatcher View Image singles at Dunvegan on 6th & 8th (MAustin)
6th Jul 2009 Grasshopper Warbler two reeling near Loch Suardal (MAustin)
5th Jul 2009 Common Crossbill View Image 20+ at Idrigill Point (MAustin)
5th Jul 2009 Grasshopper Warbler 3 singing Idrigill Point (MAustin)
5th Jul 2009 Golden Plover 10 at Idrigill Point (MAustin)
4th Jul 2009 River Warbler this rarity has mainly been recorded previously as a vagrant, and not in Highland - there has been a singing bird beside the Heritage Centre at Applecross for the last few nights and showing well to-night (RMcM)
4th Jul 2009 Glaucous Gull View Image summering bird still present at Dornie (BN)
4th Jul 2009 Great Skua View Image up to 5 at Staffin Island (MAustin)
3rd Jul 2009 Common Crossbill View Image 18+ in Choisleadar Forest, Edinbane (RMcM)
2nd Jul 2009 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image successful breeding at Isleornsay with fledged young at feeders (see Gallery) (RC)
2nd Jul 2009 Sandwich Tern View Image two at Camus a Mhor, Braes (WM)
2nd Jul 2009 House Martin View Image 3 near Loch Mealt (MAustin)
2nd Jul 2009 Common Crossbill View Image 8 at Staffin (MAustin)
2nd Jul 2009 Swift single at Staffin (MAustin)
1st Jul 2009 Spotted Flycatcher View Image 2 at Staffin (MAustin)
1st Jul 2009 Sandwich Tern View Image 1 at Staffin (MAustin)
1st Jul 2009 Quail calling bird near the campsite at Staffin - also on 2nd (MAustin)

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