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 Jan 2010 Turnstone good count of 48 at Ardnish/Ashaig + 12 Dunlin (A&EH)
30th Jan 2010 Barn Owl View Image few reports this winter but a single bird at Breakish (JP)
29th Jan 2010 Carrion Crow View Image at least 5 along with a large group of Hooded Crows at Kilvaxter (RMcM)
29th Jan 2010 Greenland White-fronted Goose 22 at Kilvaxter, Kilmuir (RMcM)
27th Jan 2010 Whooper Swan View Image 2 on Loch Cillchroisd and 8 on Loch nan Dubrachan, Sleat (RMcM)
27th Jan 2010 Common Crossbill View Image 3 in Tormore Forest, Sleat (RMcM)
27th Jan 2010 Greenland White-fronted Goose 25+ on Ardnish, Broadford + a Merlin at Waterloo (DR)
25th Jan 2010 Slavonian Grebe single off Drumbuie, Lochalsh (BN)
25th Jan 2010 Skylark View Image 3 back on croftland at Drumbuie, Lochalsh - earlier than normal (BN)
25th Jan 2010 Yellowhammer 3 in Drumbuie village (BN)
25th Jan 2010 Goldeneye 8 on partially frozen Loch Fada (MPerry)
25th Jan 2010 Turnstone 4 at Achnacloich, Sleat (MPerry)
23rd Jan 2010 Turnstone 8 at the corran at the entrance to Loch Sligachan + a single Lapwing (WM)
21st Jan 2010 Whooper Swan View Image 2 on Loch Fada (MPerry)
19th Jan 2010 White-tailed Eagle View Image the report of the radio tagged bird seen on Raasay on 4 January is likely to be 'Breaga', a 2008 Mull bird - see http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/tracking/mulleagles/
19th Jan 2010 Common Crossbill View Image 4 at Duirinish (BN)
18th Jan 2010 Jack Snipe View Image single on saltmarsh at Plockton (BN)
17th Jan 2010 Greenland White-fronted Goose flock of 27 at Ardnish still intact after the bad weather. (A&EH)
15th Jan 2010 Lapwing 9 at Claigan, Dunvegan (MMacInnes)
14th Jan 2010 Goldeneye 6 at Ashaig (A&EH)
14th Jan 2010 Snow Bunting View Image report of a single at the Aird, Balmeanach - also 20 Golden Plover & 2/3 Woodcock (WM)
12th Jan 2010 Whooper Swan View Image still 2 on some open water at Loch Suardal (Rob Wright)
12th Jan 2010 Woodcock at least 3 on open ground at Claigan Farm, Dunvegan (RWright)
12th Jan 2010 Barnacle Goose View Image 100 on grazings at Kilmaluag (SPorter)
10th Jan 2010 Woodcock some big counts with 10 in the Lower Milovaig area with 4 feeding to-gether on one of the few places with clear soft earth (AS) - also 3 at Kyleakin (A&MScott)- and another c10 in the Ullinish area (PE)where unfortunately one succumbed to a cat.
10th Jan 2010 Common Snipe View Image 6 at Lower Milovaig and single Jack Snipe remained all week (AS)
10th Jan 2010 Golden Plover 15 at Ardnish & a single Lapwing (A&EH)- also 6-8 at the Coral Beaches (PE)
10th Jan 2010 Whooper Swan View Image 6 on a frozen Loch nan Dubrachean, Sleat (RWare)
10th Jan 2010 Great Northern Diver View Image 9 in Loch Bracadale (PE)
9th Jan 2010 Water Rail still feeding with hens at Ullinish + 4 Reed Buntings (G.Leatherbarrow)
9th Jan 2010 Woodcock still being widely reported with birds scraping for feeding in any vegetation clear of snow and often near to houses -reports from The Lump, Portree, from Ullinish and from Heaste
8th Jan 2010 Whooper Swan View Image 7 noisy birds flying east over Achachork, Portree (CLomas)
8th Jan 2010 Greylag Goose View Image not so much present but absent - resident flock disappeared from Kyleakin (A&EH)
8th Jan 2010 Fieldfare/Redwing still a dozen birds at Kyleakin with scattered reports of small numbers from Harrapool, Aird (Sleat), and Staffin.
7th Jan 2010 Whooper Swan View Image two at Dunvegan heading for Loch Suardal though not sure whether it has any clear water (Rob Wright) - otherwise most Whoopers seem to have left the island.
6th Jan 2010 Reed Bunting View Image up to 20 at Staffin feeding on seeds on reeds and pampas grass - also Snipe in garden (SP) & a report of Curlew in garden at Portree (M.Henrikson)
6th Jan 2010 Skylark View Image despite fresh snow still 4 at Glasnakille (see Gallery) (RMcM)
5th Jan 2010 Skylark View Image a bird singing after dark at Isleornsay was unfortunately dead this morning (RC).
5th Jan 2010 Cold Weather and birds as well as the dead Skylark above, there are reports to-day of dead Snipe in two separate gardens in the Broadford area - with this spell of hard weather set to continue I am sure most visitors to the site will be aware of the importance to try and increase feeding levels as more species are liable to visit garden feeding stations. It is equally important to try and avoid unnecessary disturbance to feeding groups of wildfowl and waders, and other birds and there is some sound advice at the following links http://www.bto.org/home/cold_weather_and_waterbirds.html
5th Jan 2010 Hen Harrier View Image good report of 2 at Tote + 2 Kestrels and 2 Buzzards as well as 2 Woodcock (CHawley)
4th Jan 2010 Barn Owl View Image one seen early morning at Duirinish (JP)
4th Jan 2010 Red Kite View Image any recent observations on Red Kites in the area in addition to those listed would be very welcome - information from Brian Etheridge the RSPB Red Kite Officer for the Highlands suggests that a number of Black Isle roosts have completely dispersed because of the bad weather and any records away from normal locations would be welcome.
4th Jan 2010 Eider 23 in the Sound of Raasay (CHawley)
4th Jan 2010 White-tailed Eagle View Image 3 immature birds seen over Raasay one of which semed to have a satellite transmitter - this will probably be an east of Scotland release bird (CHawley)
3rd Jan 2010 Jack Snipe View Image single in a roadside drain at Lower Milovaig (AS)
3rd Jan 2010 Goosander View Image 7 at Greshornish Point (CHawley)
2nd Jan 2010 Skylark View Image flock of c30 at Aird, Sleat (RMcM)
2nd Jan 2010 Peregrine View Image single over Lower Milovaig (AS)
2nd Jan 2010 Chiffchaff wintering bird still present at Lower Milovaig, Glendale (AS) - amazing that it is surviving all the winter weather.
2nd Jan 2010 Water Rail one seen in the garden at Badicaul (Susan Smith)
2nd Jan 2010 Common Crossbill View Image 2 in Tote Forest (CHawley)
1st Jan 2010 Woodpigeon View Image flock of 75 at Armadale Castle woods - an unusually high count for Skye (RMcM)
1st Jan 2010 Goldfinch c30 at Armadale Castle woods + 30 Siskin & c12 Redpolls (RMcM)
1st Jan 2010 Water Rail one unfortunately succumbed to a cat at Torrin (MMJohnson)
1st Jan 2010 Reed Bunting View Image 3 at Peinachorrain, Sleat (WM)
1st Jan 2010 Hen Harrier View Image male at Camas Beag, Earlish (Nick Hodgetts)
1st Jan 2010 Merlin View Image female at Meanish Pier, Glendale (AS)

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