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 |
Image |
Details |
27th Feb 2010 |
Jack Snipe |
|
single at Isleornsay (SB) |
27th Feb 2010 |
Barn Owl |
|
birds have been very scarce this winter so it was encouraging to see one hunting at Kilmarie, Strath (RMcM) |
25th Feb 2010 |
Skylark |
|
flock of 30+ at Dunvegan (R.Wright) |
24th Feb 2010 |
Skye Bird Race |
|
the annual bird race will be held on Saturday 6th March. An intrepid team comprising John Phillips, Roger Cottis, Martin Benson and myself will try and record as many species during daylight hours - all going well anything between 65-75 species. This year we plan to donate to the Haiti Disasters Emergency Committee so if anyone out there would like to support our fundraising please get in touch. (Bob) |
23rd Feb 2010 |
Whooper Swan |
|
9 on a frozen Loch na Sguabaidh at the head of Loch Slapin (RMcM) |
23rd Feb 2010 |
Red-breasted Merganser |
|
26 in Kilmarie Bay, Loch Slapin (RMcM) |
23rd Feb 2010 |
Golden Plover |
|
14 at Ardnish + 8 Lapwing & 5 Snipe (A&EH) |
22nd Feb 2010 |
Black-throated Diver |
|
17 in Loch Slapin (RMcM) |
21st Feb 2010 |
Lapwing |
|
9 at Ardnish, Broadford (A&EH) and 12 at Staffin (RMcM) |
21st Feb 2010 |
Golden Plover |
|
23 at Kilmaluag & 9 at Camas Mor, Bornesketaig (RMcM) |
21st Feb 2010 |
Turnstone |
|
36 at Ardnish + 18 Dunlin & 6 Ringed Plover (A&EH) |
21st Feb 2010 |
Bar-tailed Godwit |
|
15 at Loch Portree (RMcM) |
20th Feb 2010 |
Wigeon |
|
away from normal areas, 16 at Kinloch, Dunvegan (M.Cullen) |
19th Feb 2010 |
Skylark |
|
returning birds now showing with 4 at Lower Milovaig & at Elgol, and a good count of 16 at Roag (AS,RMcM,HW) |
19th Feb 2010 |
Sheduck |
|
count of 13 at Roag (HW) |
19th Feb 2010 |
Hen Harrier |
|
ringtail at Upper Milovaig (AS) |
15th Feb 2010 |
Redwing |
|
c20 at Lower Milovaig singing in the trees - spring is coming? (AS) |
15th Feb 2010 |
Gannet |
|
9 flew past Neist Point where there were 119 occupied Fulmar sites (AS) |
15th Feb 2010 |
White-tailed Eagle |
|
juvenile picked up in The Minch flying from the Benbecula direction to Neist, then went on to Waterstein Head where it landed (AS) |
13th Feb 2010 |
Purple Sandpiper |
|
still good numbers at Ardnish with 14, + 48 Turnstone, 8 Great Northern Diver & 6 Lapwing (A&EH) |
13th Feb 2010 |
Fieldfare |
|
group of 12 at Glasphein - otherwise very few winter thrush groups still around (AS) |
12th Feb 2010 |
BTO Atlas Winter Visits |
|
the weather is good for getting out and finishing off any outstanding winter visits to tetrads before the end of the month. However, birds are certainly scarcer and on three single hour tetrad visits to-day I only found 4 species with one tetrad a complete blank. No Robins, Dunnocks or Wrens which had been found in the early winter visits, so perhaps the severe weather has taken its toll (RMcM) |
12th Feb 2010 |
Purple Sandpiper |
|
good count of 12 on Ardnish, Broadford (DR) |
11th Feb 2010 |
Common Crossbill |
|
a pair in the Eynort forestry (JThomas) |
11th Feb 2010 |
Whooper Swan |
|
6 flying north at 500' over Dunvegan (Rob Wright) |
11th Feb 2010 |
Slavonian Grebe |
|
great conditions for counting with 17 between Camas na Sgianadin and Lusa (RMcM) |
11th Feb 2010 |
Great Northern Diver |
|
48 in late afternoon moving to deep water off Lusa (RMcM) |
10th Feb 2010 |
Great Northern Diver |
|
numbers building up with 39 at Loch Slapin & 18 Black-throated Diver (RMcM) |
10th Feb 2010 |
Slavonian Grebe |
|
2 off Kyleakin jetty + 24 Eider (A&EH) |
9th Feb 2010 |
Long-tailed Tit |
|
a party of 10 during tetrad visits on the island of Soay was an unexpected find - total of 28 species recorded during counts in 3 tetrads (RMcM, KC) |
9th Feb 2010 |
Common Crossbill |
|
pair at Strathellen Wood, Plockton (BN) |
7th Feb 2010 |
Common Crossbill |
|
5 in Waternish Forest including a pair display flighting (RMcM) |
6th Feb 2010 |
Black-throated Diver |
|
15 in Loch Slapin + 21 Great Northern Diver (RMcM) |
3rd Feb 2010 |
Reed Bunting |
|
pair feeding on the lawn at Carbost with other finches (JT) |
2nd Feb 2010 |
Hen Harrier |
|
nice male at The Aird, Balmeanach, Braes (WM) |
2nd Feb 2010 |
Golden Eagle |
|
territorial birds are getting active with a pair showing well above Scalpay (JP) and another pair over North MacLeod's table (Rob Wright) |