Skye Birds - A Birding Guide to the Isle of Skye
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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 Peter Stronach (  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
30th Jun 2010 Swift another report, this time 3 over Ullinish (PE)
30th Jun 2010 Manx Shearwater View Image 400+ at Neist Point and 300+ Kittiwake (PE)
28th Jun 2010 Grasshopper Warbler reeling bird at Ardelve, Lochalsh (BN)
26th Jun 2010 Barn Owl View Image single hunting am at Earlish (NHodgetts)
26th Jun 2010 Swift always scarce on Skye, a single at Bernisdale (DMacdonald) is the first report this year.
26th Jun 2010 Swift another report of two over Portree (NHodgetts)
26th Jun 2010 Common Crossbill View Image single during tetrad visit in the Plockton area where there were 13 Song Thrushes on the school playing fields (BN)
26th Jun 2010 Garden Warbler successful breeding at Carr Brae, Dornie, with agitated pair (BN)
25th Jun 2010 Common Scoter group of 8 scoter sp., probably Common, from the 'Brigadoon' in the Sound of Raasay (PE)
23rd Jun 2010 Grasshopper Warbler getting late but still reeling birds at Ullinish (GLeatherbarrow), three near Stein and a single at Upper Milovaig (TDonaldson)
23rd Jun 2010 Short-eared Owl View Image recent reports from the Fairy Bridge area (AS) and also a single near Stein (TDonaldson)
20th Jun 2010 Hen Harrier View Image still keen to receive any reports of birds as this is a national census year. In the north Skye study area there are currently at least 9 active nests, 8 of which have young. Experience has shown that the young are vulnerable to other predators in the final stages before fledging so it is too early to make any predictions. (RMcM)
20th Jun 2010 Whinchat View Image pair at Breakish - see Gallery. (A&EH)
18th Jun 2010 Short-eared Owl View Image continuing the run of reports there was one on the outskirts of Portree at Achacork (CLomas)
18th Jun 2010 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image successful breeding again at Kyleakin with fledged young being fed at feeding station (see Gallery) (A&EH)
16th Jun 2010 Storm Petrel one 5 miles east of Staffin during Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Cruises out of Gairloch - per birdguides.
15th Jun 2010 Spotted Flycatcher View Image one feeding young in Hugh Scott's garden at Kyleakin
15th Jun 2010 White-tailed Eagle View Image whilst we recommend visitors to watch White-tails from the boats out of Portree Harbour, birds are also seen regularly at Kylerhea where they are fishing more 'naturally' in the fast currents of the narrows. See the Gallery for two fine images by Rob Ware.
15th Jun 2010 Sanderling View Image small group of waders consisting of 4 Sanderling and 4 Dunlin at Glenelg - late passage & records of Sanderling are pretty scarce in Lochalsh(PJones)
13th Jun 2010 Golden Eagle View Image up to 4 birds interacting above the forestry at Eynort - also a Peregrine Falcon (Jan Brown)
12th Jun 2010 Ring Ouzel View Image excellent record of 4 singing males on Trotternish Ridge and two females feeding young (CHawley)
8th Jun 2010 Great Black-backed Gull View Image large count of c290 at Kylerhea feeding on fish brought up by the tide (DCJ)
5th Jun 2010 Great Skua View Image though birds are regularly at Neist Point a pair are looking pretty aggressive and may well be breeding (H&M Scott) - perhaps we could train them to divebomb the tourists who keep building those stupid stone towers!!
4th Jun 2010 Rough-legged Buzzard another scarce vagrant with a report from the south end of Raasay (SBentall)
4th Jun 2010 Seabird Deaths a number of dead seabirds including Guillemot, Puffin and Gannet have been washed up dead around Broadford Bay - most of the birds appear to be emaciated but RSPB have sent some off for analysis. Would be grateful if any other reports could be sent in so numbers can be assessed.
3rd Jun 2010 Tawny Owl another confirmed breeding with 3 young at a site near Dunvegan (Heather MacDonald)
2nd Jun 2010 Short-eared Owl View Image report of pair in territory near Staffin (MPerry) also a territory near Kilvaxter and several pairs in the Edinbane/Greshornish area suggesting it is a good vole year.

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