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	Details
31st Dec 2011	Hen Harrier	male near the Otter hide, Kylerhea (Suzanne Nicholas)
30th Dec 2011	Hen Harrier	a further report of a female at Upper Tote (CH)
30th Dec 2011	Barn Owl	three reports of singles, at Fairy Bridge, at Lyndale and at Uig(CAlston)- three different reports in one day was matched recently but is unusual.
30th Dec 2011	Short-eared Owl	single at Greshornish (CAlston)
30th Dec 2011	Glaucous Gull	1st winter at Bayfield, Portree (Jeff Lawson)
29th Dec 2011	Hen Harrier	another report of a single bird near Kilbryde, Torrin (DM)
29th Dec 2011	Goosander	single on Loch Cillchroisd (DM)
28th Dec 2011	Hen Harrier	another male, this time in more familiar territory at The Fanks, Kildonan (MP)
28th Dec 2011	Brambling	single with Chaffinches at Isleornsay (RC)
28th Dec 2011	Dipper	pair at Lochlonghead with male in full display(PS)Recent reports of a pair at Struan Causeway (MH) and up to three at Kilmarie, Strathaird (RMcM)
27th Dec 2011	Hen Harrier	reports from Lochalsh are scarce so adult male at Lochlonghead is interesting (PS)
27th Dec 2011	Barnacle Goose	37 at the mouth of the River Hinnisdal (NHodgetts)
27th Dec 2011	Red Grouse	single bird near the Fairy Bridge (C.Alston)
27th Dec 2011	Purple Sandpiper	2 in Portree (D.Angus)
24th Dec 2011	Water Rail	single by the river at Drynoch Lodge (WP)
24th Dec 2011	Snow Bunting	two females at Mealladh Mor, the Quirang (MP)
20th Dec 2011	Long-tailed Duck	single in Balmeanach Bay, Braes (RMcM)
20th Dec 2011	Bar-tailed Godwit	25 in Portree Loch + a single Knot(RMcM)
18th Dec 2011	Brambling	two at feeders at Kyleakin (Sue Wells)
18th Dec 2011	Jack Snipe	now two at the head of Loch Slapin + three Common Snipe (RMcM)
18th Dec 2011	Hen Harrier	adult males reported from Uigshader (JK) and Elgol, with a ringtail still in the Lower Breakish area.
18th Dec 2011	Grey Plover	single at Camus a Mhor, Braes, is unusual in that location (WM)
18th Dec 2011	Great Spotted Woodpecker	visiting feeders at Lochlonghead where Siskins have also returned to feeders after a few months absence (PSpeak)
18th Dec 2011	Barn Owl	another report from Kilmore, Sleat (JGrant)
17th Dec 2011	Snow Bunting	single in the saltmarsh at the head of Loch Slapin
17th Dec 2011	Jack Snipe	single with a Common Snipe at the head of Loch Slapin (RMcM)
16th Dec 2011	Whooper Swan	11 flying east at Kyleakin (HS)
15th Dec 2011	Greenland White-fronted Goose	Broadford wintering flock eventually located with c18 on Pabay and 3 on Ardnish (RMcM)
15th Dec 2011	Common Scoter	a group of 8 in Broadford Bay and a group of 10 in the Scalpay narrows (RMcM)
15th Dec 2011	Bar-tailed Godwit	wintering numbers have increased with 24 roosting at Waterloo and 26 at Ardnish (RMcM)
15th Dec 2011	Purple Sandpiper	7 at Ardnish + 4 Grey Plover (RMcM)
14th Dec 2011	Red Grouse	single beside the Skriaig transmitter, Portree (MP)
12th Dec 2011	Hen Harrier	a ringtail at Glas Eilean, Broadford (EH) is probably the same bird seen regularly at Lower Breakish (LP)
12th Dec 2011	Greenland White-fronted Goose	flock of 31 at Kilmuir (RMcM) - still no reports of the 'wintering' Broadford Flock?
12th Dec 2011	Barnacle Goose	flock of 150 at Balmacquien and 28 at Staffin (RMcM)
12th Dec 2011	Bar-tailed Godwit	16 at Loch Portree (RMcM)
12th Dec 2011	Whooper Swan	7 at Chaluim Chille Kilmuir (RMcM)
11th Dec 2011	Whooper Swan	4 at Harrapool, Broadford Bay (RThornton)and a single on the flooded field at Suardal
11th Dec 2011	Barn Owl	report from Upper Breakish (R.Davison)
10th Dec 2011	Fieldfare	30+ at Amer, Struan + a Merlin (MHerbert)
10th Dec 2011	Water Rail	another report from a garden in Harrapool (SB)
9th Dec 2011	Glaucous Gull	report of a single at Uig Pier (CAlston)
8th Dec 2011	Water Rail	single visiting garden in Harrapool (CB)
6th Dec 2011	Short-eared Owl	single flew over the road at Borve (T.Hodgetts)
6th Dec 2011	Moorhen	juvenile in garden at Hallin, Waternish (AM)
4th Dec 2011	Hen Harrier	male reported in the Loch Eyre area (INorris)
3rd Dec 2011	Whooper Swan	6 over Kyleakin Obbe in the morning with a similar number over the area in darkness late evening - suggesting migrating birds are still on the move(A&EH)
3rd Dec 2011	Iceland Gull	two in Mallaig Harbour, an adult and a juvenile + a juvenile Glaucous Gull (SMacD)
3rd Dec 2011	Barn Owl	single seen at Kinloch (RC) and unfortunately dead bird found at Cruard, Isleornsay (Ailish Culberson)
1st Dec 2011	Whooper Swan	still birds seemingly moving south with 6 over Breakish Obbe (P&RDavison)
1st Dec 2011	Pomarine Skua	single between Elgol and Soay (RMcM)
1st Dec 2011	Moorhen	possible juvenile feeding on croft at Cruard, Isleornsay (G.MacKenzie)
1st Dec 2011	Hen Harrier	two reports of ringtails, one at Achacork (C.Lomas) and one at Oronsay, Struan (PE)
1st Dec 2011	Iceland Gull	juvenile at Mallaig Harbour (SMacD)

Bird sightings on the Island of Skye and the neighbouring area

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