Skye Birds - A Birding Guide to the Isle of Skye

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	Details
31st Dec 2013	Tufted Duck	female still on Loch Cillchroisd (RMcM)
31st Dec 2013	Turnstone	c30 at Camas Malag, Kilbryde (RMcM)
30th Dec 2013	Black-throated Diver	11 in Loch Slapin and 2 in Loch Scavaig (RMcM)
30th Dec 2013	Great Northern Diver	12 in Loch Slapin and 9 in Loch Scavaig (RMcM)
30th Dec 2013	Whooper Swan	4 at Inverinate causeway (A.Randle) - 8 at River Shiel on 29th (RMcM)
30th Dec 2013	White-tailed Eagle	3 on Beinn Tianavaig + a pair of Golden Eagles (CH)
30th Dec 2013	Eider	100 at Kyleside (A&EH)
28th Dec 2013	Turnstone	4 at Camus a Mhor, Braes (WM)
27th Dec 2013	Barnacle Goose	31 at Stenscholl, Staffin + 10 on Staffin Island (CH)
26th Dec 2013	Goldeneye	9 on Loch Mor, Waterstein + 2 Tufted Duck & a Goldeneye (AS)
26th Dec 2013	Fulmar	36 nest sites already occupied at Neist Point (AS)
25th Dec 2013	Iceland Gull	1st winter at Lower Milovaig (AS)
24th Dec 2013	Blackcap	male at feeders at Glenelg (P.Jones)
22nd Dec 2013	White-tailed Eagle	single on Eaglais Bhreagach, Trotternish (CH); juvenile looking at road kill near the Glebe, Strath (RMcM); one over the road between Drumuie and Portree (NHodgetts)
22nd Dec 2013	Kittiwake	c350 in Sound of Raasay(RMcM)
22nd Dec 2013	Goosander	4 drakes on Loch Slapin (RMcM)
22nd Dec 2013	Fieldfare	50-60 on the path below Ben Suardal, Strath. (MB)
22nd Dec 2013	Red Grouse	single on the road at Braes had to be 'shooed' away before it would move (WM); also 5 on the road at Tote with similar behaviour (C.Alston); - presumably searching for grit?
21st Dec 2013	Collared Dove	excellent count of 50 at Edinbane (M.Perry)
21st Dec 2013	Whooper Swan	3 on The Storr Lochs (CH)
20th Dec 2013	Reed Bunting	two pairs on feeders at Portnalong (ST)
20th Dec 2013	Barn Owl	one in early morning at Lower Breakish (JP)
19th Dec 2013	Tufted Duck	single female on Loch Cillchroisd (RMcM)
19th Dec 2013	Redwing	c40 at the Glebe, Strath with 30 Fieldfare (RMcM)
19th Dec 2013	Brambling	a 'few' with a flock of Chaffinch in Glenelg (JP)
18th Dec 2013	Hen Harrier	another ringtail this time at Borve (TB)
17th Dec 2013	Orca	report of a group of 4 in Loch Dunvegan yesterday - including the male 'John Coe' who is one of our regulars. - per Andy Williams.
17th Dec 2013	Pied Wagtail	scarce in winter, there was a single bird in Kyleakin (MP), and the usual wintering bird at Balmeanach, Braes (WM)
16th Dec 2013	Bar-tailed Godwit	24 in Loch Portree (TB)
16th Dec 2013	Hen Harrier	recent reports of ringtails at Feorlig (PE) and Elgol (DW)
14th Dec 2013	Barn Owl	single near Kirkibost, Strathaird (RMcM)
13th Dec 2013	Slavonian Grebe	3 in Broadford Bay (MB)
13th Dec 2013	Brent Goose	single bird still wintering in Broadford Bay (MB)
13th Dec 2013	Turnstone	24 in Broadford Bay + 44 Dunlin and 23 Ringed Plover (MB)
13th Dec 2013	Long-tailed Tit	7 on fatballs at Ferindonald (J.Dawber)
13th Dec 2013	Purple Sandpiper	3 at The Aird, Gedintailor (P.Dark)
11th Dec 2013	Common Gull	300+ in Loch Portree (RMcM)
11th Dec 2013	Barnacle Goose	at Staffin, 22 at Stenscholl and 10 on Staffin Island; also 96 at Kilmaluag (RMcM)
11th Dec 2013	Lapwing	19 at Stenscholl, Staffin + 16 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin (RMcM)
11th Dec 2013	Short-eared Owl	three noted in woodland block on NTS Kintail & West Affric property with good numbers of voles about (RA)
8th Dec 2013	Snow Bunting	now two females at Elgol (RMcM)
8th Dec 2013	Brent Goose	still a single in Broadford Bay (MB)
6th Dec 2013	Grey Wagtail	two at Morvich, Kintail, is an extremely unusual winter record (RA)
6th Dec 2013	Bullfinch	11 at Morvich, Kintail (RA)
6th Dec 2013	Long-tailed Tit	15 at Morvich, Kintail (RA)
6th Dec 2013	Brent Goose	single now at Ashaig (A&EH)
6th Dec 2013	Sanderling	single at Ashaig + 12 Bar-tailed Godwit(A&EH)
6th Dec 2013	Blackcap	single on fatballs at Portnalong (ST)
6th Dec 2013	Woodcock	8 on 5 mile walk through Glen Brittle forest (K.Sadler)
5th Dec 2013	Hen Harrier	working into 50mph winds at Ullinish (PS)
5th Dec 2013	Tufted Duck	single at Breakish Obbe (PP)
5th Dec 2013	Lapwing	single blown across Kyleside (A&EH)
5th Dec 2013	Knot	single in Broadford Bay (MB)
4th Dec 2013	White-tailed Eagle	three juveniles on the shore of Loch Snizort-Beag, teased by an otter (G.Ferguson)
4th Dec 2013	White-fronted Goose	6 flew from Pabay over Ardnish, the first report of this much diminished flock (A&EH)
4th Dec 2013	Jack Snipe	single by the old sheep fank on the Ord road (A.Lyle)
3rd Dec 2013	Golden Plover	12 at Glam, Raasay (J.Gillies)
2nd Dec 2013	Woodcock	3 in Glen Brittle forest (K.Sadler)
1st Dec 2013	Whooper Swan	two at Loch a Ghlinne, Sleat (PP)
1st Dec 2013	Ringed Plover	c100 at Ashaig(A&EH)
1st Dec 2013	Sooty Shearwater	very late single from the Uig-Lochmaddy ferry, half way across (S.Duffield)

Bird sightings on the Island of Skye and the neighbouring area

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