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 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	Details
31st Mar 2014	Chiffchaff	one singing at Strath Print, Broadford Industrial Estate (MB)
31st Mar 2014	Cuckoo	still a bit early but see the blog for details of the Great Cuckoo Race - Balmacara v Kintail!!
31st Mar 2014	Yellowhammer	male seen in a garden at Upper Milovaig for the 2nd time (seen on 28th) (A.Clelland) - excellent record and well isolated from small population in Lochalsh.
31st Mar 2014	Redwing	15 at Earlish (N.Hodgetts)
31st Mar 2014	Eagles!	4 White-tails and 3 Golden in thermals above Lephin, Glendale, with White-tails yelping loudly (AS)
31st Mar 2014	Ring Ouzel	1st report of the year with one at the Needle on the Quirang (J.Macnab)
31st Mar 2014	Shelduck	two at Camus a Mhor, Gedintailer (WM)
30th Mar 2014	Chiffchaff	now at least 3 singing males in Milovaig area (AS), and one at Harrapool (MB)
30th Mar 2014	Wheatear	general influx with at least 10 birds between Carbost and Talisker Bay, including territorial behaviour (MB,RMcM) (see Gallery); also two territorial pairs Upper Milovaig (AS)
30th Mar 2014	Twite	8-10 birds with singing males near Carbost cemetry (MB,RMcM) and 6 at Trumpan (TB)
30th Mar 2014	Hen Harrier	recent reports of ringtail at Ardnish, Broadford (JP)
30th Mar 2014	Great Skua	two over the Perches rocks, Eigg (JC)
30th Mar 2014	Golden Plover	60 at Trumpan (TB) and 12 on Ardnish(A&EH)
30th Mar 2014	Glaucous Gull	juvenile reported from Loch Brittle
30th Mar 2014	Linnet	two at Trumpan (TB) and a single at Elgol (RMcM)
30th Mar 2014	Willow Warbler	1st report of from Lower Milovaig (AS)
29th Mar 2014	Whooper Swan	c25 at Loch Suardal, Dunvegan
29th Mar 2014	Redshank	spring build up with 50 at Ardnish + 16 Bar-tailed Godwit (A&EH)
28th Mar 2014	Wheatear	still trickling through with a single at Elgol & two at Glasnakille (RMcM)
28th Mar 2014	Common Crossbill	two in the forest near Kyleakin (A&EH)
28th Mar 2014	Barn Owl	bird found trapped in a house chimney in Glen Brittle and successfully rescued & released (KC)
27th Mar 2014	Magpie	single at Duntulm, the first report in the area for several months (A.Turner)
27th Mar 2014	Red-throated Divers	numbers building up as migrants push north - 18 in Loch Ainort and 12 in Loch Sligachan (RMcM)
27th Mar 2014	Shelduck	19 in Pool Roag, Dunvegan(RMcM)
26th Mar 2014	Whooper Swan	76 north over Brogaig, Staffin (MP) and herd of 60 north over Eigg at dusk (JC)
26th Mar 2014	Lapwing	8 displaying on Staffin Island (TB)
25th Mar 2014	Jackdaw	maybe some range expansion with three at feeders Kilbryde (JJ) and recent report from Kyleakin (HS)
25th Mar 2014	Merlin	male seen near Penifiler, Portree (TB)
25th Mar 2014	Twite	small flock of 9 near Penifiler, Portree (TB)
25th Mar 2014	Wheatear	two males & a female at Upper Halistra, Waternish (C.Matheson)
25th Mar 2014	Kumlien's Gull	long stayer still at Mallaig + hybrid Glaucous/Herring Gull (SMacD)
25th Mar 2014	Red-throated Diver	5 in Broadford Bay + a Black-throated Diver & 2 Slavonian Grebes in summer plumage (MB)
24th Mar 2014	Manx Shearwater	single passed Kildonan Point, Eigg (JC)
24th Mar 2014	Chiffchaff	single at Lower Milovaig got tangled in fruit netting (AS)
24th Mar 2014	Wheatear	singles near Edinbane (TB) and The Aird, Gedintailor (WM)
24th Mar 2014	Grey Wagtail	single near Orbost(TB)
22nd Mar 2014	Whooper Swan	three at Breakish Obbe (PP)
22nd Mar 2014	Iceland Gull	juvenile at Stenscholl, Staffin for the last week (C.Nicolson)
22nd Mar 2014	Canada Goose	four briefly at Breakish Obbe (L.Phillips)
22nd Mar 2014	Wheatear	another report, from Eigg (JC)
21st Mar 2014	Grey Wagtail	pair on the burn at Balmeanach, Braes (WM)
21st Mar 2014	Little Auk	single in the Narrows of Raasay (WM)
20th Mar 2014	Wheatear	1st report for Skye & Lochalsh with a bird at Sconser (AMcL)
20th Mar 2014	Reed Bunting	3 males at Balmeanach, Braes (WM)
20th Mar 2014	Brambling	single male on feeders at Morar (SMacD)
20th Mar 2014	Whooper Swan	13 in Loch Slapin (I.MacKinnon)
19th Mar 2014	Lesser Black-backed Gull	4 at Hamara, Glendale (AS) & also reported from Eigg (JC)
18th Mar 2014	Whooper Swan	7 north at Uigshader (JK)
17th Mar 2014	Ptarmigan	two still in winter plumage on Marsco (T.Hodgetts)
17th Mar 2014	Whimbrel	early report of two at Ord (A.Lyle)
16th Mar 2014	Grey Heron	count of 46 in Kyleakin Obbe included 16 birds at possible nest sites (A&EH)
15th Mar 2014	Barnacle Goose	72 at Staffin (TB)
15th Mar 2014	Whooper Swan	now 7 on the Storr Lochs (TB)
13th Mar 2014	Peregrine	Single reported from cliffs at Moonen Bay (J.Young)
12th Mar 2014	Wheatear	male at Rhu, Arisaig - first of the year (D.Whitaker)
12th Mar 2014	Common Gull	excellent count of 345 at Loch Portree (TB)
12th Mar 2014	Wigeon	count of 54 at Loch Portree (TB)
11th Mar 2014	Common Redpoll	Bird showing characteristics of Common/Mealy with Lessers at feeders at Morar (SMacD)
11th Mar 2014	Sperm Whale	possibly two Sperm Whales reported from Raasay Sound (C.Atkins et al)
10th Mar 2014	Common Scoter	a male & two females at Ard Dorch (T.Swainbank)
9th Mar 2014	Kumlien's Gull	juvenile with damaged left foot still at Mallaig (PS)
7th Mar 2014	Peregrine Falcon	Single near the Kylerhea road end (A.Hickey) - records of this species welcome as there is a Peregrine breeding survey coordinated by the BTO this year.
7th Mar 2014	Pied Wagtail	single at Lephin, Glendale (AS)
6th Mar 2014	Eagles	Adult Golden Eagle over Uig (ML) & adult White-tail west at Suardal (RMcM)
6th Mar 2014	Pied Wagtail	single at Kilmarie moving back into territory (RMcM)
6th Mar 2014	White-fronted Goose	three at Traigh for the last few days are the 'European' race (SMacD)
6th Mar 2014	Lapwing	61 at Back of Keppoch, Morar + 31 Golden Plover (SMacD)
6th Mar 2014	Kumlien's Gull	though a bird has been present at Mallaig for some weeks, a new bird was noted today (SM)
6th Mar 2014	Glaucous/Herring Gull hybrid	a bird noted at Mallaig by Stephen MacDonald looks like a hybrid, sometimes known as a 'Nelson's Gull' (P.Stronach)
6th Mar 2014	Skylark	flock of 30 at Waterstein (AS)
5th Mar 2014	Whooper Swan	8 north over Gedintailor (C.Atkins)
4th Mar 2014	Turnstone	35 at Kilmarie Bay, Loch Slapin (RMcM)
4th Mar 2014	Golden Plover	12 at Suisnish, Strath (PE)
3rd Mar 2014	Brambling	3 on the Kylerhea road, 2 males & a female (S.Terry)
3rd Mar 2014	Long-tailed Tit	up to 12 using fatballs at Camastianavaig (G.Barrett)
3rd Mar 2014	Twite	Flock of 18 at Balmeanach, Braes (WM)
2nd Mar 2014	Whooper Swan	5 at the reservoir at Kirkibost, Strathaird may well be early returning migrants (RMcM)
2nd Mar 2014	Turnstone	40 at Ashaig + 11 Bar-tailed Godwit (A&E)
1st Mar 2014	Skylark	now 30+ at Elgol (RMcM
1st Mar 2014	Purple Sandpiper	4 at Erbusaig (L.Phillips) - reports from Lochalsh are scarce

Bird sightings on the Island of Skye and the neighbouring area

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