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 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
30th Jun 2015 Common Scoter group still near the head of Loch Harport are exclusively male with the exception of a single female (RMcM) - the recent group in Broadford Bay was similar.
30th Jun 2015 Dunlin View Image alarming bird in suitable habitat in upper Glen Eynort (RMcM)
29th Jun 2015 Common Scoter 13 at Loch Harport still (M.Cook)
29th Jun 2015 Short-eared Owl View Image single at Upper Halistra, Waternish (C.Matheson)
28th Jun 2015 Common Scoter 10 in Broadford Bay (MB)
27th Jun 2015 Swift single over Monkstadt (H.Martin)
26th Jun 2015 Common Scoter c15 in Loch Harport (D.Hammond)
26th Jun 2015 Swift 4 north over Breakish Obbe in the morning (PP); then 2 at Kinloch later (RC) (interesting two records on a terrible day with low cloud!)
26th Jun 2015 Ortolan Bunting still at Morar this morning but not seen since (SMacD)
25th Jun 2015 Ortolan Bunting still present in private garden at Morar (SMacD)
25th Jun 2015 Bee Eater one at Cleadale, Eigg, yesterday (24th) (per JC)
24th Jun 2015 Ortolan Bunting still showing in private garden at Morar for the 2nd day (SMacD ) (see Gallery) - just a few records of this species in Highland and only a small number in mainland Scotland so an excellent find.
23rd Jun 2015 Green Woodpecker not seen, but several yaffle calls heard at Ord (RMcM, AW)
23rd Jun 2015 Tree Pipit View Image adult carrying food at Ord (RMcM, AW)
23rd Jun 2015 Treecreeper adult feeding 3 fledged young at Armadale woods (RMcM,AW)(see Gallery)
23rd Jun 2015 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image fledged young visiting bird feeders at Isleornsay (RC)
23rd Jun 2015 Ortolan Bunting a bunting discovered in a garden at Morar in late evening appear to be an Ortolan (S.MacDonald) (see Gallery)
23rd Jun 2015 Bee Hawk Moth a narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth Hemaris tityus was found near Arisaig. A scarce record this was also recorded last year on Skye for the first time.
22nd Jun 2015 Red-breasted Merganser View Image moulting flock of 18 in Ardmore Bay, Waternish (RMcM,AW)
22nd Jun 2015 Crossbill sp two probable Commons near Edinbane (AW)
22nd Jun 2015 Little Grebe View Image pair with three small young on the Storr Lochs (PP)
21st Jun 2015 Sandwich Tern View Image two in Staffin Bay (MP)
20th Jun 2015 Common Scoter 20+ heading south in Sound of Raasay from MV Brigadoon (PE)
19th Jun 2015 Spotted Flycatcher View Image report also from Gedintailor (A.Stewart)
19th Jun 2015 Stonechat View Image fledged broods at Edinbane & Scullamus - not normally worth a mention but these are the first broods I have noted, a reflection on the poor season for ground nesting birds (RMcM)
19th Jun 2015 Whinchat View Image single male (just turned up) at territory Lephin, Glendale (AS); also singing male at Upper Edinbane (RMcM)
18th Jun 2015 Little Grebe View Image pair with a youngster at Loch Suardal (R.Arnold)
18th Jun 2015 Eider female with 4 young in Broadford Bay (N.Hinchliff)
17th Jun 2015 Tufted Duck View Image pair on Loch Cillchroisd (RC)
17th Jun 2015 Short-eared Owl View Image another report from Fairy Bridge area (MP)
17th Jun 2015 Spotted Flycatcher View Image Report from Carbost (MP) & several territories in Broadford area (MB)
16th Jun 2015 Bee Eater belated report of two birds on Canna on 10th May
16th Jun 2015 Great Skua View Image A pair which had a nest with eggs at Neist Point has failed (A&AS)
16th Jun 2015 Wood Warbler singing bird at Broadford Industrial Estate (MB)
14th Jun 2015 Ring Ouzel View Image two on Loch Sneosdal cliffs, Kilmuir (MP)
13th Jun 2015 Osprey View Image single reported from Loch Cillchroisd (R.Terry)
12th Jun 2015 Grasshopper Warbler single reeling at Ullinish (PE) & one at Lephin, Glendale, last night (AS)
12th Jun 2015 Chiffchaff singing birds at Lephin & Lower Milovaig suggests birds may have newly arrived (AS)
12th Jun 2015 Swift single over Trumpan, Waternish (L.Harrison)
12th Jun 2015 Great Northern Diver View Image single off Scalpay (L.Harrison)
11th Jun 2015 Corncrake View Image calling bird at Trumpan Church(L.Harrison)
11th Jun 2015 Leach's Storm Petrel one reported from the Uig-Lochmaddy ferry
11th Jun 2015 Garden Warbler singing bird reported from Scorrybreac, Portree (H.Martin)
10th Jun 2015 Pilot Whale still three at the head of Loch Ainort (RMcM)
10th Jun 2015 Short-eared Owl View Image single near Struan (RMcM) (see Gallery); also single again at Fairy Bridge (AS)
10th Jun 2015 Long-eared Owl View Image still two nearly fledged young near Dunvegan (MF) (see Gallery)
10th Jun 2015 Long-tailed Skua single in Loch Dunvegan off Upper Halistra (L.Harrison)
10th Jun 2015 Common Dolphin pod of 50+ feeding in Loch Dunvegan and around Isay (L.Harrison)
9th Jun 2015 Short-eared Owl View Image pair which laid clutch of 3 at Edinbane has failed (RMcM); single near Struan (MP)
9th Jun 2015 Crossbill sp fledged broods near Edinbane (RMcM)(see Gallery) & 3 females at Dunvegan (L.Harrison)
9th Jun 2015 Great Northern Diver View Image single in full breeding plumage at Camus Bhan, Portree (PE)
8th Jun 2015 Red-throated Diver View Image pair on Loch Portree (PE)
7th Jun 2015 Pilot Whale a group of three at the head of Loch Ainort this morning are probably part of the surviving group from the recent stranding at Staffin - see Cetaceans Gallery.
7th Jun 2015 Ring Ouzel View Image on the Quirang, a pair with a possible nest site, and a separate singing bird (M.Perry)
7th Jun 2015 Magpie our north end bird is still at Ellishader (SP)
7th Jun 2015 Long-tailed Skua 6 heading north at Neist Point + 3 Arctic Skuas (L.Harrison)
6th Jun 2015 Long-eared Owl View Image at least two fledged young from a site near Dunvegan (M.Forsyth)
6th Jun 2015 Grasshopper Warbler reeling bird at Isleornsay (N.Hinchliff)
6th Jun 2015 Great Skua View Image up to 5 birds around Staffin Island (D.Orritt)
6th Jun 2015 Short-eared Owl View Image report from Amer, Struan (MH)
6th Jun 2015 Lesser Black-backed Gull View Image 4 at Kyleakin Obbe (A&EH)
5th Jun 2015 Canon EF 1-400 zoom lens surplus to requirements is this Canon lens which is in excellent condition, and suitable for use with any Canon SLR camera - phone Bob on 01471 822183 for details.
5th Jun 2015 House Martin View Image a group of 4 at Lower Milovaig are the first birds recorded there since 2013 - and late in arriving (AS)
4th Jun 2015 Long-tailed Skua a very pale 1st summer bird noted between Arisaig & Eigg yesterday (R.Dyer)
4th Jun 2015 Tawny Owl successful breeding at Uiginish, Dunvegan with 3 young (H.MacDonald)
4th Jun 2015 Tree Sparrow one below feeders at Portnalong (K.Sadler)
4th Jun 2015 Wood Warbler several territorial birds at Armadale Woods and a single singing bird at Kinloch (RMcM)(see Gallery)
4th Jun 2015 Tree Pipit View Image several territorial birds at Armadale Woods and an adult carrying food for young (RMcM)(see Gallery)
4th Jun 2015 White Wagtail View Image single in Uig Bay (D.Lindo)
4th Jun 2015 Iceland Gull View Image single still in Uig Bay (D.Lindo)
4th Jun 2015 Glaucous Gull View Image 2nd summer bird on the east side of Rum (R.Dyer)
3rd Jun 2015 Long-eared Owl View Image pair probably breeding near Dunvegan with young calling (M.Forsyth)
3rd Jun 2015 Red-throated Diver View Image pair on Loch Mor, Waterstein (JP)
3rd Jun 2015 Spotted Flycatcher View Image single near the River Brogaig at Staffin (D.Lockstone)
3rd Jun 2015 Great Northern Diver View Image single in Staffin Bay (D.Lockstone)
2nd Jun 2015 Pilot Whales sad news there has been a mass stranding of Pilot Whales at Brogaig Bay, Staffin - see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-32973059
2nd Jun 2015 Pomarine Skua View Image single at Talisker Bay (P.Plumb)
1st Jun 2015 Ring Ouzel View Image one near the Old Man of Storr (H.Martin)
1st Jun 2015 Sandwich Tern View Image two in Broadford Bay (A&EH)
1st Jun 2015 Common Redstart one singing at Ord (RMcM)
1st Jun 2015 Great Northern Diver View Image single off Claigan, Dunvegan (D.Lockstone)
1st Jun 2015 Turtle Dove still visiting garden at Back of Keppoch, Arisaig (SMacD) (see Gallery)

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