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 2018 Arctic Skua View Image 2/3 birds around Neist Point recently including a lovely dark morph bird in the Gallery (AS)
30th Jun 2018 Red-legged Partridge View Image still a single in the Kyleakin area (A&EH)
29th Jun 2018 Rosy Starling late report of a bird at Broadford on 26.6.2018 (P.Wragg)
28th Jun 2018 Barnacle Goose View Image two at Kilmory, Rum of unknown origin (SM)
28th Jun 2018 Greenshank 15 at Loch Portree + 56 Curlew & a single Bar-tailed Godwit (NB)
27th Jun 2018 Whooper Swan View Image summering single still at Ardmore, Waternish (M.Greenhalgh)
26th Jun 2018 Great Northern Diver View Image summering birds - 4 in Loch Slapin (RMcM et al); 8 off north coast of Eigg around midday then two later + a Black-throated Diver, from MV Sheerwater (RD)
26th Jun 2018 Guillemot visited Horse Island, Muck, from Loch Slapin by boat today and good numbers of birds en route and on nesting ledges. However, very little evidence of any breeding success. (RMCM et al)
25th Jun 2018 White-tailed Eagle View Image long established heronry at Treaslane woods with 20+ nests has been systematically raided by adult White-tailed Eagles with many large young removed (DFMacdonald)
25th Jun 2018 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image pair near Aros, Portree (NB) - further north than normal
25th Jun 2018 Magpie north end bird at Glasphien, Staffin (MP)
25th Jun 2018 Ring Ouzel View Image singing bird on the Quiraing (M.Greenhalgh)
24th Jun 2018 Crossbill looks like a good breeding year with parties of 11 & 6 in Greshornish plantation (RMcM)
24th Jun 2018 Whinchat View Image pair with two fledged young at Portree (JDJ)
24th Jun 2018 Long-tailed Skua adult off Canna chasing Kittiwakes (RLS)
19th Jun 2018 Rosy Starling single in private garden at Kilmuir (JDJ) (see Gallery) - that’s probably at least 4 different birds in Skye & Lochalsh since May 9 - unprecedented numbers
19th Jun 2018 Common Scoter 30+ off Staffin from boat (D.Pierce)
18th Jun 2018 Quail further reports of possibly 2/3 birds calling in the Waternish area recently (C.Griffiths)
17th Jun 2018 Sanderling View Image four at Kilmory, Rum (SM)
17th Jun 2018 Water Rail probably a breeding pair at Chailluim Chille, Kilmuir (RMcM)
16th Jun 2018 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image adult with two fledged youngsters at Kyleakin (AHi)
15th Jun 2018 Whimbrel View Image three at Broadford headed south-west (NB)
15th Jun 2018 House Martin View Image pair also nesting at Ose for the first time (LM)
14th Jun 2018 House Martin View Image seems to have been a significant increase in the number of pairs in the south of the island (NB,RMcM) - unfortunately a nest on Bob’s house was blown out last night.
13th Jun 2018 Whimbrel View Image late single in Broadford Bay (MB)
12th Jun 2018 Whooper Swan View Image straggler still at Ardmore, Waternish (RMcM)
11th Jun 2018 Risso’s Dolphin four at Neist Point (AS) (see Gallery)
10th Jun 2018 Iceland Gull View Image 2cy bird at Portree fish farm (NB)
10th Jun 2018 Common Scoter drake at Loch Pooltiel, Glendale (AS)
10th Jun 2018 Quail possibly two calling birds in Ardmore, Waternish (C.Griffiths)
9th Jun 2018 Swift single over Harrapool heading north (MB)
9th Jun 2018 Grey Wagtail View Image pair fledged three young at Glendale (AS) (see Gallery)
9th Jun 2018 Ring Ouzel View Image single at Coire na Seilg, Luib (SB)
8th Jun 2018 Quail calling bird on Waternish (SP)
7th Jun 2018 Corncrake View Image though still early days, the number of calling birds on the island is looking slightly better than 2017 (SP)
7th Jun 2018 Hen Harrier View Image very grateful for several reports about this species - currently monitoring about 8 territories in Skye & Lochalsh. At least one has hatched young and at another territory a male was still skydancing today, so birds are all at different stages. (RMcM)
6th Jun 2018 Sandwich Tern View Image two north over Kildonan Point, Eigg (JC)
5th Jun 2018 Nuthatch young successfully fledged from a site in the Arisaig area (RD, SMacD et al) - this is the first confirmed breeding of the species in the Highland recording area.
5th Jun 2018 Quail calling bird at Ullinish (C.Goodall)
5th Jun 2018 Great Northern Diver View Image still 5 in Loch Bracadale including two adults (C.Goodall)
5th Jun 2018 Iceland Gull View Image juvenile at Camus Tianavaig (A.McLean)
5th Jun 2018 Osprey View Image single over Kilmory, Rum (per SM)
4th Jun 2018 Rosy Starling late news of another bird seen and photographed at Drumbuie, Lochalsh on the 2nd (RA) (see Gallery)
4th Jun 2018 House Martin View Image two pairs nest building at our house in Scullamus Moss - never bred here before & clearly late arrives (RMcM - see Gallery)
4th Jun 2018 Mandarin drake still with Mallard on River Morar at entrance to Loch (BenMacD)
3rd Jun 2018 Garden Warbler singing bird at Leitir Fura, Kinloch (MB)
2nd Jun 2018 Rosy Starling back at feeders Aird Kennels at 1400 (KM)
2nd Jun 2018 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image pair still visiting feeders in Broadford (JD)
2nd Jun 2018 Whooper Swan View Image straggler still at Ardmore Bay, Waternish (N.Tims)
2nd Jun 2018 Kingfisher date uncertain but single seen on the Kilmartin River, Staffin (G.Major)
1st Jun 2018 Rosy Starling bird found by Karen MacAskill at Aird Kennels, Sleat, in afternoon - this is probably part of the major irruption into France, Spain & the UK (see Gallery)
1st Jun 2018 Red-legged Partridge View Image bird now returned to Kyleakin where it is clearly being better fed than in Broadford visiting two different gardens (A&EH) (AHi) see Gallery
1st Jun 2018 Short-eared Owl View Image single by the roadside at Druim na Cloich (south of Sconser) (NB)

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