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 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 Image Details
31st Dec 2018 Little Egret View Image single still at Invercaimbe, Back of Keppoch - now 3 months in the area (SMacD)
30th Dec 2018 Collared Dove birds nest building at Portree (NB) with recently hatched young at Portnalong!! (ST)
30th Dec 2018 Whooper Swan View Image still ten on the wee loch at Inverinate (RMcM) & three on Milltown Pond, Applecross (JB)
30th Dec 2018 Wigeon 126 at Ardelve, Lochalsh (RMcM)
30th Dec 2018 Turnstone good count of 40 at Harrapool (A&EH)
30th Dec 2018 Heron 50+ flushed at Isleornsay (RC)
29th Dec 2018 Great Northern Diver View Image 23 in Broadford Bay (NB) & another 12 off Lusa (RMcM) (see Gallery)
29th Dec 2018 Black-throated Diver View Image c12 between Lusa & Pabay (RMcM)
29th Dec 2018 Common Scoter 7 off Lusa & another probable group of c10 at distance off Pabay (RMcM)
29th Dec 2018 White-tailed Eagle View Image with the mild weather lot of early activity amongst pairs at the moment - birds also reported regularly in Broadford area with daily reports of singles (MB,HS et al) (see Gallery)
28th Dec 2018 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image singles regularly visiting feeders at Broadford (JD) & Isleornsay (RC)
28th Dec 2018 Peregrine View Image pair seen on the Suisnish-Borreraig walk (RF)
27th Dec 2018 Barnacle Goose View Image 40 at Balmaqueen (AC)
27th Dec 2018 Heron 32 flushed at Isleornsay (RC)
24th Dec 2018 Merry Christmas & Happy New Year just to wish all the site supporters and followers a merry Christmas & some great birding in 2019 - see the Gallery
24th Dec 2018 Hen Harrier View Image ringtail at Balmaqueen (AC)
24th Dec 2018 Mandarin drake back on sea pool on River Morar (SMacD)
24th Dec 2018 Little Egret View Image still in the Arisaig area (SMacD)
20th Dec 2018 Skye Birds 3rd edition see the blog for details of the updated edition
20th Dec 2018 Barn Owl View Image single reported in Harrapool (NB)
20th Dec 2018 Woodcock 6 in Glen Varrigall on roadside (NB)
19th Dec 2018 Iceland Gull View Image 1st winter bird at Kishorn + 600 Black-headed Gulls (RMcM)
19th Dec 2018 Woodcock up to three birds flushed regularly on walk in Glen Brittle forest (KS)
19th Dec 2018 White-tailed Eagle View Image four at Loch Caroy (MS) - also reports of singles today at Loch Cillchroisd (RW) & near Strome (DM)
18th Dec 2018 Brambling View Image single near Balmacara Square, Lochalsh (E.Stanley)
18th Dec 2018 Ring-necked Duck on the fringes of our area but drake reported again at Acharacle (A.Dacre)
17th Dec 2018 Brambling View Image two in garden at Portree (NB)
17th Dec 2018 Little Egret View Image another report from Lochailort (SC)
16th Dec 2018 Common Scoter single in Loch Harport & 30 Lapwing at head of loch (RMcM)
16th Dec 2018 Goosander View Image 18 at the head of Loch Ainort (RMcM)
16th Dec 2018 Woodcock single feeding on lawn Lower Breakish (E.Whatson)
16th Dec 2018 Barnacle Goose View Image just 8 at Staffin (CH)
16th Dec 2018 Purple Sandpiper View Image four near Staffin slipway (CH)
15th Dec 2018 Treecreeper an unusual experience In Harrapool last night - Frank was visiting his man hut about 6pm when something landed on his head - a Treecreeper - he removed it from his head, held it in his hand & released it - extraordinarily tame (FO-W)
14th Dec 2018 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image regular at bird feeders Kyleakin, + Long-tailed Tits (DB, A&EH)
14th Dec 2018 Brent Goose View Image two juveniles still wintering in the area at Breakish Obbe (NH)
14th Dec 2018 Knot single in Breakish Obbe (NH)
13th Dec 2018 Common Scoter 6 off Ashaig, all juv/female types (RMcM)
13th Dec 2018 Slavonian Grebe four off Ashaig, three Black-throated Diver & 10 Great Northern Diver (RMcM)
13th Dec 2018 Common Gull at least 1300 in Broadford Bay at high tide - presumably rich offshore feeding at the moment (RMcM)
12th Dec 2018 Whooper Swan View Image 12 including 6 juveniles between the wee loch near Inverinate and Loch Shiel (D.Evans)
12th Dec 2018 Barnacle Goose View Image one of the birds seen at Staffin on Sunday had been ringed as a juvenile at Durness, Sutherland, on 26.3.2017
11th Dec 2018 Barn Owl View Image single still roosting Uig Woods (SG)
11th Dec 2018 Viking Gull single again Bayfield, Portree (RMcM) (see Gallery)
11th Dec 2018 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image single again near Aros, Portree (CH)
9th Dec 2018 Greenland White-fronted Goose after third attempt flock of 7 birds located at Kilmuir,(RMcM) - very few juveniles have been seen by this flock over the years but there was a single juvenile today.
9th Dec 2018 Barnacle Goose View Image few reports from sites in Trotternish this winter with only 2 at Balmacquien & 6 at Staffin (RMcM)
9th Dec 2018 Whooper Swan View Image single at Lochlonghead (PS)
8th Dec 2018 Barnacle Goose View Image 30+ on the south side of Isay (RA)
6th Dec 2018 Jack Snipe View Image another single on Eigg, at Kildonan Bay (JC)
5th Dec 2018 Nuthatch two near Arisaig (RMcM)
5th Dec 2018 Little Egret View Image single still in the Arisaig area, on the Allt cam Carach at Back of Keppoch (RMcM)
5th Dec 2018 Kingfisher single on the Morar river (RMcM)
5th Dec 2018 Purple Sandpiper View Image 6 on rocks off west car park, Mallaig (RMcM)
5th Dec 2018 Whooper Swan View Image three at Harrapool (A&EH)
4th Dec 2018 Greenland White-fronted Goose single with Greylags at Waterstein (AS) - this is an interesting bird which shows a pink bill on one side & an orange on the other - it is also injured (see Gallery)
4th Dec 2018 Jack Snipe View Image single on Neist Point (AS,RMcM)
4th Dec 2018 Brambling View Image female at Portree (JDJ)
3rd Dec 2018 Black-throated Diver View Image 10 in Loch Slapin + 140 Shag (RMcM)
3rd Dec 2018 Blackcap View Image male on feeders at Kyleakin + Great Spotted Woodpecker (AH)
3rd Dec 2018 Common Scoter single in Broadford Bay & 11 in Loch an Cairidh opposite Ard Dorch (RMcM) (see Gallery)
3rd Dec 2018 Common Gull 1000+ in Broadford Bay off Ashaig (RMcM)
3rd Dec 2018 Greater White-fronted Goose View Image single with Greylags at Waterstein - looks injured - race not determined meantime (AS)
3rd Dec 2018 Brent Goose View Image single hrota at the head of Loch Dunvegan - perhaps the late bird previously reported at Ardmore (LS)
2nd Dec 2018 Goldeneye 29 at Loch Kishorn (RMcM)
2nd Dec 2018 Long-tailed Duck View Image single in Broadford Bay + a Common Scoter & three Slavonian Grebes (MB)
2nd Dec 2018 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image another report of a single near Aros, Portree (EC)
2nd Dec 2018 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image single at Lochlonghead (PS)
1st Dec 2018 Brent Goose View Image two juveniles still Broadford Bay (RMcM)
1st Dec 2018 Common Crossbill View Image six in the Ghlinne Bhig plantation on the Portree-Struan hill road (TH)

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