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
26th Mar 2019 Greenshank birds returning to breeding territories with 6 at Loch Sligachan (JDJ) & a single at Heaste (NB)
26th Mar 2019 Slavonian Grebe five in Broadford Bay (NB)
26th Mar 2019 Common Scoter still 19 at Loch Ainort (NB)
25th Mar 2019 Wheatear View Image males at Upper Milovaig & Neist Point (AS); male at Ardnish, Broadford (PO-W) (see Gallery)
25th Mar 2019 Whooper Swan View Image 90 on sea north of Kilmory, Rum (SM); 28 north at Ardnish, Broadford (PO-W); 73 in two groups north at Neist Point (AS)
25th Mar 2019 Greenland White-fronted Goose skein of 29 north over Neist Point (AS)
25th Mar 2019 Purple Sandpiper View Image 8 at Neist Point (AS) (see Gallery)
25th Mar 2019 Ring Ouzel View Image singing on a shed roof at Sartle, Staffin (MP)
25th Mar 2019 Common Scoter now 19 at Loch Ainort (NB)
25th Mar 2019 Great Skua View Image single of Brothers Point (K&SW)
24th Mar 2019 Brambling View Image 7 in garden at Portree (NB) & single at Miller’s Cottage, Eigg (JC)
24th Mar 2019 Whooper Swan View Image 26 in Breakish Obbe left early evening (MB,JP)
24th Mar 2019 Common Scoter female Loch Portree (NB)
24th Mar 2019 Meadow Pipit View Image notable arrivals on Rum (SM) & in Broadford area (MB)
23rd Mar 2019 Wheatear View Image 1st report on Skye, single on the hill Kilbride, Torrin (JJ)
23rd Mar 2019 Whooper Swan View Image 17 over Drumfearn (PK); 11 north at Kilmory, Rum & 3 later at Kinloch (SM); 18 north at Loch Mealt (JDJ)
23rd Mar 2019 Canada Goose View Image 7 at Loch na Dal, Kinloch (NB)
22nd Mar 2019 Wheatear View Image first report of the spring st Kilmory, Rum (SM)
21st Mar 2019 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image a bird has been present around Kinloch, Rum, for a few days (per SM)
21st Mar 2019 Magpie 1st report of the ‘north end’ bird for some time but in its old haunts near the Museum at Ellishadder (JPW)
21st Mar 2019 Whooper Swan View Image 12 north through the narrows of Rassay (PD)
20th Mar 2019 Brambling View Image still six visiting feeders at Portree garden with 5 males at one point (LB)
20th Mar 2019 Yellowhammer female still visiting feeders at Plockton (JS)
20th Mar 2019 Whooper Swan View Image 8 on the sea at Kilmory, Rum (per SM)
20th Mar 2019 Skye Birds 3rd edition just to say that the 3rd edition of Skye Birds is now available. It can be purchased direct from this website via PayPal and is also available at Aros & Fraser Macintyre, Stationer, Portree & at An Crubh in Sleat. The cost is £15.00
19th Mar 2019 Brambling View Image now six at feeders in Portree, 4 males & 2 females (NB)
19th Mar 2019 Blue-winged Teal a Drake was found by Bob at Mellon Charles, Aultbea, Wester Ross yesterday - there are images in the Gallery & also check the twitter feed
19th Mar 2019 Shelduck now 6 at Harrapool (NB)
18th Mar 2019 Fieldfare View Image 10 near Tarskavaig (DJ)
18th Mar 2019 Merlin View Image male near Ord today (JPW) & with a female at Torrin a few days ago, birds moving back into territories & a few migrants probably moving north
18th Mar 2019 Whooper Swan View Image 17 north over Lochailort (SMacD)
18th Mar 2019 Barn Owl View Image single again seen early evening Lower Breakish (HS)
17th Mar 2019 Yellow-legged Gull has been elusive for a few days but showing on Loch Poolteil at Lower Milovaig early afternoon (AS)
17th Mar 2019 Brambling View Image four in garden at Portree still (NB) (see Gallery)
17th Mar 2019 Jack Snipe View Image single near the Heaste road, Broadford (MB)
17th Mar 2019 Little Egret View Image wintering bird still in Arisaig/Back of Keppoch area - appears to have an injury so may have suffered an attack, possibly from a Heron (SMacD) (see Gallery)
17th Mar 2019 Slavonian Grebe three at Loch an Cairidh, Dunan (JPW)
17th Mar 2019 Barn Owl View Image another report early evening at the head of Loch Sligachan (ST)
16th Mar 2019 Common Scoter 15 in Loch Na Cairidh at Ard Dorch (NB)
16th Mar 2019 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image two drumming birds at Armadale Castle gardens (NB)
16th Mar 2019 Barn Owl View Image bird found dead at Stonefield, Achnacloich (JMacD) - the carcass will be sent for analysis
15th Mar 2019 Wigeon these birds will soon be heading north but still 71 at Bayfield, Portree this morning (NB)
14th Mar 2019 Yellow-legged Gull still showing in Loch Pooltiel at Lower Milovaig (AS)
14th Mar 2019 Barn Owl View Image yet another report of a bird hunting early evening, at Kylerhea (AL)
13th Mar 2019 Whooper Swan View Image group of 9 in Loch an Cairidh at Dunan - battling north against the wind (JW) - probably the same birds stormbound on Ardnish yesterday
12th Mar 2019 Whooper Swan View Image 9 resting at Ardnish, Broadford most of the day during gales (JP)
12th Mar 2019 Yellow-legged Gull still at Lower Milovaig (AS) (see Gallery)
12th Mar 2019 Lesser Black-backed Gull View Image single at Loch Scresort, Rum (SM)
11th Mar 2019 Yellowhammer female on feeders at Plockton this morning (JS)
11th Mar 2019 Yellow-legged Gull adult still at Lower Milovaig first thing (AS) then located at Loch Mor, Waterstein later (MB,RMcM) (see Gallery)
11th Mar 2019 Skylark View Image 40+ in several groups between Glendale & Waterstein (MB, RMcM)
10th Mar 2019 Twite View Image birds back at Roskill, Dunvegan, and visiting garden feeders (SW)
9th Mar 2019 Iceland Gull View Image 2cy juvenile still at Loch Kishorn (RMcM) (see Gallery) & single still at Lower Milovaig (AS)
9th Mar 2019 Yellow-legged Gull adult still showing well at Loch Pooltiel at Lower Milovaig (AS) (see Gallery)
9th Mar 2019 Goosander View Image six at Kyleakin Obbe (A&EH)
9th Mar 2019 Wigeon 70 at Lusa, Broadford (A&EH)
9th Mar 2019 Twite View Image c30 on the shore at Drumbuie, Lochalsh (DM)
8th Mar 2019 Lapwing 15 again at Loch Cillchroisd, Strath (NB)
7th Mar 2019 Barn Owl View Image single hunting Broadford River at 1800 (NB)
7th Mar 2019 Tawny Owl a bird stuck in a wood burning stove at Camascroise was rescued this afternoon - looks like it had gone down the flue and was trapped - stove had to be dismantled and it was released - great bit of work by Neil Hinchliffe & others (see Gallery)
7th Mar 2019 Yellow-legged Gull adult still in Loch Pooltiel at Lower Milovaig today + juvenile Iceland Gull (A.Powell)
6th Mar 2019 Yellow-legged Gull adult still on Loch Pooltiel at Lower Milovaig (A.Glaysher)
6th Mar 2019 Iceland Gull View Image 2cy bird still at Loch Pooltiel this morning (per AS)
5th Mar 2019 Shelduck numbers building up with 7 at Pool Roag, Dunvegan (NB, RMcM)
5th Mar 2019 Barn Owl View Image single near the Marble Quarry, Torrin (GH) - possibly the same bird seen for the last two nights at Burnside, Torrin (CR)
5th Mar 2019 Yellow-legged Gull adult still at Lower Milovaig this morning ranging widely in Loch Pooltiel including the fishfarm (AS et al)
5th Mar 2019 Iceland Gull View Image 2cy bird in Loch Pooltiel + 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull & a Black-throated Diver (AS et al) (see Gallery)
5th Mar 2019 Water Rail calling bird at small reed bed in Harlosh (NB, RMcM)
4th Mar 2019 Yellow-legged Gull still at Lower Milovaig this morning (AS)
4th Mar 2019 Lesser Black-backed Gull View Image two at Hamara, Glendale this morning (AS)
3rd Mar 2019 Yellow-legged Gull adult showing again at Lower Milovaig (AS) - good images obtained - this is a rare record in Highland, and will be a first for Skye
3rd Mar 2019 Great black-backed Gull View Image 112 in Loch Portree + 79 Wigeon & 14 Bar-tailed Godwit & Peregrine (NB)
2nd Mar 2019 Brambling View Image Male in garden in Portree (NB) (see Gallery)
2nd Mar 2019 Canada Goose View Image five at Isleornsay (NB) (see Gallery)
1st Mar 2019 Great Northern Diver View Image numbers building up at Lusa with 61 as they move to deep water roost late afternoon (NB)
1st Mar 2019 Black-throated Diver View Image 15 off Lusa + 4 Slavonian Grebes & 23 Red-breasted Mergansers (NB)
1st Mar 2019 Red Grouse three at bealach on the Kylerhea road (NB)

© 2019 Skye Birds