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 May 2019 Golden Plover a wee challenge for a wet day - try and find the incubating bird on Rum - see Gallery (SM)
30th May 2019 Lesser Whitethroat View Image report of a bird singing in a garden at Hallin, Waternish (A.Buckley)
30th May 2019 Nuthatch nest near Arisaig again successful with young seen leaving nest today (MW,RD)
30th May 2019 Whimbrel View Image late single at Kildonan Bay, Eigg + a Sanderling (JC)
30th May 2019 Long-tailed Skua late news of Long-tailed Skua in Sound of Raasay on 27th seen from a kayak (J.Ashford) (see Gallery) - this was the day after there was significant passage on the west side of North Uist
30th May 2019 Ptarmigan View Image pair with female brooding small young near summit of Beinn nan Caillich (D.Ingles)
29th May 2019 Ringed Plover View Image still small numbers of waders pushing north with 30 Ringed Plover & 25 Dunlin in Broadford Bay (RMcM) - strange that by July many will be pushing south again
29th May 2019 Sanderling View Image two at Laig Bay, Eigg, & still a few Dunlin passing through (JC)
29th May 2019 Falcon? report via John Chester on Eigg that a Buzzard sized bird with jesses was seen near the surgery on Eigg - only description was it had black/white underwings
28th May 2019 North Ronaldsay see the blog for details of a recent trip to North Ronaldsay
28th May 2019 Magpie bird recently noted at Braes from a trail camera (GR)
28th May 2019 Merlin View Image pair at Bornesketaig (RR)
27th May 2019 Magpie bird seen on the island of Soay (RC)
26th May 2019 Arctic Skua View Image four in Loch Snizort from the ferry (RMcM et al)
26th May 2019 Storm Petrel single in outer Loch Snizort from the ferry (AW)
24th May 2019 Black-throated Diver View Image single on Loch Slapin (RC)
24th May 2019 Common Scoter two drakes still Broadford Bay (NB)
23rd May 2019 Wood Warbler singing bird near Portree (JDJ)
23rd May 2019 Whimbrel View Image single in Broadford Bay (NB)
21st May 2019 Orca two orcas, including John Coe, were photographed close in off Lower Milovaig and Oisgill, working their way south, this morning from 6:15am until 7:45am by some visitors (per AS)
21st May 2019 Garden Warbler singing bird at Leiter Fura & 9+ singing Blackcap, 7 Whitethroats & several Tree Pipits (PK)
21st May 2019 Purple Sandpiper View Image three on the Oronsay Causeway (GH)
20th May 2019 Common Scoter two drakes still Broadford Bay (NB)
20th May 2019 Great Northern Diver View Image three in Broadford Bay (NB)
19th May 2019 Common Scoter two drakes in Broadford Bay (MB)
19th May 2019 Ring-necked Duck drake still on Loch nan Eala, Arisaig (JC,NR)
19th May 2019 Long-tailed Skua three adults from the Uig -Lochmaddy ferry (Skye side) late afternoon (J.Bucknall) + two Orcas
18th May 2019 Ring-necked Duck drake still at Loch nan Eala, Arisaig (SC)
17th May 2019 Osprey View Image single at Loch Cillchroisd (C.Fleming)
17th May 2019 Ring-necked Duck drake on Loch nan Eala, Arisaig (RD, MW) (see Gallery)
17th May 2019 Dunlin View Image 160 at Broadford Bay & 70 Ringed Plover (NB)
16th May 2019 Corncrake View Image birds still slow to arrive with c10 calling in the usual areas (SP)
16th May 2019 Common Tern View Image two in Broadford Bay (NB)
16th May 2019 Dunlin View Image 130 at Broadford Bay + 70 Ringed Plover (NB)
16th May 2019 Tree Sparrow single on Canna (Canna Rangers) - 1st record since 1988
16th May 2019 Whimbrel View Image five at Loch Portree & single Broadford Bay (NB)
15th May 2019 Spotted Flycatcher View Image newly arrived today on Eigg (JC) and near Arisaig (RD)
15th May 2019 House Martin View Image with the warm weather in the last few days House Martins have arrived in the Broadford area and as far north as Kilmaluag (MB, NB, NH)
15th May 2019 Whimbrel View Image still a single at Bayfield, Portree (K.Morley)
14th May 2019 Waders numbers are very low at the moment as birds fly north in good weather without needing to refuel. Single Whimbrel at Portree & Bar-tailed Godwit at Waterloo + small numbers of Dunlin & Ringed Plover
14th May 2019 Mallard females with broods of 8 and 10 at Portree (NB)
14th May 2019 Stonechat View Image fledged brood at Scullamus Moss today (RMcM)
12th May 2019 Great Skua View Image five at Neist Point (AS) & 6 in Loch Snizort (MB et al) (see Gallery)
12th May 2019 Arctic Skua View Image dark morph bird at Neist Point + a Minke Whale (AS)
12th May 2019 Purple Sandpiper View Image good count of 30 on rocks at Point of Sleat with Turnstone (G.Hodgson)
11th May 2019 Whimbrel View Image two on Ardnish, Broadford, (PO-W) & two at Bayfield, Portree (NB)
11th May 2019 Greylag Goose View Image three pairs with three, five & four goslings on Ardnish, Broadford (PO-W) - this species gets a bit of a pounding from local Bonxies with an adult killed the other day (NB]
11th May 2019 Golden Plover 17 on Ardnish, Broadford (PO-W)
11th May 2019 Common Crossbill View Image three over Bayfield, Portree (NB)
10th May 2019 Dunlin View Image 80 in Broadford Bay & 60 at Pool Roag (RMcM)
10th May 2019 Great Northern Diver View Image 7 off Sconser + two Red-throated Diver
10th May 2019 Hen Harrier View Image there are currently a minimum of ten territories occupied with some pairs settling to incubate. Three sites from 2018 which failed are unoccupied. I am grateful to a number of people for sightings and these remain important as the season progresses.
10th May 2019 Pink-footed Goose View Image two with Greylags at Broadford Bay (NB)
9th May 2019 Knot summer plumage bird still in Broadford Bay + three Whimbrel & a Bar-tailed Godwit (RMcM)
9th May 2019 Canada Goose View Image single with Greylags in Broadford Bay (RMcM)
9th May 2019 Arctic Tern View Image 6 in Loch Eishort already forming pair bonds (NB)
9th May 2019 Whimbrel View Image 6 in fields at Greshornish (DM)
9th May 2019 Dotterel View Image this species is rare on Skye but has occurred on passage - female today in the Quiraing area (R.Davies)
8th May 2019 Knot summer plumage bird in Broadford Bay + three Whimbrel (RMcM)
8th May 2019 Rook View Image information that Teangue rookery was abandoned mid April 2017 & returned mid March 2018. Duisdale Beag rookery now seems to have moved to Saasaig not too far from Teangue. No explanation for these movements (RC)
8th May 2019 Sanderling View Image single along with 80 Dunlin & 40 Ringed Plover in Broadford Bay (NB)
7th May 2019 Whimbrel View Image 30 at Feorlig, Dunvegan (JB)
7th May 2019 Pink-footed Goose View Image skein of 80 over Flodigarry were probably this species (ARoss)
7th May 2019 Wood Warbler five in territories around Arisaig (RMcM, AW)
7th May 2019 Nuthatch pair feeding young at same site near Arisaig where they were successful in 2018 (RMcM, AW)
7th May 2019 Yellowhammer bird on Canna today is thought to be the first in 50 years (Canna Ranger Service)
6th May 2019 White Wagtail View Image five at Camas Mor, Waternish (RMcM, AW)
6th May 2019 Whimbrel View Image 7 at Feorlig, Dunvegan & a single at Sconser (DM, RMcM, AW)
6th May 2019 Golden Plover 40 at Feorlig, Dunvegan (RMcM, AW)
6th May 2019 Whinchat View Image two pairs and a single male near Pool Roag (RMcM,AW)
6th May 2019 Redwing View Image very late bird near Struan (DM)
6th May 2019 Reed Warbler unconfirmed report of a bird in the Uig area yesterday - record on Birdtrack
5th May 2019 Blackcap View Image pair in garden at Waterloo, Broadford (JB)
5th May 2019 Pink-footed Goose View Image single with Greylags at Glas Eilean, Broadford (RMcM) - some of these single birds are probably non migratory
5th May 2019 Mallard female with four small ducklings at Loch Portree (NB) & female with six at Kilmuir (JDJ)
5th May 2019 Whimbrel View Image still trickling through with three at Loch Portree & two at Broadford Bay (NB,RMcM)
4th May 2019 Whimbrel View Image 6 at Traigh (per SMacD); 3 at Pool Roag in morning and Waterloo in evening (RMcM)
4th May 2019 Pink-footed Goose View Image still at least 11 at Traigh, Morar (per SMacD)
4th May 2019 Great Skua View Image two heading south overland on shoulder of Ben Suardal, Strath (NB)
4th May 2019 Meadow Pipit View Image with the cold snap birds back into flocks the largest of which was 80 at Old Corry, Broadford (NB,RMcM)
4th May 2019 Canada Goose View Image single on Black Lochs, Broadford (A&EH)
3rd May 2019 Whimbrel View Image three at Ornsay causeway & 6 at Waterloo early evening (DM, RMcM) (see Gallery)
3rd May 2019 Pink-footed Goose View Image single with Greylags at Trumpan, Waternish (DM)
3rd May 2019 Little Egret View Image single still at Arisaig (LR)
2nd May 2019 Common Redpoll single with Twite/Linnet flock at Talisker Bay (DM)
2nd May 2019 Whimbrel View Image four in Broadford Bay + a single Bar-tailed Godwit (NB,RMcM)
1st May 2019 Twite View Image birds are now returning to breeding territories and an increasing number are visiting garden feeders. Many birds are colour ringed on their wintering grounds so if you see any please note the colour sequence on each leg - see entry below.
1st May 2019 Magpie report from Glen Drynoch (MW)
1st May 2019 Pheasant report of two at Tokavaig (MW) - with no release of birds on the island for some years is a bit of a rarity.
1st May 2019 Twite View Image a colour ringed bird at feeders at Point of Sleat (TIm Godfrey) spent the winter past at Montrose Basin where it was caught & colour ringed. A good number of our local breeding birds move east.

© 2019 Skye Birds