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
31st Aug 2020 Sooty Shearwater View Image two with Gannets & other seabirds in the Sound of Raasay off Black Rock, Portree - also 15-20 Common Dolphins (NB)
31st Aug 2020 Black-tailed Godwit View Image two in Breakish Obbe, Broadford, + four Knot & two Whimbrel (NH)
31st Aug 2020 Oystercatcher 110 at the head of Loch Portree + 60 Curlew (NB)
30th Aug 2020 Whooper Swan View Image unfortunately the bird reported recently on the River Snizort at Skeabost, has been found dead (ML)
30th Aug 2020 Knot 6 juveniles flying between Eigg & Ardnamurchan (SC) - also pods of Common & Bottlenose Dolphin + 5 Minke Whale - from MV Sheerwater
29th Aug 2020 Sanderling View Image three at Broadford Bay (A&EH)
29th Aug 2020 Teal View Image four at Kyleakin Obbe (A&EH)
29th Aug 2020 Willow Warbler View Image singing bird at Lephin, Glendale (AS)
28th Aug 2020 Knot stil three in Broadford Bay & three at The Aird, Gedintailor (NB,RMcM)
28th Aug 2020 Common Tern View Image seawatch at The Aird, Gedintailor - 120+ Common Tern, 130 Gannet & 300 Kittiwake (NB) + two Basking Shark
28th Aug 2020 Great Northern Diver View Image three at The Aird, Gedintailor + three Red-throated Diver (NB)
28th Aug 2020 Osprey View Image single fishing at Ashaig, Broadford, early evening (RMcM) (see Gallery)
27th Aug 2020 Knot three in Broadford Bay & a single at Ashaig (NB,RMcM)
27th Aug 2020 Sanderling View Image two in Broadford Bay & 10 at Ashaig (RMcM)
27th Aug 2020 Twite View Image 120+ on saltings at Ashaig, Broadford (RMcM)
27th Aug 2020 Common Dolphin 30+ probably hunting mackerel shoals off Lusa Mouth, Broadford (RMcM)
27th Aug 2020 Storm Petrel two off Eigg from MV Sheerwater + a dark morph Arctic Skua (RD)
26th Aug 2020 Great Spotted Woodpecker View Image juvenile at Skeabost (IW) (see Gallery) & another at Loch Cillchroisd yesterday (DM)
26th Aug 2020 Goosander View Image five at Sallachy, Loch Long (AA)
25th Aug 2020 Black-tailed Godwit View Image single on Croft land at Gedintailor (C.Baillie)
25th Aug 2020 Knot still a single Knot in Broadford Bay & a Sanderling at Ashaig (RMcM) (see Gallery)
25th Aug 2020 Swift passage north at Neist Point with four different birds (AS) (see Gallery); also a single on the Rhu peninsula, Arisaig (RD)
25th Aug 2020 Arctic Skua View Image two going north at Neist Point (AS)
24th Aug 2020 Willow Warbler View Image still a singing bird at Ard Dorch (NH)
24th Aug 2020 Knot single in Broadford Bay + a Bar-tailed Godwit (RMcM)
23rd Aug 2020 Knot two at Loch Portree & 11 Common Tern (NB)
22nd Aug 2020 Knot four at Traigh, Morar (SC,SMacD) & a single at Loch Portree (JJ)
22nd Aug 2020 Sanderling View Image 8 at Ashaig, Broadford (RMcM) & 10 at Traigh, Morar (SMacD) (see Gallery)
22nd Aug 2020 Osprey View Image single bird fishing Loch Long, at Sallachy (A.Appleby)
21st Aug 2020 Arctic Skua View Image singles at Bornisketaig, Kilmuir , and at Broadford Bay + 6 Great Skua off Borniskitaig & 11 in Broadford Bay (NB, RMcM)
21st Aug 2020 Common Tern View Image c30 in Loch Sligachan including some recently fledged juveniles - also 8 Goosander (RMcM)
21st Aug 2020 Red-breasted Merganser View Image 51 in moulting flock at head of Loch Ainort (RMcM)
21st Aug 2020 Sanderling View Image 7 at Kilmory, Rum + 14 Dunlin (SM)
21st Aug 2020 Twite View Image 150 on Glas Eilean, Broadford (NB) & mixed flock of 50+ Twite/Lesser Redpoll 50+ at Halistra, Waternish (SP)
21st Aug 2020 Knot four in Broadford Bay (NB)
20th Aug 2020 House Martin View Image and Sand Martin, both migrants, on Rum today (SM)
20th Aug 2020 White Wagtail View Image single at Elgol (RMcM)
19th Aug 2020 Hen Harrier View Image due to Covid 19 travel restrictions, monitoring of this years breeding birds has been limited. A young female, satellite tagged at a site in Badenoch, has been in the Kylerhea, Kyleakin & Balmacara area in the last few days. Birds fledged at the same site in 2019 both disappeared on grouse moors (RMcM, DP) - see Gallery
19th Aug 2020 White Wagtail View Image juvenile at Limepark, Broadford (NB) (see Gallery)
18th Aug 2020 Twite View Image 25 at Neist Point + visible migration with 17 flying west towards the Uists (AS) - not the first time this movement by Twite has been noted - whether they remain on the Uists for the whole winter is another matter!
17th Aug 2020 Wheatear View Image four more leucorhoa Northern types at Neist Point on 17.8.20 (see Gallery)
17th Aug 2020 Arctic Skua View Image five at Neist Point & four Great Skua (AS)
16th Aug 2020 Whooper Swan View Image single has probably summered on the River Snizort at Skeabost (per SG)
16th Aug 2020 Arctic Skua View Image some passage at Neist Point with 7 south + 4 Great Skua in three hours (AS) (see Gallery)
16th Aug 2020 Twite View Image 120 at Loch Mor, Waterstein (AS)
16th Aug 2020 Wheatear View Image 6 leucorhoa type Northern Wheatears at Neist Point (AS) (see Gallery)
16th Aug 2020 Whimbrel View Image two at Ashaig, Broadford (RMcM)
15th Aug 2020 Great Skua View Image 6 over Pabay & three Common Sandpipers in Broadford Bay (NB)
15th Aug 2020 Kittiwake 150 in Loch Poolteil (AS)
14th Aug 2020 Cuckoo juvenile at Harrapool (NB) -adults have already left with the BTO reporting today that a satellite tagged adult is already back in wintering grounds in Mali
14th Aug 2020 Ring Ouzel View Image female at Sligachan (M.Oakley)
13th Aug 2020 Willow Warbler View Image more reports of late singing birds from Rum, Canna & three in the Broadford area (SM, GG, NB, RMcM)
13th Aug 2020 Risso’s Dolphin five at Neist Point (NH)
13th Aug 2020 Knot two juveniles Broadford Bay (NB)
13th Aug 2020 Cuckoo late juvenile still being fed by Meadow Pipit at Sligachan (M.Oakley)
12th Aug 2020 Cuckoo single at the Glebe, Eigg (JC)
11th Aug 2020 Twite View Image flocks of 70 & 30 at Ashaig, Broadford (RMcM)
11th Aug 2020 Cetaceans 6 Risso’s Dolphins, 20 Common Dolphins & a Basking Shark at Neist Point (AS) - also a single Knot (see Gallery)
10th Aug 2020 Arctic Skua View Image pale morph bird at Neist Point - also a Basking Shark (AS)
9th Aug 2020 Black-tailed Godwit View Image single at Loch Portree + 26 Goosander (NB)
9th Aug 2020 Hirundines at Loch nan Eala, Arisaig, c200 mixed hirundines, predominantly Swallows with Sand Martins & House Martins (RD)
9th Aug 2020 Cetaceans in flat calm conditions up to 12 Minke Whale seen between Arisaig & Point of Sleat from MV Sheerwater (RD); about 80 Common Dolphins in Mooney Bay, Neist (AS) (see cetacean gallery) & 20 heading north off the Crowlins (RMcM)
9th Aug 2020 Arctic Skua View Image dark morph bird well off Lusa Mouth, Broadford (RMcM)
9th Aug 2020 Redshank good count of 115 in Broadford Bay + 50 Curlew & 60 Twite (A&EH)
9th Aug 2020 Great Skua View Image four in the sea near Wiay (ST)
9th Aug 2020 Whimbrel View Image five through Broadford Bay & south mid evening (MB)
8th Aug 2020 Lesser Redpoll View Image post breeding flocks building up with 50 at Ashaig, Broadford (RMcM)
8th Aug 2020 Willow Warbler View Image widespread reports of singing Willow Warblers today from Broadford, Portree, Orbost, Glendale - clearly the good weather is inducing birds to sing very late (NB,TH, AS)
7th Aug 2020 Osprey View Image one fishing Loch nan Ceall, Arisaig (RD)
7th Aug 2020 Dunlin View Image large numbers passing through with 300 in Broadford Bay & 110 at Ashaig (RMcM)
7th Aug 2020 Black-tailed Godwit View Image 7 at Ashaig, Broadford (RMcM) & a single at Kildonan, Eigg (JC)
7th Aug 2020 Great Skua View Image 10 off Lusa, Broadford following creel boats + two Sandwich Terns (RMcM)
7th Aug 2020 Common Redpoll single visiting feeders at Uig (ML)
7th Aug 2020 Sanderling View Image 11 at Kilmory, Rum (SM) + three at Ashaig, Broadford & a single Whimbrel (RMcM)
7th Aug 2020 Arctic Skua View Image single noted at Loch Mealt (MF)
6th Aug 2020 Storm Petrel single between Mallaig & Rum (SM) & 6 south & west out of Arisaig on MV Sheerwater trips (RD) - 19 also reported from Lochboisdale - Mallaig ferry this morning though some will be in Western Isles (BG)
6th Aug 2020 Great Northern Diver View Image two probable sub-adults off Back of Keppoch from MV Sheerwater (RD)
6th Aug 2020 Great Skua View Image 5 between Mallaig & Rum from the ferry + 1000 Manx Shearwater & 250 Guillemot (SM)
6th Aug 2020 House Sparrow View Image 100+ on feeders at Lower Milovaig including lots of juveniles (AS)
6th Aug 2020 White-tailed Eagle View Image seven soaring together near Suisnish, mainly adults (RW)
6th Aug 2020 Cuckoo juvenile at Suisnish, Torrin (RW)
5th Aug 2020 Knot 7 in Broadford Bay (MB)
5th Aug 2020 Dunlin View Image 310 in Broadford Bay + 24 Sanderling (MB)
4th Aug 2020 Kingfisher single on the burn at Camusdarroch, Morar (per SMacD)
4th Aug 2020 Storm Petrel three from the Rum - Mallaig ferry (SM)
4th Aug 2020 Goldfinch 50+ in Kyleakin Obbe (A&EH)
3rd Aug 2020 Storm Petrel 10 in the Minch from the Uig-Tarbert ferry (SMacD)
2nd Aug 2020 Whimbrel View Image singles over Lochailort Fishfarm (SC) and at Loch Portree (NB)
2nd Aug 2020 Greenshank 12 at the head of Loch Sligachan & three at the head of Loch Ainort (RMcM)
2nd Aug 2020 Red-breasted Merganser View Image 30 in moulting flock at the head of Loch Ainort (RMcM)
2nd Aug 2020 Common Redpoll single on feeders at Uig (ML)
2nd Aug 2020 Goosander View Image 25 at Loch Portree, 90 Curlew & 80 Oystercatcher (NB)
1st Aug 2020 Little Egret View Image single at Arisaig this morning (RD)
1st Aug 2020 Greenshank rare passage migrant at Meanish Pier on 1.8.20 (see Gallery)

© 2020 Skye Birds