Black-throated Diver

17th September 2013

Although there have been occasional reports of Black-throated Divers breeding on Skye, none of these have been confirmed, and as far as we can establish the last report was in 1987, when an adult and two young were reported at a site. Summering birds were reported during recent Atlas fieldwork, and a pair with a single small young were discovered on a Skye loch in July. The young bird was fully feathered during a recent visit and we are confident that it has fledged successfully. As this is a species which is vulnerable to a number of threats including disturbance the breeding location is being kept confidential.

RC&RMcM

THE BOOK

"A glorious little gem"

AMAZON

"A book such as this has to look backwards and the author does so succinctly, looking at the work of several of the pioneering naturalists before picking out the publications of JA Harvie-Brown and the Rev. Hugh Macpherson. I know this book fills a real gap in the information available for the Isle of Skye and it will surely sell well at local bookshops."

Andrew Currie Miscellany West Highland Free Press

"A total of 238 species have been recorded, with 14 of those 'red listed' as of high conservation concern ... another innovation has been the inclusion of Gaelic names for some birds. While this is not uncommon in a few other books, the addition of some regional Gaelic names is very unusual and very welcome."

Ray Collier Country Diary 'Up in the Skye' The Guardian

"Illustrated with beautiful photographs of current birdlife on the island, the publication also features sketches by Jean Thomas of The Little Gallery, Portnalong, stimulating the reader's interest further and allowing them to identify species they encounter on Skye."

The Hebridean