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Recent Sightings Please note that the sightings below do not reflect the variety of species you can see in a normal day out birding or wildlife watching. These reports concentrate on more unusual species or significant counts or movements. For an idea of what you can find on an average day please visit the the appropriate seasonal links on the left side of the home page. To report sightings please contact Steve at: steveduffield@hebrides.net County bird recorder: Brian Rabbitts [rabbitts@hebrides.net]
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31st January: North Uist: A Mistle Thrush was at Minish, near Lochmaddy again today. Benbecula: A male Scaup was on Coot Loch. South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gull and a Fieldfare at Drimsdale. 6+ Glaucous Gulls were on the Gualan whale today plus a 1st winter in North Bay. 4 Glaucous Gulls (including one adult) were at Ardvule. 30th January: Benbecula: A pair of Pintails on Loch Mor and a male Scaup was on Coot Loch. South Uist: Over 80 Reed Buntings feeding at the RSPB arable stacks between Stoneybridge and Kilpheder this morning with over 50 at Daliburgh alone. A Wood Pigeon was in Askernish. 29th January: Lewis: 2 x 1st winter and an adult Iceland Gull at Loch Stiapabhat. 2 x 1st winter Iceland Gulls and 2 x 1st winter Glaucous Gull at Barvas. South Uist: 9 Glaucous Gulls (3 adults, 2 x 2nd winters and 4 x 1st winters) feeding on the whale carcass on the Gualan.
28th Janaury: South Uist: Adult Glaucous Gull at the mouth of the river at Howmore. 27th Janaury: North Uist: 2nd winter Glaucous Gull on Baleshare. 50 Snow Buntings and immature Glaucous Gull Balranald. South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gull and 35 Snow Buntings at Ardivachar. 100 Greenland White-fronted Geese Loch Bee.
26th January: Lewis: 3 x 1st winter and an adult Iceland Gull, plus 2 x 1st winter Glaucous Gulls at Loch Barvas today. South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gull in North Bay. 61 Whooper Swans on the machair at Bornish.
25th January: Lewis: A pair of Goosanders and a 1st yr Glaucous Gull at Barvas. 5 Snow Buntings Siadar. North Uist: A Mistle Thrush was reported from Minish today. 24th January: Lewis: juvenile Iceland Gull at Steinish. 2 juvenile and an adult Iceland Gull, plus 6 Black-throated Divers off Goat Island. Juvenile Iceland Gull at Port Voller. 4 Scaup at Loch Tiumpan. 890 Eiders of Steinish, 90 Common Scoter, 25 Slavonian Grebe and 440 Long-tailed Ducks. North Uist: Immature Glaucous Gull on the machair at Balemore. Also at least 20 Snow Buntings and around 750 Barnacle Geese in the area. 2nd winter Glaucous Gull at Balranald.
22nd January: Lewis: 3 x 1st winter Glaucous Gulls and 1st winter Iceland Gull at Barvas, plus 16 Snow Buntings in the dunes. 2 x 1st winter Iceland Gulls at Siadar and a 1st winter Glaucous Gull at Borve. North Uist: The Ivory Gull was still at Clachan a Luib this morning. Benbecula: 2nd winter Glaucous Gull was off Balivanich. 21st January: Lewis: 1st winter Iceland Gull in Stornoway Harbour and 1st Kumlien's Gull at Battery Point. North Uist: 2nd winter Ivory Gull at Clachan a Luib. Little Egret was seen by the mill at Loch na Geireann. Iceland Gull was at Bayhead. South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gull and 244 Purple Sandpipers at Ardvule.
20th January: North Uist: 1st winter Iceland at Horisary, Bayhead this morning. Benbecula: Male Scaup on Coot Loch and 14 Snow Buntings at Stinky Bay. South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gull at Ardivachar. 1st winter Iceland Gull by the main road at West Gerinish. 2nd winter Glaucous Gull at Balgarva. 45 White-fronted Geese on the range, west of Loch Bee. 19th January: Lewis: 4 x 1st winter Glaucous Gulls, an adult Iceland Gull and 2 x 1st winter Iceland Gulls at Brue / Barvas. Insects: Another active Small Tortoiseshell was reported today, this time flying around inside a house in Tarbet, Harris where the owner says she had up to 10 there last winter. 18th January: Lewis: Glaucous Gull at Loch Barvas. Benbecula: 12 Snow Buntings at Stinky Bay. South Uist: 1st winter and 2nd winter Glaucous Gulls at Ardivachar. At least 70 White-fronted Geese on the Range plus a handful of Snow Buntings (8 at LA3). 2 Snow Buntings and 40+ Meadow Pipits at Howmore. Also a Fieldfare at Howmore with a further 53 in the evening at Loch Carnan. Other: A large, whale carcass (probably a Sperm Whale) is on the east side of the Gualan Peninsula, South Uist
17th January: Lewis: At least 4 x 1st winter Iceland Gulls between Barvas and Shawbost. Pair of Goosanders on Loch Barvas. Water Rail at Bragar. Large movement of Fulmars noted off Arnol mid-afternoon with around 200 heading south-west along the coast in a 10 minute period. South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gull at Ardivachar. 16th January: Lewis: Waxwing in Stornoway by the hospital this morning. Adult Iceland Gull, 1st winter Glaucous Gull and male Pintail at Steinish. South Uist: Grey Phalarope on the north side of Ardvule this afternoon. Insects: Two more reports of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies received today with one seen flying around in side at house at Arnol, Lewis yesterday and around 10 hibernating in a barn at Grenitote, North Uist.
15th January: Benbecula: A 2nd winter Iceland Gull was at Gramsdale fish factory and a Snow Bunting at Stinky Bay. Insects: Martin Scott reports that there is a Small Tortoiseshell hibernating in his house at Brue, Lewis. If anyone else knows of butterflies hibernating in the Western Isles this winter please contact me at: steveduffield@hebrides.net
14th January: South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gull at North Bay. Coot still on Loch Tornish. 116 Reed Buntings on arable stacks between Grogarry and Kilpheder with a maximum single site count of 45 at Daliburgh.
13th January: North Uist: 2 x 1st winter Iceland Gulls at Balemore, also Snow Bunting and at least 56 Corn Buntings in the area. 2 Coot on Loch Sandary. Benbecula: 2nd winter Iceland Gull at Gramsdale.
12th January: South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gull at Ardivachar. Coot on Loch Tornish. A total of 94 Reed Buntings feeding on arable stacks between Howmore and Kilpheder with 40 at Daliburgh alone. 11th January: North Uist: Little Egret at Bayhead. South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gull at Ardivachar. 16 Reed Buntings at Grogarry. 9th January: Lewis: 1st winter and adult Iceland Gull in Stornoway Harbour. 2 Black-throated Divers and 39 Black-headed Gulls off Goat Island, Stornoway. 8th January: Lewis: 2 Glaucous Gulls and an Iceland Gull at Loch Barvas. North Uist: 2 Little Egrets in the Clachan Sands area. Also a pair of Canada Geese reported feeding with Greylags out from Vallaquie House yesterday. South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gull at Ardivachar. 7th January: Lewis: 5 Scaup Loch Tuimpan. South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gull at Stoneybridge. 41 Reed Buntings on arable stacks at Daliburgh plus 13 at Kilpheder, 11 at Tornish and 21 at Howmore.
6th January: Lewis: Iceland Gull at Loch Barvas. Benbecula: Male Scaup and Pink-footed Goose at Coot Loch. South Uist: 1st winter Glaucous Gulls were seen at Balgarva, Loch Gorgarry and Stilligarry this morning.
5th January: Lewis: 4 Brambling in Willow Glen, Stornoway. North Uist: Little Egret at Loch Ardheisker South Uist: 3 Woodcock in Druidibeg Plantation. 4th January: Lewis: 29 White-fronted Geese at Loch Urrahag, Arnol plus 21 at Barvas later. 3 x 1st winter Glaucous Gulls and an adult Iceland Gull at Barvas. A pair of Goosanders on Loch Barvas. North Uist: 3 x 1st winter Iceland Gulls, 2 x 1st winter and an adult Glaucous Gull at Kyles Paible. Also 150 Snow Buntings on the beach here. Little Egret on Loch Ardheisker. Green-winged Teal on Loch Sandary. Benbecula: Green-winged Teal at Coot Loch. 33 White-fronted Geese at Nunton. South Uist: 15 White-fronted Geese at Kipheder. 1st winter Glaucous Gull was on the flooded machair at Stoneybridge. Insects: Winter Moth at Carnan in the evening.
3rd January: Harris: Mistle Thrush between Leverburgh and Northton. 5 (3 males) Surf Scoters in the Sound of Taransay. 17 Snow Buntings and 92 Twite at Northton. North Uist: A Little Egret was seen at 10:15 at Horisary, near Bayhead and another was at Clachan Sands. Green-winged Teal Loch Sandary. Benbecula: A male Scaup and 15 Shoveler on Coot Loch. 33 White-fronted Geese at Nunton. South Uist: At least 110 White-fronted Geese to the west of Loch Bee. 1st winter Glaucous Gull at Ardivachar and one on Loch Grogarry. 110 Snow Buntings on the machair at Askernish.
2nd January: Lewis: Glaucous Gull and Iceland Gull at Port of Ness. Common Redpoll at Leurbost. North Uist: Green-winged Teal Loch Sandary
1st January: North Uist: A New Years day bird race produced 84 species in North Uist with the highlights being Richardson's Canada Goose with Barnacle Geese on Borve machair, Berneray. 2 Little Egrets were at Clachan Sands; the wintering Spotted Redshank was at Vallay Strand; 5 Crossbills were in Ben Risary plantation; an adult Glaucous Gull at Loch Ardheisker and a Green-winged Teal at Loch Sandary. Other interesting sightings included 8 Common Scoter in the Sound of Pabbay, off Berenray, 2 Coot on Loch Sandary and 2 Long-eared Owls at Knockquien. Raptors seen included 2 Golden Eagles, a Hen Harrier and 2 Peregrines during the day. Happy New Year |
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