Recent Sightings

To report sightings please contact Steve at: steveduffield@hebrides.net

County bird recorder: Brian Rabbitts [rabbitts@hebrides.net]

31st January:

Benbecula: Male Lesser Scaup on Coot Loch plus female Scaup. 1st w Iceland Gull Gramsdale.

South Uist: 1st w Iceland Gull Ardivachar. Great White Egret on Druidibeg at Stilligarry.

Iceland Gull (Steve Duffield)

29th January:

Benbecula: Great White Egret Loch Fada. Male Lesser Scaup, male Scaup and 22 Coot on Coot Loch. 1st w Iceland Gull Gramsdale.

South Uist: Kentish Plover off Hebridean Jewellery at high tide. 3 x 1st w Glaucous Gulls and 2 x 1st w Iceland Gulls Ardivachar.

Kentish Plover, Iceland Gull and Glaucous Gull (Steve Duffield).

28th January:

Lewis: 2 x 1st w Iceland Gulls and a 1st w Glaucous Gull Barvas.

South Uist: 2 x 1st w Iceland Gulls in Lochboisdale. Adult Glaucous Gull Drimsdale. 3 x 1st w Glaucous Gulls, 1st w Iceland Gull and what appears to be a 2nd w Kumlien's Gull just south of Ardivachar. 2nd w Glaucous Gull North Bay.

27th January:

Lewis: 2 x 1st w and an adult Iceland Gull in Stornoway harbour (over weekend). Grey Wagtail along Bayhead River. 3 Goosander Laxay.

South Uist: 3 x 1st w Glaucous Gulls and 2 x 1st w Iceland Gulls on the Range plus 23 White-fronted Geese and a male Pintail. Grey Wagtail and Chiffchaff at Askernish. Brambling at North Loch Eynort.

26th January:

Lewis: Iceland Gull Stornoway harbour.

North Uist: 1st w Iceland Gull and 1st w Glacuous Gull Balranald. Also at Balranald: 100 Snow Buntings, 400 Twite and a Goldfinch around the visitor centre. Female Ring-necked Duck Loch Eaval.

Benbecula: 1st w Iceland Gull Gramsdale. Great White Egret Oban Liniclate.

South Uist: Grey Wagtail flew from Loch an Eilien, Askenish across to the quarry lying east of the main road. Also Woodcock along the loch side. 1st w Glaucous Gull and 2 x 1st w Iceland Gulls on machair just south of Ardivachar.

Iceland Gull (John Kemp).

25th Janaury:

Lewis: Iceland Gull Stornoway harbour.

South Uist: 1st w Glaucous Gull Ardivachar, 1st w and 2nd w Glaucous Gull North Bay. 9 Pink-footed Geese Eochar machair.

24th January:

Benbecula: Male Lesser Scaup and male Scaup Coot Loch. 1st w Iceland Gull Gramsdale.

South Uist: 3 x 1st w Glaucous Gulls and 2 x 1st w Iceland Guls on machair just south of Ardivachar.

23rd January:

Lewis: 3 x 1st w Glaucous Gulls Barvas area. 1st w Iceland Gull Stornoway harbour.

22nd January:

Benbecula: Male Lesser Scaup Coot Loch as well as male Scaup and 21 Coot.

South Uist: Great White Egret Loch Grogarry, plus 3 Coot.

21st January:

South Uist: Male American Wigeon Loch Bee (south-west corner). 1st w Glaucous Gull and 1st w Iceland Gull Ardivachar. Chiffchaff South Glendale.

20th Janaury:

Berneray, North Uist: 900 Barnacle Geese Borve. Adult Glaucous Gull Loch Bhrusda.

Benbecula: Male Lesser Scaup Coot Loch. 1st w Iceland Gull and 1st w Glaucous Gull Gramsdale.

South Uist: Kentish Plover North Bay. 2 x1st w and 1 adult Iceland Gull plus 3 x 1st w Glaucous Gulls just south of Ardivachar. Male Amercian Wigeon Loch Bee.

From left to right:              Adult Iceland Gull, 1st w Iceland Gull (2 shots); 1st w Glaucous Gull and 1st w Iceland Gull (Terry Fountain); Greenshank (John Kemp).

19th January:

Benbecula: 1st w Glaucous Gull and 1st w Iceland Gull Gramsdale.

South Uist: Adult Bonaparte's Gull in South Ford in the evening with around 300 Black-headed Gulls. 3 x 1st w Glaucous Gulls and 1st w Iceland Gull Ardivachar. Approximately 1,000 Twite, 200+ Skylark and 80 Snow Buntings on Eochar machair. Male American Wigeon Loch Bee.7 Pink-footed Geese and a single White-fronted Goose with Greylags on the Range near Ardivachar.

From left to right: Glaucous Gull in flight            (2 shots); Twite and Snow Buntings (part of huge mixed flock); 1st w Iceland Gull (Steve Duffield); 1st w Glaucous Gull (John Kemp).

18th January:

Lewis: 1st w American Herring Gull Cross Street, Stornoway. 2 x 1st w Iceland Gulls in Stornoway harbour.

South Uist: adult Bonaparte's Gull on flood pools on the Range, close to Ardivachar. Also 2 x 1st w Glaucous Gull and 2 x 1st w Iceland Gulls in the area. 1st w Glaucous Gull Howmore.

                                                                    From left to right Bonaparte's Gull (3 photos) and Glaucous Gull (Steve Duffield); Bonaparte's Gull (Terry Fountain).

17th January:

Lewis: Presumed Kumliens Gull on the sea between Arnol and Bragar.

Benbecula: Male Lesser Scaup Coot Loch.

South Uist: 1st w Iceland Gull Ardivachar. 1st w Glaucous Gull West Gerinish (Rangehead).

White-tailed Eagle at Grimersta, Lewis (Frank Stark). This immature bird was originally ringed as a chick in Uist in 2006.

16th January:

Benbecula: Male Lesser Scaup Coot Loch.

South Uist: Chiffchaff South Glendale.

15th January:

North Uist: Female Ring-necked Duck Loch Eaval. 100 Snow Buntings near visitor centre at Balranald along with 3 Linnet and 2 Goldfinch. Female Mandarin at Clachan - flew out of Annie MacDonald's garden. 1st w Iceland Gull at Loch Dusaray.

Benbecula: 1st w Iceland Gull Gramsdale.

South Uist: Male American Wigeon south end of Loch Bee, close to Qinetiq compound (flew off across loch - heading north). 25 - 30 Snow Buntings flew north across Loch Bee. 3 x 1st w Glaucous Gulls on the Range.

                                   American Wigeon and Golden Eagle (John Kemp); Manadrin and Iceland Gull (Steve Duffield).

14th January:

South Uist: Great White Egret Loch Grogarry. 4 Common Redpoll Stoneybridge. 3 x 1st w Glaucous Gulls between West Gerinish and Ardivachar. 26 Scaup, north end of Loch Bee.

                                                                                               Otter, Loch Rog, South Uist (Steve Duffield); Great White Egret (Terry Fountain).

13th January:

Benbecula: Lesser Scaup Coot Loch.

South Uist: Great White Egret Loch Grogarry. 1st w Glaucous Gull Drimsdale. Kentish Plover South Ford. 2 1st yr Glaucous Gulls and 2 1st yr Iceland Gulls Ardivachar. 1st yr Glaucous Gull North Bay. 9 Pink-footed Geese Loch Bee. 12 Snow Buntings Ardnamonie.

12th January:

North Uist: Grey Phalarope just south of Grimsay to east of North Ford causeway.

Benbecula: Male Lesser Scaup Loch Fada along with 152 Tufted Duck. 450 - 500 Twite Griminish, near Caley Timber.

Barra: Little Auk Sound of Barra. 50 Brent Geese Eoligarry included a dark-bellied bird. Velvet Scoter Cornaig Bay, Vatersay.

Buzzard and Goldfinch (Frank Stark)

11th January:

Lewis: 1st w Iceland Gull at: Loch Stiapabhat, Skigersta and Siadar. 1st w Glaucous Gull at Barvas.

Benbecula: 1st w Iceland Gull Gramsdale. Male Lesser Scaup Coot Loch.

South Uist: 1st w Iceland Gull in fields near Ardivachar Point.

Great Northern Diver and Iceland Gull (Terry Fountain)

The Loggerhead Turtle below was found by Davie Shepherd on the shoreline just south of Stinky Bay, Benbecula 7th January.

10th January:

Lewis: Glaucous Gull Loch Barvas. Iceland Gull Stornoway harbour.

Benbecula: Male Lesser Scaup Coot Loch. 2 x 1st w Iceland Gulls Gramsale.

South Uist: 1st yr Glaucous Gull Balgarva.

Iceland Gull

8th January:

Benbecula: Lesser Scaup on Coot Loch. 1st w Iceland Gull at Gramsdale.

South Uist: 16 Snow Buntings Ardvule.

A new born White-beaked Dolphin washed up in Stinky Bay, Benbecula.

Golden Eagle at Bornish (John Kemp); White-beaked Dolphin (Steve Duffield)

7th January:

Harris: 9 or 10 Snow Buntings at Bowglass.

South Uist: Kentish Plover and juv / 1st w Glaucous Gull at Balgarva. Chiffchaff South Glendale.

White-tailed Eagle (Terry Fountain); Otter John Kemp

6th January:

Lewis: 1st w Glaucous Gull Loch Barvas. 1st w Glaucous Gull Stronoway harbour. Dark-bellied Brent Goose at Gress. Brambling and 2 Pied Wagtails in Stornoway. (Good numbers of Pied Wagtails wintering this year with birds recently seen in Balivanich, West Gerinish, Howmore and a few more scattered sites).

Benbecula: Male Lesser Scaup and male Scaup on Coot Loch.

South Uist: 10 Goldfinch at Peninerine.

                                                                                              Purple Sandpiper and Sanderling (Terry Fountain); Glaucous Gull (Callum Stark); Goldfinch (Frank Stark)

5th January:

Lewis: 1st w Glaucous Gull Loch Barvas. Brent Goose at Gress. 2 Goldfinch and Lesser Redpoll Liurbost.

South Uist: Chiffchaff and Siskin at North Loch Eynort.

Golden Eagle with Ravens on Bornish machair (Steve Duffield); Lesser Redpoll (Frank Stark)

4th January:

Benbecula: Male Lesser Scaup on Coot Loch. Grey Phalarope in Stinky Bay.

South Uist: Kentish Plover off Hebridean Jewellery. Chiffchaff in South Glendale.

3rd January:

Benbecula: Grey Phalarope in Stinky Bay. Lesser Scaup Coot Loch.

South Uist: Kentish Plover off Hebridean Jewellery. Lots of Woodcock around with 4 in Druidibeg Plantation, one just below Ben Tarbet and one at Drimsdale. Also 13 flushed during 5 days of survey on moorland in east Lewis during late December.

Kentish Plover (Steve Duffield)

Grey Phalarope and Knot (Terry Fountain)

2nd January:

Lewis: Wood Pigeon Liurbost.

North Uist: Snow Bunting at Balranald. Female Ring-necked Duck Loch Eaval.

Benbecula: Grey Phalarope still in Stinky Bay.

Otters (Steve Duffield)

Grey Phalarope (Terry Fountain)

1st January: Happy New Year

The New Year's Bird Race produced 77 species for the day with a few glaring omissions such as Snipe and Goldcrest amongst others.

Benbecula: Lesser Scaup and Scaup on Coot Loch. Grey Phalarope Stinky Bay. 1st winter Glaucous Gull Creagorry.

South Uist: Chiffchaff North Loch Eynort.

Lewis: Male Goosander, Loch an Eilean Liath (N of Laxay).