• When here in the Outer Hebrides and looking at a bird, have you ever wondered how rare it is? The status of all species can vary enormously from island to island. How rare is Shoveler on Barra, has Stock Dove been seen on Harris, does Dotterel occur on Benbecula in the autumn, and how common is Blue Tit on North Uist? Well, fret no longer! The Status and Distribution of birds here on the Outer Hebrides has been completely updated and summarised for every species and each of the main islands and outliers. Available as an online resource at https://status.outerhebrides-birdreports.org/ or via our shop

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20th January 2018

Chris Johnson

Senior Member
Did the WeBS count a day early as the weather tomorrow looks poor.
Very little on Ardivacher beach but a nice small group of 9 Purple Sandpipers.
Crossing the machair there were just 15 Golden Plovers and 19 Lapwings.
Opposite Hebridean Jewelry there were exactly 150 Shelducks. They gather in this area in the early part of the year but I don't recall seeing more than 72 in the past. Also present were 10 Brent Geese.
North Bay had a lot of seaweed but enough sand showing for the waders. It would appear that the Bar-tailed Godwits particularly like this spot as all 600+ were there today. Other waders present: 67 Ringed Plovers, 250 Sanderlings, 25 Oysterdatchers, 9 Redshanks, 1 Curlew and 1 Long-tailed Duck.
 
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Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
Goat Island, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
News from Tristan:-
"Iceland Gulls seem to be arriving in numbers at last. This afternoon there were at least eight (6 juvs, 1 2nd-w, 1 ad) around the outfall at Goat Island, together with a juv Glaucous Gull"

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Photographs courtesy of Tristan ap Rheinallt

Tiumpan Head, Isle of Lewis
2 Iceland Gulls (1 adult, 1 juvenile) were on Loch an Tiumpan mid afternoon.

Hougharry, North Uist
An Iceland Gull (2nd winter) was present this morning

Balranald RSPB, North Uist
A Glaucous Gull (2nd winter) reported there today

Loch Paible, North Uist
A drake Pintail was seen this morning, there were also a pale-bellied Brent Goose with the Barnacles there.

Rubha Ardvule, South Uist
During a fairly quiet seawatch of almost two hours this morning there were Eider (8N), Long-tailed Duck (1N), Red-throated Diver (1N), Great Northern Diver (1N), Gannet (1S), Shag (4S, 34N), Cormorant (2S), Razorbill (1N).

Also present in the area: Greylag Goose 24, Shelduck 3, Wigeon 53, Teal 12, Tufted Duck 17, Long-tailed Duck 16, Goldeneye 2, Red-breasted Merganser 3, Great Northern Diver 4, Shag 12, Cormorant 31, Lapwing 14, Golden Plover 54, Snipe 13, Bar-tailed Godwit 28, Purple Sandpiper 90, Dunlin 103, Black-headed Gull 1, Glaucous Gull 1, Rock Dove 11, Peregrine 1, Hooded Crow 5, Raven 2, Rock Pipit 1, Twite 62
 

Bruce

Senior Member
A few new arrivals on Barra today. A red necked grebe was off Ardmhor ferry terminal this afternoon along with at least 5 slavonian grebes. At Ardveenish 2 mealy redpolls were new in along with a juv Iceland gull and 3 glaucous gulls (juv and 2 2nd winters). Yesterdays juv glaucous gull was still at Brevig. c140 long-tailed ducks were still off Craigston and nearby the usual wintering flock of c230 barnacle geese were on the machair at Borve.

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BrianR

Senior Member
Apart from 105 Shelduck and 168 Golden Plover only small numbers of other wildfowl/waders were present at Loch Paible, North Uist during WeBS count. Four Whooper Swans flew over and I took a few photos of a gull that looked like a hybrid Herring x Glaucous Gull.
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A 1st-winter Scaup was on Loch Grogary (Jamie counts this loch for WeBS).
Loch Hosta was the only loch completely ice free in the area - here there were 20 Whooper Swans, 51 Tufted Ducks and nine Goldeneye.
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