• 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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Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
Western Isles / Outer Hebrides bird sightings for today, 11th october 2019. Updated throughout the day

Butt of Lewis
22 Snow Buntings were at the north end of The Butt by cliffs to the west of the lighthouse at 10:10

The Range, South Uist
A single **White-rumped Sandpiper** was on the flooded area by Launch Area 2

Eoligarry, Barra
136 Barnacles and 15 Whoopers flew south by about 10:00. A flock of 130 Twite were on weedy pasture there, plus a flock of 40 Hooded Crows

Craigston, Barra
The 2CW Iceland Gull was again on the beach

Coalas, Vatersay
13 Black-throated Divers were in Caolas Bhatarsaigh today

Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
Counting period: 08:10 - 12:20
Weather: Wind SW f6 veering WSW then W f4. Initially 8/8 cloud with occasional showers, becoming bright and sunny. Temp 12C.

A 4+ hour seawatch this morning produced 120 Barnacle Geese (S), 10 Wigeon (S), 1 Teal (S), 5 Tufted Gull (S), 1 Eider (S), 2 Long-tailed Ducks (S), 17 Red-breasted Mergansers(S), 29 Red-throated Divers (S), 4 Great Northern Divers (S), 332 Gannets (329S, 3N), 7 Shag (3S 4N), 3 Cormorants (S), 13 Golden Plover (S), 4 Snipe (S), 152 Kittiwakes (S), 8 Black-headed Gulls (S), 2 Common Gulls (S), 2 Arctic Terns (S), 12 Guillemots (S), 4 Razorbills (S) and 57 auk sp (S).
Also present in the area were Tufted Duck 8, Red-throated Diver 2, Cormorant 6, Common Buzzard 2, Merlin 1, Peregrine 1, Hooded Crow 2, Raven 2, Skylark 42, Meadow Pipit 2, Rock Pipit 2, Twite 18 and Linnet 3
 

BrianR

Senior Member
North Uist.
Very much less (compared with John's watch above) passing S over the sea or headland at Aird an Runair, North Uist this morning but then seawatch only for one hour (10.10-11.10). Mostly sunny after heavy shower before 10. Species included: 76 Pink-footed Geese (a skein of 55 high up and well out and 21 over headland), 16 Barnacle Geese, a single Whooper Swan and Long-tailed Duck, six Red-throated Divers (another two shortly after the hour), a Great Northern Diver, two Razorbills (also 22 Guillemots/Razorbills), two Pied/White Wagtails, at least 50 Skylarks and five Starlings (with a party of 13 larks well out over the sea). Also a White-tailed Eagle came over, a Snow Bunting appeared to come in (later on the rocks) and three Otters were again off the beach.

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On the way home a Yellow-browed Warbler was calling in the garden of Ceol na Marra (Claddach Knockline) and a Brambling was in the garden of Cnoc na Luib (Clachan-a-Luib).
 

Bruce

Senior Member
On Barra the Subalpine Warbler was still at Nasg. A Ring Ouzel was a surprise in my garden first thing this morning and another was seen briefly at Creachan. The Pied Flycatcher was still at Morghan, but Redwing numbers were much reduced from yesterday with numbers in the low hundreds. Barnacle Geese were on the move again with c210 flying south past Borve mid morning and a further hundred or so south-east past Eoligarry late morning.

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Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
News from Andrew

10 whoopers over the house this morning, 10 barnacle geese N at Balgarva.
drake pintail, 36 gadwall (highest count I can recall here) and 26 shoveler on Coot Loch.
 
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