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  • 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

    New - now available as an ebook

13th April 2017

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BrianR

Senior Member
A very late morning visit to Balranald NR today. There were still plenty of geese around in the area with at least 12 Greenland White-fronts, a lone Pink-foot, well over 1,000 Barnacles and 125 pale-breasted Brents. These arrived off the end of Aird an Rùnair at 11.50 hours and joined a flock of Barnacle Geese that flew in to the area the other side of the cattle pens. Five Lapland Buntings were disturbed from here later. There were a few birds flying N during a sea-watch from 11.50 to 12.50 and these included a single Long-tailed Duck, a couple of Great Skuas, about 17 Puffins and 23 Razorbills. Also what appeared to be a Glaucous Gull was on Causamul and identity confirmed when it came across to the headland at the end of the sea-watch (it was also seen on Causamul on 28th March).

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Hawkeye

Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
Loch nam Feithan, North Uist
The ***American Coot*** was still present today.

Stornoway Harbour, Isle of Lewis
2 Iceland Gulls reported from the inner harbour today

Rubha Ardvule, South Uist
42 Gannets, 30 Kittiwakes and 7 Great Skuas were amongst birds flying north today.There were also 129 Pale-bellied Brent Geese were also in the area plus 14 Long-tailed Duck there too.

Ness area, Isle of Lewis
From Tony Marr

Birds departing
  • Pink-footed Geese: 400 were on the ground as I drove up to the Butt. Between (09.20) and (10.30) six flocks containing an estimated 1,710 birds came over the Butt and headed out to sea to the NW.
  • Grey Lag Goose: 75 headed out NW at (10.55) (I had suspected that some of the recent grounded Grey Lags were migrants).
  • Whooper Swan: 6 came up from the south east (11.55) and passed the lighthouse heading north west out to sea.
  • Black-tailed Godwit: 30 were feeding by the road at Fivepenny when I passed at (08.35); 30 flew over the Butt at (09.25) and climbing rapidly headed off out to sea to NW; on my return to Fivepenny in the afternoon there were none.

Birds not departing
  • Whooper Swan – still 12 on Loch Stiapavat at (08.10) and by (1600) there were 35 there.
  • Barnacle Geese – a peak spring count of 132 in the afternoon in the fields opposite the Loch Stiapavat hide.
  • Grey Lag Goose – 25 by Loch Stiapavat (pm).
  • Greenland White-fronted Geese – 8 at Fivepenny (am) and one by Loch Stiapavat (pm).
  • Brent Goose – a pale-bellied at the Butt.
  • Pintail – 2 pairs at Fivepenny (am) and 1 pair there (pm). A drake on Loch Stiapavat (pm).
  • Shoveler – 1 pair at Fivepenny (am).
  • Pink-footed Geese – 130 by Loch Stiapavat (pm).
 
Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson

Senior Member
A brief visit to North Ford an hour after high tide. The 200 Dunlins were still present and 200 Ringed Plovers. All the large waders were missing, possibly on the Ardivacher coast (they often flight between the two sites).
 
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Paul Boyer

Member
On Benbecula this morning there was:
Greenland White-fronted Geese - 14 by Loch Fada and 38 near Loch Mor
Black Tailed Godwit - 36 by Coot Loch, 17 by Loch Fada and 1 by Loch Mor
Ravens on ruin at Griminish have very large young already.
 
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