• 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
Castlebay, Barra
A ***Pechora Pipit*** was seen at the football pitch today. This is only the second record for the Outer Hebrides, the first being in North Uist in 2008 [see posts below]

Port of Ness, Isle of Lewis
A Yellow-browed Warbler was seen there today. Another was reported as being "on Harris"

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
200+ Redwings, 10 Fieldfare, 8 Bramblings and a Chiffchaff were in the Castle Grounds this morning.

Baleshare, North Uist
Circa 500 Barnacle Geese flew south over the island early this morning, A further 350+ flew south over Carinish

Sollas, North Uist
5 Fieldfare were in Sollas this morning.

Carnan, South Uist
5 Bramblings and 4 redpolls were sen there today

Grogarry Lodge, South Uist
A Fieldfare, circa 10 Redwings and a male Blackcap were there

West Gerinish, South Uist
2 Pectoral Sandpipers were again seen there on The range. A Wheatear was also present. 4 Slavonian Grebes were on Loch Bee.

Druidibeg Plantation, South Uist
A Chiffchaff, male Blackcap, 2 Fieldfare and several Redwings were seen there

Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
Counting period: 07:55 - 11:40
Weather: Wind variable SSW-SSE-SSW F2-3, 8/8 cloud dull and murky. Temp 10.7C.

A near 4 hour seawatch produced 361 Barnacle Geese (S), 3 Eider (S), 2 Long-tailed Duck (1S 1N), 4 Red-breasted Mergansers (S), 8 Red-throated Divers (S), 41 Great Northern Divers (S), 199 Gannets (197S 2N), 16 Shag (7S 9N), 1 Cormorant (S), 2 Purple Sandpipers (S), 22 Kittiwakes (S), 3 Great Skuas (S), 1 Arctic Skua (S), 65 Guillemots (S), 19 Razorbills (S), and 175 auk sp (S).
Also present in the area were Greylag Goose 36, Long-tailed Duck 1, Red-throated Diver 1, Great Northern Diver 1, Cormorant 17, Snipe 24, Black-headed Gull 2, Peregrine 1and Twite 22
 
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YvonneB

OH Bird Recorder
A very last minute, impromptu dash to Barra when news came in of a Pechora Pipit at Castlebay. As we crossed the sound the rain started and was pretty unrelenting and we didn't hold out much hope especially as it was a skulky little devil but there were plenty of eyes at the location. From arriving in Barra to leaving again we only had just over an hour before getting the ferry back so it was a bit of a gamble! Happily the gamble paid off and we were able to see the bird. Many thanks to @Bruce @Ian Ricketts and @Stuart L Rivers

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Poor light and weather conditions. Photos by @MisterT
 

Bruce

Senior Member
After the battering Barra received by yesterdays storm, today was an entirely better day. It was immediately obvious that more migrants were on the island. My first Fieldfare and Brambling of the autumn were at Brevig and others were at Glen. Around mid morning I bumped into Ian Ricketts at the football pitch, who mentioned he'd had brief views of an interesting looking Pipit earlier. After chatting for a few minutes I continued working my way around the site, when a Pipit with faint wingbars shot past me being chased by a Robin. It landed under the trees a short distance in front of me and a quick look through the bins nailed it as Pechora Pipit. It showed well on and off in the woodland in the south-west corner of the pitch until at least mid afternoon. Also at least 4 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcaps and a Grey Wagtail there. At least 6 Bramblings were at Ardmhor later and a Little Egret was seen briefly by others.


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YvonneB

OH Bird Recorder
After the battering Barra received by yesterdays storm, today was an entirely better day. It was immediately obvious that more migrants were on the island. My first Fieldfare and Brambling of the autumn were at Brevig and others were at Glen. Around mid morning I bumped into Ian Ricketts at the football pitch, who mentioned he'd had brief views of an interesting looking Pipit earlier. After chatting for a few minutes I continued working my way around the site, when a Pipit with faint wingbars shot past me being chased by a Robin. It landed under the trees a short distance in front of me and a quick look through the bins nailed it as Pechora Pipit. It showed well on and off in the woodland in the south-west corner of the pitch until at least mid afternoon. Also at least 4 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcaps and a Grey Wagtail there. At least 6 Bramblings were at Ardmhor later and a Little Egret was seen briefly by others.


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You got some grand photos Bruce!
 

MisterT

Always Birding
Here at Askernish this morning, there were still large numbers of snipe in the fields, almost too many to count! The last time I recall seeing so many was in 2010 which preceeded a very cold winter. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen this year. As elsewhere on the islands, Barnacle Geese were on the move with circa 450 flying south in 6 or 7 skeins. There were also large numbers of Skylark and Twite on the machair and in the township there was a male Blackcap and some 20+ Redwing and several Swallows moving south
 

Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
News from Tony Marr at Ness

Most of the birds seen today were present on Thursday and survived yesterday’s Storm Callum, one obvious exception being the lovely flock of 20 Bramblings at Port of Ness today.
Butt of Lewis (am)
Golden Plover - 34 on clifftops west of lighthouse
Fieldfare – one
Redwing – 9
Song Thrush – one
Northern Wheatear – one

Port of Ness (pm)
Pinkfooted Geese – 15 in fields with Grey Lags
Redpoll – one
House Sparrow – 50
Tree Sparrow – 3
Greenfinch – 6
Brambling – flock of 20
Blackcap – 2 (male and female)
Garden Warbler – 2
Goldcrest – one
Yellow-browed Warbler - one

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BrianR

Senior Member
North Uist: apart from the Barnacle Geese over Carinish mentioned above there was a Blackcap and at least one Brambling. A Water Rail in the marsh squealed in response to a dog barking (this happens not infrequently).

At Aird an Runair later in the morning there were 12 Whooper Swans on the loch at the end of the headland, a juvenile pale-bellied Brent Goose was on the stubble, four single Great Northen Divers flew SW in half an hour and there was a Fieldfare. A Raven flew out to Causamul taking 3 minutes 30 seconds for the two and a half km crossing.

In the early afternoon there were 59 Black-tailed Godwits at Loch Sandary, the Lesser Yellowlegs was present here again while the Pied Flycatcher is still frequenting Anne and Graham's garden at the N end of the loch (first seen here on the last day of September).

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