24th April 2017

[Hawkeye]

Balranald, North Uist
12 Lapland Buntings reported as being present on the reserve along with 150 Barnacle Geese and 85 Pale-bellied Brent Geese. 2 Great Skuas were also seen at Aird an Runair

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
A juvenile Iceland Gull still to be found in the inner harbour

Coot Loch, Benbecula
7 Swallows seen feeding around the loch

Ness area, Isle of Lewis
News from Tony Marr:-
"With a northerly gale and temperatures feeling as though they have come directly from the North Pole, complete with snow, sleet, hail and rain, birds were hunkering down and staying put today."

Butt of Lewis

• Black-tailed Godwits – 2

Machair Lionel-Eoropie

• Golden Plover – 1,200 (pm)

Loch Stiapavat

• Whooper Swan – still 6 present

Fivepenny

• *Green-winged Teal* – still present
• Pintail – a pair again
• Shoveler – a drake
• Black-tailed Godwit – 40 (am) increased to 66 (pm)
• Dunlin – 7

 

[BrianR]

At Baleshare this morning there were at least 140 Black-tailed Godwits, at least 750 Golden Plover and single Iceland and Glaucous Gulls. I did a brief seawatch in shelter of dunes to S of car parking area when five Great Skuas flew N and three unidentified skuas (Pomarine or Arctic) appeared to come down on the sea.

During the afternoon I had to go to Tigharry and afterwards did a seawatch at Aird an Rùnair (14.45-15.30 hours). A flock of ten Pomarine Skuas flew N at 14.50 hours and three Arctic Terns were also present. The wind was F5-6 and NNW. Anyway it probably was not directly N as the late David Davenport found that a headwind can only be up to a maximum of N F5 as apparently F6 is too strong for normal skua migration.

 

[Chris Johnson]

A few sightings passing Ardivachar headland: 8 Kittiwakes, 5 Great Skuas, 2 Great Northern Divers, 17 Arctic Terns and 10 Barnacle Geese