Scottish Rarity 26th April 2017

[Hawkeye]

Castlebay, Barra
At least one **Black-crowned Night Heron** still present this morning in the ditch on the east side of the Castlebay football pitch


Photo courtesy of Bruce Taylor

Rubha Arnul, North Uist
3 juvenile Iceland Gulls and 3 Glaucous Gulls plus a hybrid Glaucous Gull seen this morning. Also present were 13 Whimbrel, 4 Sand Martins and c20 White Wagtails

Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
20 Pale-bellied Brent Geese seen with 48 Black-tailed Godwits nearby on Bornish machair. 20 Whimbrel were at Stoneybridge and 2 Iceland Gull reported at Peninerine

Ness area, Isle of Lewis
News from Tony Marr:-
A surprisingly calm morning and just a light NW breeze in the afternoon.
Most wildfowl & waders are still present, including the Green-winged Teal. New were a small flock of Pinkfeet and 2 Lapland Buntings.

Butt of Lewis

• A juv Glaucous Gull this evening.

Loch Stiapavat

• Barnacle Goose – 15
• Pink-footed Geese - 9
• Green-winged Teal – drake + partner still present (am): at Fivepenny this evening.
• Gadwall – pair
• Pintail – pair
• Coot – still present
• Lapland Bunting – a male with a female by the sheep troughs

Fivepenny

• Black-tailed Godwit – max. of 112
• Golden Plover – 1200+

 

[MisterT]

Here at Askernish, there were 7 Redwing and my first Cuckoo here in the township early this morning. At Loch Hallan there were 64 Bar-tailed Godwits and the Golden Plover numbers have increased to c400. Along the beach there was a single Arctic Tern (also my first), 2 White Wagtails and 160+ Whimbrel, 108 roosting on amongst the rocks at low tide and another 50+ along the beach and on the golf course. Turnstone and Sanderling were also more numerous totalling 220 and 180 respectively.


Whimbrel on the beach, Turnstone and Sanderling

 

[Bruce]

Both night herons were still by the football pitch at Castlebay again today. Also on Barra 12 whooper swans still on Loch Tangasdale, 13 brent geese on Traigh Mhor, 11 briefly settled in the bay at Brevig before flying out to sea and a single bird on Vatersay. There seems to have been a clear out of golden plovers overnight; I could only find about 60 at Eoligarry today. A few chiffchaffs and white wagtails were scattered around the island.

 

[Chris Johnson]

Working on the croft yesterday (Wednesday) and saw and heard a steady trickle of Whimbrels heading north (50+). There were 70-80 Golden Plovers feeding in my neighbour's field all afternoon then, suddenly, the numbers built to 300+ and took off north, gaining height quickly in V-formation.