Scottish Rarity 29th July 2017

[Hawkeye]

Lag Gorm, Baleshare, North Uist
A **White-rumped Sandpiper** seen today - see Brian's post below

Howmore, South Uist
A Little Stint was seen late morning circa 100 metres below the bridge

Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
A four hour sea watch early this morning produced 72 Fulmar (S), 2 Sooty Shearwaters (S), 417 Manx Shearwaters (411S 6N), 488 Gannets (463S 25N), 2 Whimbrel (S - in off the sea), 11 Kittiwake (S), 2 Arctic Terns (S), 4 Guillemots (S), 48 Razorbills (S), 2 Black Guillemots (S), 23 Puffins (S) and 38 auk sp (S).

 

[MisterT]

A quieter day here bird wise with 16 Curlew and 2 Greenshank still on Loch Hallan. On the beach at Askernish, a small group of 20 Turnstone were my first for some time. A Whimbrel was amongst the Oystercatchers and a colour ringed Sanderling was one of the 150+ birds along the shoreline. I have received the information about two colour ringed birds I found earlier in the year which I have posted in colour ring sightings and ringing recoveries section


Whimbrel with Oystercatcher & colour ringed Sanderling

Note:- Already have the information on the Sanderling! It is indeed part of the Icelandic project but it was ringed on its wintering grounds! The bird was actually ringed in Ghana on the 27th October 2014 as a first year bird. It was subsequently seen 5 times in the following 2 weeks and not again until 4th March 2016 in the same location. This is the only sighting since then. See map

 

[BrianR]

As soon as Anne and myself arrived at Baleshare beach in the late morning it started raining so a walk along the beach was postponed. We were just on the point of going home when it started to clear up and as it was high tide decided to check out the waders on the saltings to the E of Lag Gorm. Given the right tidal conditions this area is often productive in the autumn and one record a couple of years ago was of a White-rumped Sandpiper in mid-August. The thought did cross my mind that it was well worth looking for one although the date was a bit early. After a short walk from the end of the road I could see there were good numbers of waders busily feeding having been pushed up onto the saltings by the high tide. Most were Dunlin but after a few minutes scanning one stood out. Although all the birds were quite flighty we managed some good views of what eventually proved to be an adult White-rumped Sandpiper.

This is our first July record and our earliest ever by six days. We also have just the one spring record (1st June last year).

On the way back to the car there was a 1st-summer Glaucous Gull loafing with the Herring Gulls.