2nd April 2021

[Hawkeye]

Western Isles / Outer Hebrides bird sightings for today, 2nd April 2021. Updated throughout the day

Butt of Lewis
The first Wheatear to be reported on Lewis was at Stoth this morning

Loch na Tiumpan, Isle of Lewis
175 Pink-feet flew in at 10:20 where they remained until 15:30 when they were seen continuing north. A single Lapwing was also present, a rare sight these days. A 2CY Glaucous Gull flew north mid afternoon at Tiumpan Head.

Loch Branahuie, Isle of Lewis.
A Greylag Goose with a neckband was seen there this morning. This bird was an Icelandic migrant originally ringed at Dunrobin, Golspie, Highland region in January 2011. It has recently spent the winter in West Lothian where it was last seen on 11-March-2021.

Sron Scourst, Isle of Harris
The first Wheatear to be seen on Harris was there early afternoon and two were at Borrisdale

Berneray
Two Pintail were on Loch Bhrusda while 1930 Barbnacle Geese and three Snow Buntings were seen on the machair

Balranald, North Uist
Eight Whooper Swans, 12 Greenland White-fronted Geese, two Wheatears and an Iceland Gull were seen there today

Langas, North Uist
A Crossbill was seen there around midday

Rubh' Aird-mhicheil, South Uist
28 Barnacle and 36 White Fronts flew north this morning and 13 Common Scoter were seen off shore.

Bornish, South Uist
24 Blackwits and seven Whooper Swans were on the machair and eight Barnacle Geese were nearby at Ormaclete

100s of Redwing were reported to be on South Uist and six Short-eared Owls were around the Tipperton area

Rubha Ardvule, South Uist
Counting period: 09:25-11:40
Weather: Wind NNE f3, mostly cloudy, a few short brighter spells. Temp 7-8C.
A 2+ hour seawatch this morning produced 90 Barnacle Geese (N), 71 Greylag Geese (2 Skiens 20, 21 N, out to sea), 45 Whooper Swans (N), 2 Eider (S), 1 Long-tailed Duck (N), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (1S 1N), 2 Gannets (N), 2 Shag (1N 1S), 32 Cormorants (N), 2 Razorbills (N) and 3 Meadow Pipits (N).
Also present in the area were Greylag Goose 2, Mute Swan 6, Shelduck 2, Gadwall 2, Wigeon 51, Teal 4, Tufted Duck 6, Great Northern Diver 5, Common Buzzard 1, Ringed Plover 33, Bar-tailed Godwit 22, Black-tailed Godwit 13, Sanderling 43, Dunlin 3, Purple Sandpiper 17, Redshank 12, Black-headed Gull 36, Raven 2, Sand Martin 4, Wheatear 3, Pied Wagtail 2, Rock Pipit 1 and Twite 44

 

[YvonneB]

Up early and out to catch the best part of the day with a wee walk at Locheynort. Chiffchaff calling and Goldcrest were new for the year for me Plenty of singing Dunnock, Robin and Wren with good numbers of Chaffinch in the area too.

Stopped to scan a wee lochan on the way to the Co-op late morning, there was a colour-ringed Redshank - details to follow.

Out around the patch later in the day and 28 Greenland White-fronts over, heading north. Good numbers of Shoveler with 11 seen, 130 Golden Plover on the machair and many Redwings passing through slowly heading north, a single Sand Martin was new for my patch list. A group of Oystercatchers included a colour-ringed individual in the group, again, details to follow shortly.

 

[Chris Johnson]

Barnacle geese on the move early this morning: 51 and c150 at 07.00 hrs. Later in the morning more barnacle geese: skeins of 55, 10, 64, 54. A few redwings moving through the croft.

 

[Bruce]

Barra.
Hundreds of Redwings were on the island today. 10 Whooper Swans flew north over Eoligarry early afternoon and a Slavonian Grebe was offshore still. 48 Pink-footed Geese dropped in at Borve Point mid-afternoon and a Chiffchaff was at Brevig this evening.