6th August 2017

[Hawkeye]

Ardivachar, South Uist
Iceland Gull on the rocks to the south of Ardivachar point. A Glaucous Gull is also in the area.

Askernish, South Uist
32 Black-tailed Godwits on the newly mowed fields by the golf club

Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
A three hour seawatch this morning produced 1 Red-throated Diver (S), 1 Great Northern Diver (S), 182 Fulmar (5S 177N), 17 Manx Shearwater ((14S 3N), 91 Gannet (83S 8N), 1 Shag (S), 1 Whimbrel (S - in off the sea), 5 Kittiwake (N), 3 Great Skua (S), 7 auk sp (1S 6N) and a Black Guillemot (S). Also in the area were 60 Ringed Plover, 14 Sanderling, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 2 Wheatears.

Borve, Benbecula
75 Golden Plover and 5 Black-tailed Godwits on the newly mowed fields this morning. By this evening numbers had grown to 123 Golden Plover and 37 Black-tailed Godwits.

Liniclate, Benbecula
395 Bar-tailed Godwits and 12 Greenshank seen this morning on North Ford


Iceland Gull, Ardivachar courtesy of Mark Eaton. Black-tailed Godwit, Borve courtesy of Steve Lawson

 

[Chris Johnson]

It was about to rain but I decided to have a look on the range. Approaching Range 1, I became aware of quite a large group (40+) of Swallows feeding low over the machair. A little farther on there was an exceptional site of a large number of Swallows feeding over quite a large area. The rain had intensified at this point and most of the flock obliged by sitting on the fence allowing me to get an accurate count. I put it at 180 but there could have been over 200. In the teaming rain they moved off south and I never saw a single one again.
Also there were 25 Golden Plovers and 65 Lapwings.

 

[Bruce]

It's been a relatively quiet few days on Barra. A couple of migrant blackcaps and my 1st grey wagtail of the autumn prove that birds are on the move though. A pair of spotted flycatchers have raised 2 young around Northbay this year; the family group have been in the plantation in recent days.