• When here in the Outer Hebrides and looking at a bird, have you ever wondered how rare it is? The status of all species can vary enormously from island to island. How rare is Shoveler on Barra, has Stock Dove been seen on Harris, does Dotterel occur on Benbecula in the autumn, and how common is Blue Tit on North Uist? Well, fret no longer! The Status and Distribution of birds here on the Outer Hebrides has been completely updated and summarised for every species and each of the main islands and outliers. Available as an online resource at https://status.outerhebrides-birdreports.org/ or via our shop

    New - now available as an ebook

Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
Outer Hebrides / Western Isles bird sightings for today 7th May 2018. Updated throughout the day

St Kilda
The female ***Snowy Owl*** was there again this morning, last seen on 29th April

Reef, Isle of Lewis
A 2CY Glaucous Gull seen there today

Sound Of Taransay, Isle of Harris
45 Long-tailed Ducks seen there today

Tarbert, Isle of Harris
2 Blackcaps, a Coal Tit and a Lesser Redpoll were near the Harris Hotel.

Paiblesgarry, North Uist
3 Dotterel were on the machair (see BrianR's post below)

Loch Hougharry, North Uist
A House Martin was seen there today

The Range, South Uist
2 Dotterel seen at the southern end of the range late afternoon

Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
Counting period: 06:35 - 10:00
Weather: Wind E F3, 8/8 cloud dull with increase in light drizzle and mist. Temp 7.5 - 8.1C.

A 3+ hour seawatch this morning produced 1 Shoveler (N), 1 Great Northern Diver (N), 2 Fulmar (N), 5 Manx Shearwaters (N), 52 Gannets (29S 23N), 7 Shag (2S 5N), 5 Cormorants (N), 1 Whimbrel (N), 34 Kittiwakes (25S 9N), 3 Great Skuas (!S 2N), 1 Razorbill (S) and 3 Swallows (N).
Also present in the area were Barnacle Goose 1, Tufted Duck 12, Eider 11, Red-breasted Merganser 12, Great Northern Diver 9, Cormorant 18, Golden Plover 1, Whimbrel 2, Bar-tailed Godwit 1, Sanderling 120, Dunlin 600, Arctic Tern 16, Wheatear 1, White Wagtail 12, Meadow Pipit 6, Twite 42 and Otter 2
 

BrianR

Senior Member
Photo of one of three Dotterel found by Simon and Craig (Speyside Wildlife) on the cultivated machair just to the S of Loch Paible, North Uist this morning.
_DSC4245.JPG
 

MisterT

Always Birding
The waders are still reluctant to move on with good numbers for Askernish still on the beach and machair which has not gone unnoticed by a Peregrine. Sanderling numbered 300+ on the beach with again several colour ringed individuals in amongst them. Turnstone numbers were lower but Whimbrel numbered 80+ on the golf course. 90+ Ringed Plover were new on the ploughed fields and a Greenland Wheatear was still present.

DSCN1572Whimbrel.jpg DSCN1577sanderling.jpg DSCN1585Sanderling.jpg
Journey's end for this Whimbrel. Colour ringed Sanderling - good views of both legs
 

Bruce

Senior Member
10 pale-bellied brent geese were resting on the rocks at the end of the headland at Leinis, Barra this afternoon. 2 blackcaps and a grasshopper warbler were at Creachan and c30 long-tailed ducks were still of Craigston.
 

BrianR

Senior Member
Simon and Craig also saw another two Dotterel on the Range near West Gerinish, South Uist in the afternoon.
 
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