• 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

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Hawkeye

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

Eoligarry, Isle of Barra
The ***Isabelline Shrike*** was again in the garden of Donscurravel House

Aird an Runair, North Uist
A ***Lesser Yellowlegs*** was seen there this morning

Askernish, South Uist
The *American Golden Plover* was again in the fields opposite the clubhouse A Little Egret was also seen flying north.

Baleshare, North Uist
Circa 140 Barnacle Geese were on the island this morning

Gramsdale, Benbecula
Circa 250 Barnacle Geese flew south late afternoon

Loch Eynort, South Uist
A female Common Scoter was near the head of the loch .

Bornish, South Uist
A Pink-footed Goose and a Black-tailed Godwit were on the machair and 2 Swallows were at Ardvule.
 
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Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
News from Andrew

First birding for a while having been away on the mainland

4/10 – Uig-Lochmaddy ferry Leach’s petrel 1 feeding well into Loch Snizort SE of Ascribs & single grey phalarope feeding on sea at mouth of Loch Snizort off Waternish Point.

6/10 – 1 blackcap, 1 willow warbler, 25 redwing, 1 swallow and goldcrest in my garden at Bornish.

8/10 – common rosefinch on my garden feeders this lunchtime. 2 Pec sands with the very flighty golden plover flock on the Range at West Gerinish this morning. Also 1 blackwit there. Greenland redpoll and chiffchaff at Snishival plantation.

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MisterT

Always Birding
The American Golden Plover was again on the field in front of the Askernish clubhouse this morning and while watching, a little Egret flew over towards the north. There are still large numbers of Snipe in the fields and there was a noticable increase in the number of Mallard on the lochs today, 83 on the loch in front of the house early morning alone

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BrianR

Senior Member
North Uist: Barnacle Geese were on the move today with two skeins of at least 400 seen at Carinish (one in the morning flew S through the North Ford low down over the water the other in the late afternoon flew towards Eachkamish). A Lesser Whitethroat is still present in a Clachan-a-Luib garden. It was fairly quiet on a visit to Aird an Runair until I was leaving the headland and stopped for a chat with Elizabeth Stewart by the gate at the S end of Loch a' Roe. It was fortuitous that I did linger for just as I was about to continue back to the car an elegant wader flew in to the wet area by the gate and started feeding. It was a pleasant surprise to find I was looking at a Lesser Yellowlegs. After five minutes or so it flew off around the headland giving a double tew call but not before I had managed to get some photos.
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Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
News from Tony Marr at Ness

Port of Ness gardens (am)
Goldcrest – one (first for the autumn)
Redwing – 16 (one in sub-song)

Butt of Lewis (1140 – 1440) SW F. 3 and dry with good viz.
Whooper Swan – a herd of c40 came in from the sea from NE and passed the lighthouse on to SW over the sea (1145)
Barnacle Geese – a total of 350 in ten flocks took the same route (1150 – 1415)
Great Northern Diver – one followed the same route
Red-breasted Merganser – 3 NW-SE and later 2 E-W
Northern Gannet - (not counted as I was walking round the Butt and not seawatching)
Common Snipe – 3 along cliffs west of lighthouse
Redwing – 5 in lighthouse compound and 11 along the cliffs

Machair between Eoropie and Lionel School (pm)
Golden Plover – 490
 
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