Local Rarity 15th August 2022

[Hawkeye]

Western Isles / Outer Hebrides bird sightings for today, 15th August 2022. Updated throughout the day

Loch Sandary, North Uist
3 Black-tailed Godwits were seen by the loch today

Stinky Bay, Benbecula
A juvenile *Mediterranean Gull* was there this morning

Clachan, South Uist
The 2cy Little Gull was with Black-headed Gulls this morning

Howmore, South Uist
80 Black-tailed Godwits, a Bar-tailed Godwit and 20 Twite were seen around the river and 2 Woodpigeon were in the township

 

[YvonneB]

WeBS counts today, a very misty start and visibility remained low for most of the count period.

Loch Bee: 40 species. Large numbers of Mute Swans still, with c540 present on the loch, c300 Mallard was a high count of that species, other wildfowl numbers were 48 Teal, 39 Shoveler, 84 Tufted Duck, 17 Wigeon and 12 Red-breasted Mergansers. Wader numbers were: 19 Black-tailed Godwits, c50 Lapwings, 8 Snipe, 13 Curlew, 4 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover, 31 Dunlin and 12 Golden Plover. Two Little Grebes were relatively unusual. The Little Gull was roosting with Black-headed Gulls near the Clachan end of the loch. Great view of a Short-eared Owl on a fence post and nearby a Corncrake sitting up on an old wall (photos of both below).

South Ford: 18 species. It had been a very high tide but was falling by the time we started the count. A good-sized mixed flock of Linnet and Goldfinch feeding on seed heads. Nothing too unusual seen, it seemed fairly quiet, 43 Curlew, 26 Black-headed Gull and 37 Oystercatchers were the most numerous birds. 12 Eider, 1 Greenshank and 6 Redshanks were at the north end of the Ford.

A Peregrine flyover at Balivanich was one benefit of calling at the supermarket there.