• 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
Western Isles / Outer Hebrides bird sightings for today, 23rd September 2021. Updated throughout the day

Hirta, St Kilda
the ***Buff-bellied Pipit*** and Pectoral Sandpiper were still present this morning. 37 Pink-footed Geese flew south and a Shelduck (sixth record) and Whooper Swan were also present

Butt of Lewis
A 1.5 hour early morning seawatch produced 3 Arctic Skua, 8 Puffin, 159 Sooty Shearwaters, 85 Pink-footed Geese, 4 Great Skuas, 7 Guillemots, 7 Razorbills, 1 Kittiwake, 2 Arctic Terns, 4 Red-throated Divers, 1 Great Northern Diver, 2 Storm Petrels, 6 Manx Shearwaters and 52 Gannets, all flying south. A Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were nearby at South Dell

Aird an Runair, North Uist
Two Common Scoter passed south this morning

Loch Sandary, North Uist
A female/juvenile *Ring-necked Duck* was seen there today
Note:- Location found to be reported incorrectly. Report refers to the bird on Loch a Bhrusta, Benbecula.

Loch a Bhursta, Market Stance, Benbecula
A female/juvenile *Ring-necked Duck* was seen with Tufted Ducks this afternoon

West Gerinish, South Uist
Three Little Stints are still to be found in the south-west corner of Loch Bee

Bornish, South Uist
A single Pectoral Sandpiper and 144 Black-tailed Godwits were still to be found on the machair this morning

Dalibrugh, South Uist
Circa 60 Pink-footed Geese flew south-west early morning

shelduck.jpg
1CY Shelduck, St Kilda (C) Craig Nisbet
 

MisterT

Always Birding
Yet another of our Storm Petrels has turned up elsewhere, this time on the small island of Giske, Norway just 4 days after it was ringed here on South Uist on 25-July2021, a distance of 979km. By coincidence, this bird was processed just 2 hours after a bird that was also controlled (caught and released elsewhere) on the Faroes on 21-August-2021.

This takes us to 5 recoveries (birds ringed here & found elsewhere -red) and 6 controls (birds ringed elsewhere & caught here - green) this year – so far. Amazing birds, wieghing less than a House Sparrow, known to live for 35+ years spending most of that time at sea, just how many miles will they travel in a lifetime.

Stope SU to Norway.JPG stope recoveries and controls.JPG
 

Bruce

Senior Member
Barra.
Barred Warbler still at Nask along with a new Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher. Golden Plovers were on the move with a few high-flying flocks passing south over the island, others congregating on the machair north of the airport.
 

Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
News from Ness:-

An arrival of Pinkfeet in off the sea from the NW between the lighthouse and Eoropie totalled c800 in five flocks between 10:15-12:25
 
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