• 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
Western Isles / Outer Hebrides bird sightings for today, 27th April 2019. Updated throughout the day

Ardivachar, South Uist
2 Common Scoter were there toady

Carnan, South Uist
2 Common Redpoll were seen today

Garryhellie, South Uist
A House Martin was seen there today

Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
Counting period: 08:00 - 10:55
Weather: Wind ESE F2 backing E then veering SW in last half hour. 3/8 cloud, sunny. Temp 9 - 10C.

A near 3 hour seawatch this morning produced 1 Red-throated Diver (S), 2 Fulmars (1S 1N), 156 Gannets (103S 53N), 1 Shag (N), 3 Cormorants (2S 1N), 4 Whimbrel (N), 4 Bar-tailed Godwits (S), 60 Kittiwakes (52S 8N), 4 Great Skuas (N), 1 Arctic Skua (N) and 8 auk sp (4S 4N).
Also present in the area were Greylag Goose 4, Tufted Duck 8, Eider 7, Great Northern Diver 9, Cormorant 13, Common Buzzard 1, Whimbrel 2, Black-tailed Godwit 4, Sanderling 97, Arctic Tern 4, Sand Martin 1, Wheatear 2 [1 Greenland male], Pied Wagtail 1 and Meadow Pipit 9
 

Robyn PF

Active Member
Just found a pair of Avocets near Howmore...assume they are not the most regular of visitors as we’ve never seen them over here before?! Location screenshot and dodgy back-of-camera shot attached.

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Chris Johnson

Senior Member
Ardivachar Bay this afternoon.
A noticable built up of dunlins over the past 3 days with 700+ today, plus 96 turnstones, 87 oystercatchers, 19 bar-tailed godwits. Also 7 arctic terns. Good numbers of wheatears on the range machair with c30.
Another 2 arctic terns at Hebridean Jewelry.

One from yesterday - our first swallow at Ardivachar.
 

YvonneB

OH Bird Recorder
Just found a pair of Avocets near Howmore...assume they are not the most regular of visitors as we’ve never seen them over here before?! Location screenshot and dodgy back-of-camera shot attached.
Hi @Robyn PF thanks! That's a great record, there have only been six records of Avocet here, the last one was in May 2009 when two were, coincidently, seen on the Howmore River!

Records for this species "two birds shot (1880 and 1897) and the other four records between 1993 and 2009)" Information from p.75, the Outer Hebrides Bird Report 2014-16, edited by Brian Rabbitts.
 

MisterT

Always Birding
Great find by @Robyn PF and the Avocets were still showing well late afternoon on the Howmore River. A late walk around the patch here at Askernish when a Great Skua was offshore, Arctic Terns were on the machair and another drake Garganey was at Frobost. A woodpigeon was seen in the township this morning

Avocet.jpg Avocet1.jpg IN8A0935.jpg
 

Bruce

Senior Member
On Barra there was an obvious increase in the number of Corncrakes today. Little Terns were also more evident including at least 10 at Eoligarry. A Common Scoter was off Eoligarry jetty this morning, a Redwing was at Cuithir and at least 3 Grasshopper Warblers were reeling around the island.
 

BrianR

Senior Member
Some observations at Aird an Runair, North Uist this morning: in a seawatch 10.30-11.30 hours two Arctic Skuas and two Great Skuas flew N along with 29 Kittiwakes (19 flew SW); also three unidentified skuas way beyond Causamul flew N and quite high up were probably Pomarine; there were 21 Whimbrel, an adult Little Gull was briefly over the beach, a Jackdaw was on the headland (presumably the same bird that was first seen in the area on 10th), a flagged/colour-ringed Sanderling was seen; there were seven Arctic Terns and two Little Terns, at least eight Wheatears (probably all were Greenland) and a similar number of White Wagtails.

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Sedge Warblers were at Carinish and Loch Sandary, North Uist.
 
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