• 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, 2nd September 2019. Updated throughout the day

Cross, Isle of Lewis
2 Whooper Swans, thought to be new arrivals were on a loch there

Loch Morsgail, Isle of Lewis
Late news:- yesterday, 10 pink-footed Geese were seen to briefly land on the loch before continuing south. Possibly the earliest record here on the islands and it follows several reports elsewhere in the UK today

Balranald, North Uist
A Ruff was seen on the reserve today

Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
Counting period: 06:50 - 12:55
Weather: Wind initially S, quickly veering SW then WSW f5 gust f7. 8/8 cloud, rain and murky at sea. Temp 14C

A 6 hour seawatch this morning produced 1 Teal (S), 7 Red-throated Divers (5S 2N), 3 Great Northern Divers (S), 5 Storm Petrels (S), 28 Fulmars (21S 7N), 95 Manx Shearwaters (94S 1N), 1668 Gannets (1664S 2N), 9 Shag (S), 6 Cormorants (S), 1 Grey Phalarope (S), 51 Kittiwakes (S), 2 Common Terns (S), 10 Arctic Terns (S), 1 Great Skua (S), 10 razorbills (S) and 1 Black Guillemot (S).
Also present in the area were Red-throated Diver 4, Ringed Plover 30, Knot 6, Curlew Sandpiper [juvenile] 1, Sanderling 35, Dunlin 18, Pectoral Sandpiper 1, Raven 2, Sand Martin 1, Pied Wagtail 5 and Meadow Pipit 14

A Bottle-nosed Dolphin also passed south

GBBGu.jpg
Juvenile Black Backed Gull (C) and courtesy of Graham Forsyth
 
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MisterT

Always Birding
After some pretty foul weather today, a tour round the patch here at Askernish produced the first new species for the year since 2nd July in the form of 3 newly arrived Ruff. 6 Whimbrel were also seen flying south off shore

2Ruff.jpg Ruff.jpg 4Ruff.jpg
 

Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
News from Tristan:-

Did a 2-hr seawatch at Labost yesterday morning in NW5 gusting stronger, showers around. Birds seen (all flying SW): Sooty Shearwater 5, Bonxie 7, Arctic Skua 1, Arctic Tern 1, Red-throated Diver 1, Great Northern Diver 1 and Wigeon 13.

At Loch Ordais:- Bar-tailed Godwit 3, Black-tailed Godwit 1, Knot 5, Sanderling 14, Teal 6 (new arrivals) and Wigeon 2. Also 10 White Wagtails along the coast between there and Loch Arnol, 12 Sanderling in Arnol bay, and a few juv Lesser Black-backs drifting SW.

Still 40+ Black-tailed Godwits at Steinish yesterday afternoon, but half of them gone by this evening. 17 Wigeon there this evening were new in.
 
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