• 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

MisterT

Always Birding
A Storm Petrel caught and released on South Uist on 2nd July had been ringed the previous year also in the July at Noss Head, Wick, a duration of 353 days and a distance of 292km.

I think that we can safely assume it didn't travel overland.

Stormie map.JPG
 

MisterT

Always Birding
Another Storm Petrel carrying a Danish ring which was caught and released on South Uist on 9th July had been ringed at Mykinesholmur on the small island of Mykines in the Faroe Islands on 9th August 2019, a duration of 700 days and a distance of 536km.

Amazing birds!

Capture.JPG
 

MisterT

Always Birding
Yet another Storm Petrel that was caught and released on South Uist on 11th July had previously been ringed 9 days previously on Lunga, Treshnish Isles, a distance of 107km.
Looking at the 3 maps and considering where they all originated, to be at the same location in the space of 9 days is amazing!

strormie, treshnish.JPG
 

Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
Patience was a virtue for @Bruce when it came to this colour ringed Curlew.

First seen in 2019, it has returned to Vatersay every year, but no colour ring scheme could be positively identified as it appeared to have possibly shed one of its rings. But this year, after studying numerous photographs, the metal ring number was visible and the bird was tracked to an individual ringed as a chick (part of a brood of three) in Corgarff, Aberdeenshire on 10 June 2015, a duration of 2223 days and a distance of 264km.

The missing ring was white with the black letters BT which just happens to be @Bruce initials.

colour ringed curlew vatersay 2021 1 .jpg colour ringed curlew map.JPG
 

MisterT

Always Birding
A colour ringed Oystercatcher from the Dublin Bay project was seen at Ardivachar Point on 15th July. Initially ringed as an adult in January 2015, it is no stranger to South Uist having been seen in 2019 at Loch Bee

Colour ringed Oyc ardivachar July 2021.jpg Oyc T1 Ardivachar July 2021.JPG
 

MisterT

Always Birding
Another report of a Storm Petrel ringed early in July, but this time it was controlled (caught and released) elsewhere. A bird we ringed on 11th July on South Uist was controlled at St Johns Point, Highland on 22nd July, 11 days later having travelled 295 km. That is 3 birds ringed elsewhere (Faroes, Wick, and Treshnish Isles) plus this bird found at St Johns Point

stope recovered at St Johns Point.JPG 3 controls 1 recovery south uist.JPG
Storm Petrels: South Uist to St Johns Point & locations where birds have been ringed/recovered
 

MisterT

Always Birding
Another Storm Petrel session produced not 1 but 2 controls! Even more amazing was that they were just 10 minutes apart with ring numbers that differed by only 36 (2468808 and 2468844). We have since found out that both birds were ringed at Mangerstadh, Lewis on 14th July, just 11 days previously and only one hour apart.

Seven seesions have now produced 5 controls (birds ringed elsewhere - green on map) and 1 recovery (a bird found elswhere - red on map)

stope control - mangersta.JPG Stope Controls & Recoveries.JPG
 

MisterT

Always Birding
Yet another of our Storm Petrels ringed this year in July has been found elsewhere, this time in Inverbervie, Aberdeenshire. It was found there just 9 days after it was ringed on South Uist and a distance of 316km as the crow flies. I'm guessing our bird look the long way round.

Seven sessions have now produced 5 controls (birds ringed elsewhere- green on map) and 2 recoveries (birds ringed here and found elsewhere - red on map)

stormie Ard Mic to aberdeen.JPG stomies recoveries and controls.JPG
 

MisterT

Always Birding
While the number of Storm Petrels ringed during August are beginning to fall away, we are still catching birds ringed elsewhere and our birds are still being found at other sites
A bird ringed recently on South Uist was caught and released on Eilean nan Ron, Highland plus a bird ringed at Fair Isle Bird Observatory in August 2019 was caught and released on South Uist on 24th August this year, a duration of 725 days and a distance of 422km.
We have now ringed 400+ Storm Petrels plus 6 controls (birds ringed elsewhere - in green) and 3 recoveries (our birds caught and released at other sites - in red).

recovery eilean nan ron, highland.JPG storm petrel control, fair isles.JPG storm petrel overall map.JPG
 

MisterT

Always Birding
Yet another of our Storm Petrels has been found elsewhere. One we caught on South Uist 0n 25th July this year was caught and released on the island of Nólsoy, Faroe Islands on 21st August, a distance of 536km and a duration of 27 days.

This makes 4 recoveries (our birds found elsewhere – in red) and 6 controls ( birds ringed elsewhere, caught and released here – in green) this year – amazing birds!

stope recovery faroe islands.JPG stope recoveries-controls.JPG
 

Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
Not all colour ringed sanderlings seen here on the islands are part of Jeroen Reneekens projects. This one seen at Gress,Lewis on 6th September was ringed on Sanday, Orkney in May 2016. Although it had lost a ring (lime green flag), it could still be identified down to an individual.

sanderling, Gress ringed in Orkney.jpg Sanderling, Orkney - Gress, Lewis.JPG Sanderling, Orkney - Gress, Lewis 1.JPG
 

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, weighing less than a House Sparrow, known to live in for 35+ years spending most of their life at sea, just how many miles do they revel in a lifetime

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

Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
Trying to find a colour ring project is sometimes hard enough to find for live birds, but when there is only one leg, it becomes almost impossible. BUT....., with some great detective work by Pete Potts and associates, this leg found on North Uist early in the month belonged to a Redshank originally ringed in 2014.

color ringed redshank - leg only.jpg color ringed redshank - leg only - details.jpg
 
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