Highland Birds
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ARCHIVE

​2018
January
February
March
April
May 31st

Easter Ross: 2CY Glaucous Gull at Fendom, Tain 500m west of Jan's Hppy Henery in field currently being ploughed at NH8041281652 (Dave Tanner).
​
May 30th

Sutherland: Temminck's Stint at Balnakeil Craft Village at 0950am (Dan Pointon). Black Tern on the beach at Melvich yesterday evening (per R Hughes).

Skye and Lochalsh: Rosy Starling reported in Glen Conon, Uig at 1040am (A Benn).

May 29th

No reports
​
May 28th

Badenoch and Strathspey: Female type Marsh Harrier reported at Lochindorb today flying south (I Ford).
​
May 27th

Lochaber: 
Adult drake Black Duck still at Strontian on the Strontian River near the fire station at 1220pm then flew down river (RBA).

Late news of a Rosy Starling on Skye at Geary, Waternish Point between the 16-22 May, see images below. May have been the bird present at Strath near Broadford the previous week (per Bob McMillan).
Rose-coloured Starling at Geary, Skye (Lesley Frost)
Rose-coloured Starling at Geary, Skye (Lesley Frost).
May 26th

​Wester Ross: Juvenile Iceland Gull still in Ullapool at 0949am (RBA).

May 25th

Lochaber: Adult drake Black Duck still at Strontian on the Strontian river upstream of the second bridge at 2030pm (RBA).

Easter Ross: Quail calling from an area of rough grass on the Heights above Dingwall (S Cohen).

Badenoch and Strathspey: At Craigellachie this morning; Wood Warbler - 3 seen/singing, Pied Flycatcher - one seen/singing, Tree Pipit - 2 singing, Spotted Flycatcher - one singing/at least four others contact calling, Cuckoo - male calling and a Treecreeper with a brood of 3 (Mike Crutch).

Wester Ross: Juvenile Iceland Gull at Ullapool Point still this morning (RBA).

Skye and Lochalsh: 4 Long-tailed Skuas flew past Waternish Point, Skye (Skye Birds).
Wood Warbler at Craigellachie (Mike Crutch)
May 24th

Sutherland: Red-rumped Swallow reported on wires at Armadale at 8am (RBA).
Lapwing at Lochindorb (Jack Harrison)
May 23rd

Skye and Lochalsh: A young male Marsh Harrier at Kinloch, Sleat, tonight, moving north and being roughed up by Hoodies, only the 4th record for Skye in the contemporary period (Bob McMillan).
Marsh Harrier on Sleat (Bob McMillan).
Marsh Harrier on Sleat (Bob McMillan)..
May 22nd

Inverness-shire: A pair of Nuthatches were found nest building at a site in Inverness-shire this morning (Peter Stronach). The exact location will be disclosed following the breeding attempt, there has never been a successful breeding attempt in Highland before.

Easter Ross: Adult White-billed Diver, moulting into summer plumage, southwest past Tarbat Ness into the Dornoch Firth (Dave Tanner). This morning at Chanonry Point, in 1.5 hrs, Manx Shearwater 2, Arctic Skua 2, Gannet 20+, Kittiwake 25+, Sandwich Tern 3, Common Tern 30+, auks 350+ (approx 90% Guillemots), Red-throated Diver 2, Fulmar 6.

Lochaber: Drake Black Duck reported again at Strontian river mouth at 1845pm (RBA).

Skye and Lochalsh: Now "two" Magpies on Skye near Elishader (Skye Birds).
Female Nuthatch in Inverness-shire (Peter Stronach)
Pair of Nuthatches nest building in a wood in Inverness-shire (Peter Stronach)
Male Nuthatch in Inverness-shire (Peter Stronach)
Cuckoo and Meadow Pipit at Nethy Bridge (Mike Crutch)
May 21st

Wester Ross: Two Iceland Gulls at Ullapool point today (Birdguides).

May 20th

Easter Ross: Adult male Velvet Scoter past Tarbat Ness this morning (Dave Tanner).
Adult male Long-eared Owl on guard duty near nest, Badenoch and Strathspey (Peter Stronach)
May 19th

Sutherland: White-billed Diver to the north of Talmine, Tongue this evening (James Hanlon).

Easter Ross: First-summer Little Gull flew southeast this morning past Tarbat Ness (Dave Tanner).
White-billed Diver at Talmine, Sutherland (James Hanlon)
White-billed Diver at Talmine, Sutherland (James Hanlon).
White-billed Diver at Talmine, Sutherland (James Hanlon)..
May 18th

No reports!.
Spotted Flycatcher at Contin (Keith Barnes)
Spotted Flycatcher at Contin, producing pellet! (Keith Barnes)
May 17th

No reports!.
​
May 16th

Walrus present on beach at Kinlochbervie at northeast end of Loch Clash this morning!.
​

May 15th

Sutherland: Stone-curlew at Balnakeil in field opposite the craft centre entrance (Colin Leslie), also 17 Whimbrel and 2 Gadwall.
Stone-curlew at Balnakeil Craft Village (Colin Leslie)
Stone-curlew at Balnakeil Craft Village (Colin Leslie).
Whimbrel on Balnakeil beach (Colin Leslie)
May 14th

No reports!.
Wigeon at Avielochan (Jack Harrison).
May 13th

Easter Ross: At 1030am this morning, 4 Whimbrel headed east over Chanonry Point (Mary Galloway). Grasshopper Warbler singing and showing well along the minor road opposite Munlochy Church (Bob Wilson).

Wester Ross: Juvenile Iceland Gull in Ullapool harbour (Birdguides).

​
May 12th

Easter Ross: Hobby flew over Dornoch this morning (Dean MacAskill). 2 Swifts over Lochluichart ' village' (Simon Cohen).
​
May 11th

Sutherland: Hobby at Balnakeil photographed this evening (Scott Wotherspoon).
Sedge Warbler at Broadford (Neil Bennett)
Grasshopper Warbler at Broadford (Neil Bennett)
Lapwing at Loch Cilchriosd (Neil Bennett)
May 10th

Sutherland: Female Yellow Wagtail still at Balnakeil, also a male present briefly (Keith and Rosie Barnes, Scott Wotherspoon). An Iceland Gull on the beach this morning and then inland on fields later on in the day.

Inverness-shire: Magpie at Smithton (Colin Leslie).

A colour-ringed Twite seen and photographed (below) by Roger Hewitt on the 23rd April 2018 was caught and ringed on the 20th January 2017 at Montrose Basin where it was wintering. This is the 10th Montrose Basin wintering Twite to be found on Skye.
Colour-ringed Twite on Skye (Roger Hewitt)
Iceland Gull at Balnakeil (Scott Wotherspoon)
Yellow Wagtail at Balnakeil (Scott Wotherspoon)
Yellow Wagtail at Balnakeil (Scott Wotherspoon).
May 9th

Sutherland:
Female Yellow Wagtail at Balnakeil this morning (Keith and Rosie Barnes).

Skye and Lochalsh: Adult Rose-coloured Starling reported at Suardal, Strath NG622210 (per Martin Benson).

Inverness-shire: A pair of Shoveler at Alturlie Pools this morning at 11.00am also a drake Ringed Teal (Bob Wilson).

Easter Ross: 4 Black-tailed Godwits in Dingwall Bay and still ca.300 Pink-footed Geese at the mouth of the Conon river (Andy Williams). Little Gull in Embo today flew past at 1738pm (RBA).

​Lochaber: Nuthatch reported at Fersit.
May 8th

Easter Ross: Drake Surf Scoter still off Balnabruach, Portmahomack this morning, though distant and with flock of 2000 Common Scoter and 300+ Long-tailed Duck (Dave Tanner). Viking Gull still in Ullapool (Andy Williams).

Badenoch and Strathspey: Wholly unconfirmed sighting of Pratincole sp. circling Lochindorb yesterday (per John Poyner). No sign of the Nuthatch today at Loch an Eilein, but a single Pied Flycatcher signing along the south end track (Steve Broyd).

Sutherland: Drake Green-winged Teal still at Balnakeil tonight (Scott Wotherspoon).

Lochaber: Drake Black Duck reported at Strontian on the Strontian River this afternoon (RBA).

May 7th

Easter Ross: Drake Surf Scoter off Balnabruach, Portmahomack early morning and then again briefly in the evening. With a large flock of c.2000 Common Scoter and Long-tailed Duck, best viewed at high tide. A Curlew Sandpiper, moulting adult, in Udale Bay recently (Mark Finn).

Sutherland: Nuthatch seen and photographed at Rogart yesterday. Drake and female Garganey at Balnakeil today and a drake Green-winged Teal (Scott Wotherspoon). Single Pomarine Skua at Embo (Mark Finn).

Badenoch and Strathspey: Hobby over Loch Insh this afternoon (John Poyner). Nuthatch again at Loch an Eilein, about half way along the southern shore (D Callaghan et al.)

A neck-ringed Pink-footed Goose "XBF" seen at Balnakeil today was ringed at High Selling in Norfolk on the 18th January 2018 as a juvenile, thanks to Kane Brides for the ringing information.
Pink-footed Goose "XBF" at Balnakeil (Scott Wotherspoon)
May 6th

Sutherland: Greenland White-fronted Goose with 300 Pink-footed Geese at Balnakeil Farm today (S Wotherspoon).

Inverness-shire: Whitethroat at Fort George today (Colin Leslie).

Badenoch and Strathspey: Nuthatch again at Loch an Eilein at NH904076 (Sandy McNeil)

May 5th

Sutherland: Pomarine and Arctic Skuas in Balnakeil Bay (S Wotherspoon).

Lochaber: No sign of the Black Duck at Strontian today (RBA).

Skye and Lochalsh: Juvenile Glaucous Gull still at Uig, Skye today.

Inverness-shire: At Fort George this evening 34 Knot, 14 Sanderling, 4 Dunlin, 2 Whimbrel, 1 White Wagtail and 3 Arctic Terns (Colin Leslie).

​Badenoch and Strathspey: Nuthatch seen again near the cottage at Loch an Eilein (Ross and Ray Facer)
Sanderling and Turnstone at Fort George (Colin Leslie)
Sanderling, Common and Sandwich Terns at Fort George (Colin Leslie)
Whimbrel at Badentarbat beach (Keith Barnes)
Whimbrel at Badentarbat beach (Keith Barnes).
May 4th

Skye and Lochalsh: Juvenile Glaucous Gull still at Uig, Skye today.

May 3rd

Wester Ross: 14 Bonxies and 12 Puffins on the highland side of the Ullapool-Stornoway sailing today (Andy Williams).

Skye and Lochalsh: ssp flavissima Yellow Wagtail still at Neist Point this morning until everything flushed by a Peregrine at 0830am (Bob McMillan).

Badenoch and Strathspey: 3 Wood Warbler and 2 Tree Pipits, and two Common Sandpipers at Craigellachie today (Alan MacAskill).

May 2nd

Skye and Lochalsh: ssp flavissima Yellow Wagtail at Neist Point today at NG1433048807 (Lynden Schofield).

Wester Ross: Iceland Gull in Ullapool today (Andy Williams).

Lochaber: Adult Iceland Gull on Eigg (John Chester).
Yellow Wagtail at Neist Point (Andy Stables)
Yellow Wagtail at Neist Point (Andy Stables).
Blackbird in Ullapool (Andy Williams)
Collared Dove nesting in Ullapool on the harbour office (Andy Williams)
Song Thrush in Ullapool (Andy Williams)
May 1st

Badenoch and Strathspey: Nuthatch reported at Loch an Eliein today in km square NH8907 (I Ashworth).

Wester Ross: No sign of the first-winter Ring-billed Gull at Ullapool river mouth today despite a thorough search (A Williams).

Easter Ross: Immature Iceland Gull in flight over Dingwall Business Park today at 12:30pm (Simon Cohen).

Picture



​Looking after Highland's birds


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  • Recording
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    • Inverness-shire >
      • Fort George and Whiteness
      • In and around Inverness
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      • Badenoch and Strathspey
      • Northern Cairngorms
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      • Gairloch, Loch Ewe and Loch Maree
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    • Skye and Lochalsh >
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    • Sutherland >
      • Southeast Sutherland
      • Melvich
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  • Gallery
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