Sightings
This page acts as a news site of more notable reports and may contain errors and omissions. The official record is published as the annual Highland Bird Report (HBR) which details records which have been formally submitted and accepted. All records submitted via Birdtrack or directly to the Local Recorder, do go into compilation of the HBR. Photographs are copyright of the named photographer and may not be used without explicit permission of the named photographer. Photographs of schedule 1 species will not be displayed on this page during the breeding season, unless accompanied by a valid SNH licence. Similarly any photographs showing obviously tape-lured or distressed birds will not be displayed, please refer to the Bird photography - a new code of practice article from Scottish Birds. To send in your photos for the website please email highlandsocwebmaster@gmail.com.
Highland Records Committee (HRC) species are in green, Scottish Birds Rarities Committee (SBRC) species are in blue and British Bird Rarities Committee (BBRC) species are in red.
This page acts as a news site of more notable reports and may contain errors and omissions. The official record is published as the annual Highland Bird Report (HBR) which details records which have been formally submitted and accepted. All records submitted via Birdtrack or directly to the Local Recorder, do go into compilation of the HBR. Photographs are copyright of the named photographer and may not be used without explicit permission of the named photographer. Photographs of schedule 1 species will not be displayed on this page during the breeding season, unless accompanied by a valid SNH licence. Similarly any photographs showing obviously tape-lured or distressed birds will not be displayed, please refer to the Bird photography - a new code of practice article from Scottish Birds. To send in your photos for the website please email highlandsocwebmaster@gmail.com.
Highland Records Committee (HRC) species are in green, Scottish Birds Rarities Committee (SBRC) species are in blue and British Bird Rarities Committee (BBRC) species are in red.
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23rd September
Skye and Lochalsh: Pomarine Skua flew north through the Sound of Raasay. 22nd September
Sutherland: Four first-winter Little Gulls off Brora this morning (M Warren). Inverness-shire: 2 Gadwall, Pintail, a leucistic Mallard and 2 Black-tailed Godwit at Castle Stuart this morning (C Leslie). Easter Ross: 11 Pale-bellied Brent on Rosemarkie beach at 11am (B Wilson). Badenoch and Strathspey: A storm blown Manx Shearwater found alive in a Kincraig garden today (D MacAdam/D Pierce). 21st September
Easter Ross: Hoopoe reported at Loch Fleet by Skelbo Castle at 1015am, no sign at 1145am. Seen on the grass bank by the lay-by with the information boards, just below the castle (per K Langdon). Badenoch and Strathspey: 19 Whooper Swans at Insh (D Pierce). A Black-headed Gull with the colour-ring "2CP4", photographed below, was seen at Ardersier today. It was caught as a fully fledged juvenile on the Ythan estuary during a night mist-netting session on the 26th August 2016. The following autumn, it's second calendar year, it was seen at Seton Burn in Lothian and then during the winter at Pacific Quay in Glasgow. It's now in it's third calendar year and was joining the rest of the flock of Black-heads "jogging on the spot" for food. Thanks to Calum Cambl for the ringing info. 20th September
Lochaber: Grey Phalarope at sea off the north end of Eigg today (R Dyer). Easter Ross: 9 Pale-bellied Brent geese at Udale Bay. In 1.5 hrs this morning past Chanonry Point; 2 Pomarine Skuas, 4 Arctic Skuas (K Davis). Skye and Lochalsh: Adult Sabine's Gull past Duntulm this morning (J Jones). Badenoch and Strathspey: Single Ruff circling Lochindorb this afternoon (J Poyner). 5 Black-tailed Godwit on the Insh marshes today (D Pierce). Large influx of Pink-footed Geese across Skye coming in from across north Lewis, arriving 1800pm and continuing into the evening. 19th September
Sutherland: 24 Sooty Shearwaters north past Embo at midday in a squall and 2 Pomarine Skuas south into the Dornoch Firth (D MacAskill). Skye and Lochalsh: 2 Sooty Shearwaters going northeast past Bornesketaig, Skye today (B McMillan). No sign of Mediterranean Gull or hybrid at Portree today (Neil Bennett). Easter Ross: No sign of the Hoopoe at Cromarty today and a Ruff at Udale Bay at 3pm (D Pointon). 18th September
Sutherland: Spotted Redshank on the shore between Ardgay and Bonar Bridge this morning (Mike Hoit). Three juvenile Little Gulls bathing at Brora river mouth this evening (Birdguides). Badenoch and Strathspey: Cattle Egret seen briefly from bus on A938, 50m east of Duthill in fields to south of road at 0824am (Pete Cosgrove), no further sign despite thorough search of location (Pete Gordon/Peter Stronach). Skye and Lochalsh: First-winter Mediterranean Gull or hybrid at Bayfield, Portree at 0825am then flew out to sea and no further sign (Neil Bennett). Inverness-shire: Adult Mediterranean Gull came into roost on the sea off Whiteness Head this evening (Jon Clarke). Wester Ross: Hoopoe still present at Cromarty in trees close to the lighthouse at 1239pm (Simon Eaves) and late afternoon (RBA). 17th September
Skye and Lochalsh: 4 Leach's Petrels on the Uig to Stornoway sailing this afternoon (Mark Warren). Sutherland: Two Pomarine Skuas south into Dornoch Firth, also a juvenile Little Gull and two Great Northern Divers (Dean MacAskill). Easter Ross: Hoopoe still at Cromarty at 1530pm (Bob McMillan). Inverness-shire: 4 Slavonian Grebes, 1 Black-throated Diver and 2 dark morph Arctic Skuas from Alturlie Bay and a Whooper Swan at Ardersier (Al McNee/A Williams). 16th September
Easter Ross: Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper at northeast end of Innis Mhor (Peter Stronach). Hoopoe still in Cromarty at 7am (Kevin Davis) and at 1245pm, a bit further along than had been previously reported, even getting as far as opposite the end of High Street. On the grassy areas but often on the beach itself (Jack Harrison). 15th September
Easter Ross: Hoopoe still at Cromarty today (Birdguides). Little Egret west over Udale Bay at approx 1pm (Scott Wotherspoon). 14th September
Easter Ross: Smew still at Loch Eye in the northeast corner, though some distance off the shoreline (Dave Tanner). 13th September
Sutherland: First-winter Barred Warbler trapped and ringed at Melvich this afternoon by Graham Crittenden, his 4th in the garden in 42 years!. Hawfinch seen and photographed in a garden in Kinlochbervie recently (per J Cleaver). Badenoch and Strathspey: Manx Shearwater found dead yesterday in a garden in Kincraig (P Moore). Easter Ross: Hoopoe still in Cromarty at 1530pm, around the black seats and seaward side of grassy area to east of lighthouse (D Pullan). Redhead Smew again at Loch Eye in the northeast corner (B Swann). Drake Gadwall and 2 Ruff at Udale Bay (A MacAskill). Wester Ross: Black Redstart at the car park at Rubha Reidh and a first year Iceland Gull at Loch Ewe today (Mark Finn). Skye and Lochalsh: Leach's Petrel and Sooty Shearwater off Waternish Point from the ferry today (Bguides). First big arrival of Pink-footed Geese across Highland today, carried on strong westerly winds. Reported from Boat of Garten, 84 over Handa last night, 32 over Errogie, 300 past Tarbat Ness, 70 over Loch Eye. Three colour-ringed Pale-bellied Brents in Broadford Bay today, two of which are a pair. The male (Yellow 6 left leg and Green 3 right leg) was rung on spring passage in Iceland on the 19th May 2006, and was first recorded wintering in Strangford Lough, his partner (Red 6 left leg and Green 3 right leg) was rung again on spring passage in Iceland on the 19th May 2014 and has been sighted wintering in Waterford and Castlemaine in Ireland. 12th September
Skye and Lochalsh: 11 Pale-bellied Brents in Broadford Bay at 0807am, then 50 Pale-bellied Brents flew over Broadford Bay at 0914am (Martin Benson). after 7 on Mill River then Broadford River, and another 21 on the sand in Broadford Bay (Martin Benson/Neil Bennett). Easter Ross: 9 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Ruff at Udale Bay at 1pm (Mary Galloway). Inverness-shire: Early morning, at Less Castle estate, 15 Pink-footed Geese landing in fields and 2 Wheatears on farm track. Green Sandpiper at ponds /dubhlochans at Balvonie of Leys (Alan MacAskill). Start of the Pale-bellied Brent passage on the west coast, with strong westerly airflows across the North Atlantic. 11th September
Sutherland: Good numbers of Terns passing Brora today also 3 Little Gull (2 juv and 1 adult) and 2 Sooty Shearwaters south also .Big meadow pipit movement south today from Brora also (Dean MacAskill). Easter Ross: Hoopoe still in Cromarty on the links and around the lighthouse today (John Picton, Sandy Sutherland). 10th September
Easter Ross: Redhead Smew back at Loch Eye and two Gadwall (Bob Swann). Hoopoe still at Cromarty on the links at 1415pm (Dave Tanner). Sutherland: Juvenile Little Stint at Dornoch Point (Dean MacAskill). 9th September
Easter Ross: Hoopoe still in Cromarty on grass behind lighthouse at 0710am (RBA), then seen again at 1332am same area (Ian Ford), again at 1430pm (John Poyner) and seen further east on the links shore at 1848pm (Peter Stronach). 2 Little Gulls off Tarbat Ness with kittiwakes at 0656am (Dave Tanner). 8th September
Easter Ross: Hoopoe still in Cromarty around the Beech and Sycamore trees east of the lighthouse at 1124am (L Graham) and 1630pm (Simon Levene). Spotted Redshank still off Tain Links with Redshank flock at high tide (Bob Swann). 7th September
Easter Ross: Hoopoe in Cromarty on grass east of the lighthouse at 3pm (S Patterson). 3 Sooty Shearwater past Tarbat Ness this morning into the Dornoch Firth (Dave Tanner). Today at midday a Short-eared Owl on Fortrose golf course, at the lighthouse end (Mary Galloway). 6th September
Easter Ross: At least 2 Short-eared Owls around Udale Bay and in the scrub near Cygnus House a Lesser Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler (Mark Finn). 5th September
Wester Ross: 3 Leach's Petrel reported at sea off Ullapool-Stornoway ferry at 1140am and 3 Sooty Shearwaters (RBA). Skye and Lochalsh: Second-winter Glaucous Gull at Bayfield, Portree (Neil Bennett). 4th September
Easter Ross: Adult male Hobby seen circling over fields just before Kinkell Hotel off A9 around 3pm today (Susan Seright). Skye and Lochalsh: Female Pintail at Bayfield, Portree (Jonathan Jones). 3rd September
Easter Ross: Hobby circling over the fields near the Easter Kinkell/Culbokie junction on the A9 (NH589569) at 1315pm today (Bob Wilson). Inverness-shire: 4 Slavonian Grebe still on Loch Ruthven, with an adult feeding juvenile (A MacAskill). 2nd September
Easter Ross: Single Ruff with Redshank at Udale today at 1600pm, and 4 Black-tailed Godwits (Mary Galloway). 1st September
Wester Ross: Single Sooty Shearwater, 100+ Storm Petrels and a Bull Orca on the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry today (Peter Stronach/Kate and Jon Clarke). Viking Gull still in Ullapool harbour. Easter Ross: Single Sooty Shearwater past Tarbat Ness this morning (Dave Tanner). |
