Highland Birds
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ARCHIVE

​2018
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
​September
October
​November
31st December

Easter Ross: Drake Green-winged Teal at Tain Links at 1130am (Bob Swann).

Inverness-shire: Kingfisher and 4 Black-tailed Godwit still at Muirtown Pools this evening (Al McNee).

Lochaber: Little Egret still present at Invercaimbe, Back of Keppoch this afternoon (Stephen MacDonald), the bird has bee present for three months.

30th December

No reports.
​
29th December

Sutherland: An adult and a first-winter Little Gull off Brora river mouth (Dean MacAskill). Jay at Torrish, near Helmsdale (G Crittenden).

Inverness-shire: Kingfisher and 3 Black-tailed Godwits at Muirtown Pools today (Tommy Youds).
28th December

Lochaber: Drake Ringed-necked Duck on Loch Shiel, viewed from the pier at Acharacle (RBA).

Wester Ross: 1CY Iceland Gull at the mouth of the Ullapool River (Andy Williams).
Iceland Gull in Ullapool (Andy Williams)
Fieldfare at Coulmore (David Edge)
Crested Tit in Speyside (David Edge)
Crested Tit in Speyside (David Edge).
Crested Tit in Speyside (David Edge)..
27th December

​​Inverness-shire: Great Crested Grebe showing well off Allanfearn WWTW (Al McNee).​ 14 Waxwings, junction of Culduthel road and Broom Drive at 1530pm (Alan Linning).​

26th December

​
Inverness-shire: 14 Waxwings, junction of Culduthel road and Broom Drive (Phil Clark).
​
Waxwing, Inverness (Phil Clark).
25th December

Inverness-shire: 8 Waxwings, junction of Culduthel road & Broom Drive (Jon Brain).
​
24th December

Easter Ross: Green-winged Teal off Tain links at 1130am (Bob Swann). 3 Greenland White-fronted Geese and 2 Barnacle Geese with Pink-footed Geese at Golspie, opposite the golf club (Dean MacAskill).

Lochaber: Drake Mandarin back on sea pool of River Morar for 3rd winter.  Little Egret still at Arisaig / Back of Keppoch-a different bird from Lochailort (Bob McMillan).
Green-winged Teal off Tain Links (Bob Swann).
Male Black Grouse, Near Dornoch (Dean Macaskill).
23rd December
Kingfisher at Merkinch , Inverness (Colin Leslie).
Black-tailed Godwit at Merkinch, Inverness (Colin Leslie).
22nd December

Badenoch & Strathspey: 4 Taiga Bean Geese at Rothiemoon Farm, near Nethybridge (Peter Gordon). 

Inverness: 2 Magpies, 18 Tree Sparrow, and Fieldfare at Leys Castle Estate (Alan MacAskill).
American Wigeon Drake still at Tain (Mark Dawson).
American Wigeon Drake still at Tain (Mark Dawson).
American Wigeon Drake still at Tain (Mark Dawson).
21st December

Badenoch & Strathspey: 3 Hawfinches upstream old cemetery beyond Inverallan House, Grantown On Spey (Via Peter Cosgrove).

​Sutherland: Red-necked Grebe seen from Embo Caravan Park (Dean Macaskill). 

Inverness: Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit at sewage works at Allanfearn (David Carter).
​
20th December
​
Badenoch & Strathspey:  6 Waxwing at Dalfaber, Aviemore (Toby Green).
Barnacle Geese at Charlestown (David Edge)
19th December

Wester Ross: Juvenile Iceland Gull at Loch Kishorn (Bob McMillan).

Badenoch & Strathspey: ​20 Waxwing at Boat of Garten ​(John Poyner).
18th December

Badenoch & Strathspey: White-tailed Eagle over Braes of Castle Grant, Near Grantown (Andy Williams).

Lochaber: Drake Ring-necked Duck on Loch Shiel, viewable from Acharacle pier (Andrew Dacre).

Easter Ross: Single Waxwing near Mansfield Castle, Tain (​Gary and Rosemary Aitken).

​An unusual Blackbird has been seen recently in a garden near Muir of Ord, photographed below. These show what is thought to be the result of a punctured airsac inflating the skin above, the cause of the puncture could have been a predator like a cat or a Sparrowhawk (Thanks to R Broughton for the suggested cause).
Unusual looking female blackbird (Les Round).
Unusual blackbird at Muir of Ord (Les Round).
17th December
​

Lochaber: Little Egret at Ardnish fish farm, Lochailort (Stu Crutchfield).

Ross and Cromarty: 4 Common Scoter on Loch Broom (Andy Williams).
Iceland Gull at Ullapool River Mouth (Andy Williams).
Iceland Gull at Ullapool River Mouth (Andy Williams).
Teal at Bayfield, Portree (Neil Bennett)
Teal at Bayfield, Portree (Neil Bennett)
16th December
​

Badenoch & Strathspey: 12 Grey partridge near Nethybridge (Pete Gordon).

Ross and Cromarty: 2 Iceland Gulls at Ardmair, Ullapool (Andy Williams).
​​
15th December

​
Sutherland: Magpie at Knockarthur, Rogart (Christina Perera).

Easter Ross:  Waxwing at Kildary (Bob Swann).

​
14th December

​Inverness: Waxwings at Cedarwood Drive, Milton of Leys, IV2 6GU (via Peter Stronach).

13th December

​
Sutherland: Adult and 1st winter Little Gull and Bonxie north past Brora river mouth (Dean Macaskill).
​
Curlew at Ullapool (Andy Williams).
Goosanders at Ullapool (Andy Williams).
Turnstone at Ullapool (Andy Williams).
12th December

Easter Ross: American Wigeon 
drake off still at Tain Links (Andy Williams).

​Easter Ross: American Wigeon drake at still at Loch Eye (Bob McMillan).

Easter Ross: 15 Grey Partridge at Arabella (Bob McMillan).

11th December

Inverness: ~
2000+ Wigeon and Teal, 80+ Greater Scaup, 4 Red-Throated Diver, 8 Slavonian Grebe, 1 Great Crested Grebe at Aturlie Point (Alan MacAskill).

Sutherland: 29 Purple Sandpipers at Embo Pier and ~1,200 Common Scoter out in the Dornoch Firth (Dean Macaskill​).
Putative Viking Gull back at Bayfield, Portree (Bob McMillian).
Putative Viking Gull back at Bayfield, Portree (Bob McMillian).
10th December
​

Badenoch & Strathspey: 40+ Bramblings in the “wildflower field” by The Nethybridge Hotel, Nethybridge (John Poyner).
9th December

​Easter Ross: American Wigeon drake off Tain Links, seen just upstream of footbridge (David and Judith Edge).

​Easter Ross: American Wigeon at Loch Eye (Bob Swann).
Badenoch & Strathspey: Barnacle goose at Balliefurth, viewable from A95 1/2 North of Broomhill turnoff (Peter Gordon).

Inverness: Barnacle goose just south of Ardersier (Lynda Graham).

Skye and Lochalsh: Flock of 7 Greenland White-fronted Geese at Kilmuir (Bob McMillan).​
​
American Wigeon at Tain (David and Judith Edge).
8th December

Sutherland: Surf scoter
in Dornoch Firth with several hundred common scoter and 19 velvet scoter. Seen from Embo Pier (Dean Macaskill​).
​
7th December
​

No reports...​
6th December

​
Whooper Swans at Loch Flemington (Jon Clarke).
Grey Plover at Whiteness (Jon Clarke).
Knot at Whiteness (Jon Clarke).
5th December

Lochaber: 
Little Egret at Back of Keppoch, Kingfisher on Morar River and a pair of Nuthatch in the Arisaig area (Bob McMillan).

Brambling at Muir of Ord (David and Judith Edge).
Brambling at Muir of Ord (David and Judith Edge).
4th December

Inverness: Kingfisher catching fish, Muirtown pool, early morning (Alan Macaskill). 
Purple Sandpipers at Embo (David and Judith Edge).
Pintail at Tain (David and Judith Edge)
Shovler at Tain (David and Judith Edge).
Teal at Tain (David and Judith Edge).
3rd December

Skye and Lochalsh: Single White-fronted Goose with Greylags at Waterstein (Andy Stables).​
White-fronted Goose at Waterstein (Andy Stables).
​Easter Ross: American Wigeon drake off Tain Links at high tide, thought to be a different individual to that at Loch Eye on the 1st (Bob Swann).  
American Wigeon at Tain (Bob Swann).
2nd December
​

Badenoch and Strathspey: 8 Waxwing in the front garden of the Old Minister's House in Rothiemurchus (Agnes Thompson).

1st December

​Easter Ross: American Wigeon drake at Loch Eye (Bob Swann).  

Badenoch and Strathspey: Great Grey Shrike in Glenfeshie at Coille an Torr at 1010am (Dave Pierce). A Snowy Owl was reported from the Cairngorms (RBA), later found to refer to an old photo posted on a Facebook group of a previous bird from past years. 
Viking Gull in Ullapool (Andy Williams)
Viking Gull in Ullapool (Andy Williams).
Viking Gull in Ullapool (Andy Williams)..

Picture



​Looking after Highland's birds


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  • Recording
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      • Highland SOC Species Focus 2021
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  • Blog
  • Events
    • Evening talks
    • Field trips
  • Where to go
    • Inverness-shire >
      • Fort George and Whiteness
      • In and around Inverness
    • Badenoch and Strathspey >
      • Speyside in general
      • Badenoch and Strathspey
      • Northern Cairngorms
    • Easter Ross >
      • Easter Ross in general
      • Chanonry Point
      • Tarbat Ness
    • Wester Ross >
      • Ullapool and Gruinard Bay
      • Gairloch, Loch Ewe and Loch Maree
      • Loch Kishorn
    • Lochaber >
      • Fort William
      • Canna
      • Eigg
      • Rum
    • Skye and Lochalsh >
      • Lochalsh
    • Sutherland >
      • Southeast Sutherland
      • Melvich
      • Kyle of Tongue
      • Assynt
      • Loch Eriboll
  • Gallery
    • 2010-present
    • 2000-2009
    • 1990-1999
    • 1980-1989
    • Dark ages - 1979
  • Publications
    • Highland Bird Report
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    • Books
  • Contact
    • Join the SOC
  • Links
  • Website history
  • Blog
  • AGM MinutesApril 2023