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July 31st
Inverness-shire: Quail still singing in the barley field beside the hide at Munlochy Bay. Juvenile Ruff with Redshank from hide at Udale Bay. Marsh Harrier again reported from Insh Marshes. Sutherland: Late report of another adult Rose-coloured Starling on the midden at Balnakeil Farm yesterday. Embo bird apparently still present today so the Balnakeil bird looks like a new bird. Cetaceans: A bull Orca, thought to be John Coe, moving north passed Flodigarry Island, Skye, this afternoon - coincidentally John Coe reported by Hebridean Whale Cruises out of Gareloch this morning; two Basking Sharks off Tarbat Ness. July 30th
Wester Ross: 17 Storm Petrels reported from the Stornoway - Ullapool ferry late afternoon. Inverness-shire: Singing Quail near the hide at Munlochy Bay Sutherland: Adult Rose-coloured Starling showing again near entrance to Grannies Hielan Hame at Embo. July 29th
Inverness-shire: Marsh Harrier reported at two locations in vicinity of Insh Marshes. Sutherland: adult Rose-Coloured Starling still showing 200 metres from entrance to Grannies at Embo. Adult Little Gull in moult from Brora east car park at high tide. July 28th
Inverness-shire: Probable Baird's Sandpiper at Munlochy Bay, distant view from layby with hide (Dawn Balmer). Kingfisher at Craigellachie NNR. At Whiteness 200 Common Terns included 60 juveniles and 40 Sandwich Terns included 16 juveniles. Skye and Lochalsh: still 8 Black-tailed Godwit at Broadford Bay and exceptional count of 95 Knot. Also large mixed flock of c300 Arctic and Common Terns including juveniles. Sutherland: adult Rose-coloured Starling present again early morning 200 metres from entrance to Grannies at Embo. July 27th
Easter Ross: Early evening a Honey Buzzard was seen flying west over hill of Fortrose (Mary Galloway). Skye & Lochalsh: Flock of 19 Black-tailed Godwits in Broadford Bay. Sutherland: Adult Rose-coloured Starling seen again at Embo late morning. In Lochaber, Kittiwake counts on Canna are the highest since 2004 & breeding output is above average. In contrast, Fulmar counts are the lowest ever with poor breeding success (per Bob Swann). July 26th
Easter Ross: Three Sooty Shearwaters north at Tarbat Ness at 0600am. Wester Ross: Three Whooper Swans on Loch Sgamhain near Achnasheen. Inverness-shire: Unseasonal drake Scaup on the lagoon at Whiteness. Lochaber: Drake Black Duck still present at the mouth of the river at Strontian early evening. July 25th
Easter Ross: Moulting adult Little Stint at Tarbat Ness early morning. Wester Ross: See below for two further images of the Cory's Shearwater taken by Tony Mainwood on the 21st. Sutherland: Adult Rose-coloured Starling still showing at Embo - see images below by Jon Clarke July 24th
Skye and Lochalsh: Late record but male Common Crossbill found below Turbine 6 on Edinbane windfarm on July 17 - suspected turbine strike - see image. Sutherland: Though mobile, Rose-coloured Starling showing well in cherry trees in gardens 200 yards before entrance to Grannies Hielan Hame, Embo. Juvenile Little Gull at Dornoch Point. July 23rd
Sutherland: Adult Rose-coloured Starling still showing well at Embo. July 22nd
Inverness-shire: Green Sandpiper on the River Dulnain, west of Carrbridge, downstream from Sluggan Bridge in pools left due to low water. Wester Ross: Record shots of yesterday's Cory's Shearwater in the Minch shown below (Mark Warren) July 21st
Wester Ross: Cory's Shearwater from the Stornoway-Ullapool ferry this afternoon (Mark Warren) - see below for back of camera shot Sutherland: Rose-coloured Starling still showing well at entrance to Grannies Heilan Hame at Embo. Two Swifts over Balnakeil village. July 20th
Easter Ross: Sooty Shearwater off Tarbat Ness at 0700 this morning. Late news of Black Redstart at Hilton of Cadboll yesterday (see 19th). Wester Ross: 2nd summer Glaucous Gull again reported from Ullapool, at the river mouth. Sutherland: adult Rose-coloured Starling again showing well at Embo. Two 1st summer Little Gulls at Brora. July 19th
Easter Ross: juvenile/female type Black Redstart seen at Hilton of Cadboll NH876772 (Geoff Burton). Sutherland: Adult Rose-coloured Starling reported again at Embo this afternoon on the grass verge near the caravan site entrance. July 18th
Wester Ross: 2nd summer Glaucous Gull again reported from the ferry terminal at Ullapool - it would be good to see an image of this bird if anyone is in the area!. Skye and Lochalsh: Always scarce in the west a count of c30 Swifts at Trumpan, Waternish is exceptional. Sutherland: Adult Rose-coloured Starling still at Embo though elusive - seen at 1300 hours. July 17th
Sutherland: Adult Rose-coloured Starling still in Embo garden this morning just before entrance to caravan park and flew to garden of old school house - also seen later. From Dean's image below this looks like a different bird from the one recently at Harrapool on Skye based on the extent of the pink on the bill. July 16th
Wester Ross: Again 2nd summer Glaucous Gull reported from Ullapool but interestingly, no report of the Viking Gull!. Skye and Lochalsh: still 6 Black-tailed Godwits in Broadford Bay this morning. Sutherland: Adult Rose-coloured Starling at Embo at 1800pm at the entrance to the caravan site (Dean MacAskill). July 15th
Inverness-shire: Three Common Cranes flew north-east over Coignafearn in the Findhorn Valley around midday (Steve Reddick). Wester Ross: 2nd summer Glaucous Gull reported from Ullapool this morning. Skye and Lochalsh: Still 6 Black-tailed Godwits in Broadford Bay and two Whimbrel over. July 14th
Easter Ross: Three Whimbrel at Tarbat Ness early morning. At Udale Bay, 109 Redshank, 170 Curlew and 169 Canada Geese. Wester Ross: Viking Gull reported from Ullapool. Skye and Lochalsh: 44 Black-tailed Godwits in two groups in wider Broadford Bay. Breeding Kittiwakes doing well at North Sutor with 0.8 chicks per nest above the long term average of 0.5 (per Bob Swann). July 12-13th
Still no reports! July 11th No reports. July 10th
Easter Ross: 23 Black Guillemot off Tarbat Ness. A Pink-footed Goose seen at Castle Stuart on the 20th March 2017 was ringed as an adult on the 5th May 2015 at Skogn, near Trondheim in Norway. Up till this winter it had been wintering in Belgium before passing through Denmark and Norway on it's outward and return legs. However this winter for some reason it ended up in Inverness-shire!, this switch away from the usual flyway has only happened a few times before, so it will be interesting to see where it has gone this summer to breed, Iceland/Greenland or Svalbard!!!. July 9th
Easter Ross: Velvet Scoter past Tarbat Ness into Dornoch Firth this morning. July 8th
Easter Ross: 35 Common Scoter at Tarbat Ness. 12 Common Scoter, 2 Arctic Skuas and 6 adult Gannets at Chanonry Point today. Skye and Lochalsh: Adult Rose-coloured Starling seen again in a garden in Harrapool. July 7th
Inverness-shire: Two drake Pochards at Loch Flemington. Easter Ross: 2 Arctic Skuas and 2 Bonxies showing well off Chanonry Point at 1330pm. Badenoch and Strathspey: Two Kingfishers at Inverdruie Fish Farm, Aviemore. Sandwich Terns have bred on the island in Loch Borralie, Keoldale, with 42 adults and 19 juveniles seen today. They have bred amongst a Black-headed and Common Gull colony, with Common Terns and small numbers of Arctic Terns. July 6th
Skye and Lochalsh: Adult Rose-coloured Starling still at Harrapool at 6pm this evening. Easter Ross: First-summer Glaucous Gull on the north side of A831 at Culburnie at Aigas Golf Club. July 5th
Skye and Lochalsh: Adult Rose-coloured Starling re-found this evening in Harrapol and went to roost with 50/60 Common Starlings in sycamore beside Hebridean Hotel. July 4th
Sutherland: Honey Buzzard (Phil Knott) flew over Handa Island before drifting towards Scourie. Quail calling at NC911060, north of Brora from area of coarse grassland, a little to the west of the golf course and SE of the rail line. Badenoch and Strathspey: No sign of the Blyth's Reed Warbler at Inverdruie yesterday, please note this bird does not reposed to tape lure and excessive use of tape lure is not going to help you or your clients see it!. Inverness-shire: 5 drake Scaup and a Pochard on Loch Flemington. In Lochaber, two Guillemots have been caught that were ringed as chicks on Canna in 1978; 9 days and 13 days short of their 39th birthdays, which is a new UK longevity record!. Thanks to Bob Swann for the information. July 3rd
Badenoch and Strathspey: Singing male Blyth's Reed Warbler (Peter Stronach, Nick Barber) at Inverdruie Fish Farm, Aviemore. Please park at Inverdruie at the car park at NH901109, then walk northeast to cross the River Druie then back west along the riverside dirt track to view at NH900113. See map below for viewing instructions. It was bloody elusive during the day today, so if you want to see it best to try dusk or dawn!. Skye and Lochalsh: Adult Rose-coloured Starling (Neil Bennett) in Harrapol, Broadford around 5pm today. If accepted the Blyth's Reed Warbler would be the fourth record for Highland. July 2nd
Skye and Lochalsh: 35+ Common Scoter in Broadford bay this evening, all males. Easter Ross: The 1st summer Iceland Gull still present at Brucefield Farm, Tarbat Ness at 07:50am this morning at NH9377386348 in the recently cut silage field north of the farm entrance road. 480 Canada Geese at Dalmore Distillery. Inverness-shire: Still 8 Scaup on Loch Flemington. July 1st
Inverness-shire: Pochard and 9 Scaup on Loch Flemington. |
