May 31st
Easter Ross: Adult dark morph Pomarine Skua flew southwest into Dornoch Firth this morning. May 30th
Skye and Lochalsh: First record for Jay on Skye this evening at Harrapol!!. May 29th
Inverness-shire: Hobby (Kate Clarke) at Alturlie Point this afternoon then flew southwest. Easter Ross: 120 Canada Geese at Alness. 5 Pink-footed Geese still at Udale bay. Inverness-shire: Single Whooper Swan at Ardersier. May 28th
Sutherland: Adult Temminck's Stint still at Bay of Culkein. May 27th
Sutherland: Adult Temminck's Stint (Chris Cant) at Bay of Culkein. Badenoch and Strathspey: No sign of Icterine Warbler at Loch Insh again today. Easter Ross: Quail singing at Drynie Park, Muir of Ord overnight. May 26th
Badenoch and Strathspey: Icterine Warbler singing at midnight last night from the layby next to Insh Church at Loch Insh but no sign this evening. May 25th
Easter Ross: 3 Pink-footed Geese still at Udale Bay and 3 Black-tailed Godwits. Inverness-shire: Black-tailed Godwit at Mains of Connage. Sutherland: Two Pomarine Skua north past Dornoch. May 24th
Wester Ross: Drake Ring-necked Duck (Mark Finn) on Loch Cul Dromannan, north of Ullapool. Sutherland: 3 Barnacle Geese and a Wood Sandpiper at Durness. Inverness-shire: 350 Ringed Plovers, 51 Dunlin and 24 Sanderling feeding in Whiteness bay. May 23rd
Inverness-shire: Drake King Eider (Jon Clarke) still at Whiteness Head today, park at NH790562, and walk out to view from high dunes at NH799585. Also 2 Grey Plover and 13 Manx Shearwaters offshore. A Dark-bellied Brent (Lynden Schofield) was feeding in the bay between Alturlie and Castle Stuart at 3pm today. Sutherland: Black Kite (Brian Etheridge) at Strath Fleet, flew north, 2 miles east of Lairg heading towards Loch Craggie. Badenoch and Strathspey: Pied Flycatcher singing at Inshriach Nursery today. Whimbrel on fields by Avielochan. A colour-ringed Curlew was located today on territory on farmland in Badenoch and Strathspey near Skye of Curr. This female had been ringed on 4th September 2013 by Highland Ringing Group at Lettoch on the Beauly Firth. (Thanks to Ron Summers for the ringing details) May 22nd
Inverness-shire: 2 male Lesser Whitethroats singing at Strathdearn. May 21st
Sutherland: Glaucous Gull at Brora river mouth. Ring-necked Duck still on Loch Croispol, Durness. Badenoch and Strathspey: Two pairs of Pied Flycatcher at Craigellachie today and 5 Wood Warbler, 14 Spotted Flycatcher and 9 Tree Pipits. May 20th
Easter Ross: First-winter Glaucous Gull flew southwest past Tarbat Ness into the Dornoch Firth at 05:50am. May 19th
Lochaber: Adult drake Black Duck still at Strontian on pool by the Kirk early morning. Golden Oriole (Birdguides) reported on Canna. Badenoch and Strathspey: At Craigellachie NNR, 4+ Wood Warblers, 3+ Spotted Flycatchers and 1 Pied Flycatcher late afternoon. Wood Warbler signing in Anagach Woods, Grantown. Inverness-shire: 134 Ringed Plover + 10 Dunlins feeding at the waters edge half a mile east of Allanfearn at 8am this morning. May 18th
Easter Ross: Little Egret still in brackish channel Tain Links by Tain River mouth. Sutherland: 2 Tundra Bean Geese reported form Cape Wrath. May 17th
Easter Ross: Little Egret still showing well in brackish channel Tain Links by Tain River mouth. Skye and Lochalsh: 5 Arctic Skuas north at Bornesketaig this morning. Drake Mandarin in a garden in Broadford, only the 2nd record for Skye and Lochalsh!. May 16th
Badenoch and Strathspey: No sign of the 2 Little Ringed Plovers at Loch Insh this morning. Garden Warbler at Glen Tromie. Lochaber: Drake Black Duck still present at the river mouth in Strontian and 2 hybrids. Skye and Lochalsh: Garden Warbler singing at Armadale, Sleat. The Balnakeil adult Semi-palmated Sandpiper has relocated to Baltasound on Unst, Shetland!, see images of the bird here. May 15th
Sutherland: Late news of 3 Common Cranes (Pete Walkden) passing Scourie on the 6th May, see photos under that date. Easter Ross: 29 Common Scoter off Tarbat Ness today. Little Egret at Tain Links still this morning seemed fairly settled in the brackish channel by the river mouth just northwest of the footbridge, then seen again later in the evening at 2020pm. Lochaber: Nuthatch (Jon Sherwood) reported from the garden of the Ardnamurchan Bunkhouse this morning. Skye and Lochalsh: 16 Whimbrel at Broadford Bay today. Badenoch and Strathspey: 2 Little Ringed Plovers (Peter Stronach) on the western shore of Loch Insh this evening. Wester Ross: Yellowhammer in a garden in Lochbroom. May 14th
Sutherland: Adult Semi-palmated Sandpiper still at Balnakeil on the seaweed at the burn mouth this morning. Easter Ross: Little Egret at Tain Links this evening, 19:50pm, feeding at the river mouth. May 13th
Sutherland: Adult Semi-palmated Sandpiper (Keith Langdon and Michael Hoit) at Balnakeil on the seaweed at the burn mouth. Easter Ross: Immature Glaucous Gull was still showing well at Tarbat Ness at 05:30am at Wilkhaven Farm. Badenoch and Strathspey: Single Spotted Flycatcher at Old Spey Bridge, Grantown at 0900am plus two others in Craigellachie NNR, and two Wood Warblers also. 14 House Martins at Lochindorb. Wester Ross: Garganey at Poolewe today. Hawfinch in a garden at Achiltibuie. May 12th
Sutherland: Black Stork (Andy Livermore) flew east over the A838 between Loch Eriboll and Kyle of Tongue. Semi-palmated Sandpiper (Scott Wotherspoon) at Balnakeil beach (identified on May 13th). Drake Ring-necked Duck still in the Durness area at Balnakeil, also Grey-headed Wagtail and Wood Sandpiper, but no sign of Little Ringed Plover. Male Black Redstart at Forsinard. Wester Ross: First-winter Iceland Gull at Ullapool at the river mouth but no sign of the first-winter Ring-billed Gull. Somewhat unbelievably the Ring-necked Duck seen at Balnakeil today was the same individual at a loch near Ullapool on the 10th May!!!. Note scarring above bill on photos. The Ring-necked Duck seen on the 18th April at Loch Croispol did not show any scars, so is either a different bird or taken before the fight!. May 11th
Inverness-shire: Drake Garganey at Alturlie Pools still viewed from track. Easter Ross: Three Swifts around Rosemarkie and a Swift at Dingwall. Wester Ross: First-winter Ring-billed Gull still present at the river mouth in Ullapool. May 10th
Wester Ross: Drake Ring-necked Duck (Andy Williams and Tom Talbot) near Ullapool at Strath Canaird on lochan by road to Drumrunie at NC159041 today. First-winter Ring-billed Gull still at the river mouth at Ullapool today. Inverness-shire: Drake Garganey at Alturlie Pools still. Pale-bellied Brent Goose at Castle Stuart. May 9th
Easter Ross: 71 Pale-bellied Brent Geese past Tarbat Ness. Inverness-shire: Garganey still at Alturlie Pools today, although sometimes elusive. Swift at Smithton. Badenoch and Strathspey: 10 Waxwing at Loch an Eilein. May 8th
Easter Ross: 2 First-summer Glaucous Gulls and adult Little Gull southwest past Tarbat Ness this morning, flew into Dornoch Firth. An adult Iceland Gull in the high tide roost at Wilkhaven Farm, Tarbat Ness (NH9391286488). Inverness-shire: Drake Garganey at Alturlie pools still today. Wester Ross: First-winter Ring-billed Gull still at the river mouth in Ullapool this evening. Badenoch and Strathspey: At least 7 Waxwings at 10:50am this morning in Anagach Woods, Grantown May 7th
Sutherland: At least one Yellow Wagtail ssp flava still at Balnakeil at midday. Easter Ross: Near-adult Iceland Gull at Wilkhaven Farm, also 2 immature Glaucous Gulls and 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. 24 Common Scoter at Tarbat Ness. Swift at Udale Bay today. At Loch Kinellan, a single Swift, male Cuckoo, Sedge Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler. Inverness-shire: Drake Garganey still on the pools at Alturlie, on northernmost pool. May 6th
Inverness-shire: A single Swift flying over Croy. Sutherland: There are now two Yellow Wagtails (Martin Benson) at Balnakeil, both Blue-headed. Jay near Gordonbush in Strathbrora on 4th May. Three Common Cranes (Pete Walkden) flew north past Scourie today. Easter Ross: Still c200 Long-tailed Duck from the south end of Portmahomack beach at Balnabruach. Juvenile Little Gull at Loch Fleet at 1745pm heading east. Badenoch and Strathspey: 3 Parrot Crossbill (S and R Halsey) at Loch an Eilein. First record of Swift this spring for Highland today!. May 5th
Inverness-shire: Drake King Eider still at Whiteness Head. Drake Garganey (Peter Stronach) at Alturlie Pools and a Grasshopper Warbler. 4 singing Whitethroats at South Kessock to Muirtown Pools. 5 Waxwing still on Huntly Street!. Mandarin Duck on Loch Ruthven. Whinchat at Bunloit. Sutherland: Adult male Yellow Wagtail spp flava (Peter Stronach and Martin Benson) at Balnakiel, also a male Lapland Bunting and the real rarity still there, Mute Swan!. 3 Whooper Swan at Dornoch Point. Easter Ross: Redstarts, Wood Warblers and Tree Pipits all singing at Loch Achilty Oak Wood. Manx Shearwater passed Tarbat Ness. Wester Ross: First-winter Ring-billed Gull at the river mouth in Ullapool early afternoon. Badenoch and Strathspey: Single Whooper Swan at Lochindorb. Pied Flycatcher at Ord Ban. 2 Stock Dove at Grantown. May 4th
Skye and Lochalsh: Nuthatch (P Cottis) reported at feeders in Isleornsay late afternoon. Inverness-shire: Garden Warbler today at the Longman on the seawall in a gorse bush. Badenoch and Strathspey: Cuckoo, Wood Warbler, 3 Tree Pipit and 2 Pied Flycatcher at Craigellachie today. 2 Scottish Crossbill (A Taylor) at Loch Garten. Sutherland: Mute Swan at Balnakeil. Ring Ouzel at Badanloch today. First Garden Warbler record for Highland this spring!. May 3rd
Easter Ross: Chough (Clair Bale) at Alness Point at the yankee pier on the eastern landward side at 0955am this morning. Badenoch and Strathspey: Waxwing at Loch Vaa. Sedge Warbler at Dulnain Bridge. Lochaber: Glaucous Gull at Kilmory, Rum. Wood Sandpiper back on breeding grounds. May 2nd
Wester Ross: Unconfirmed late report of a second-winter Ring-billed Gull (David Hawker) at Ullapool on the 29th April, on the waterfront just north of the ferry terminal. Lochaber: Drake Black Duck at Strontian still on pool by Kirk upriver of River Strontian mouth. First Corncrake reported on Canna today. On Rum today a Wood Warbler and three Tree Sparrows. Badenoch and Strathspey: 4 Wood Warblers and 3 Pied Flycatchers at Craigellachie today. First record of Pied Flycatcher this spring today!. May 1st
Easter Ross: Grasshopper Warbler reeling in field 1 mile down the minor road opposite Munlochy Church at NH632519. Wester Ross: 2 Cuckoos in Lochbroom today. Badenoch and Strathspey: 2 Dotterel on Cairngorm today. Inverness-shire: Sedge Warbler at Balloch and Loch Flemington. Muscovy Duck at Glenlia, Foyers. Skye and Lochalsh: Corncrake calling at Waternish. First record of Dotterel and Corncrake for Highland this year. |
Highland Birds
