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 [email protected].
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 [email protected].
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.
30th September
Sutherland: Yellow-browed Warbler Sheigra (per Birdguides)
Easter Ross: Black Brant Udale Bay (identification disputed) (per Susan Seright), Little Egret Udale Bay (per BirdTrack), Egret sp ("Grey Heron sized" so probably Great White Egret) River Conon (Edwin Hafiz), Pomarine Skua Tarbat Ness (Dave Tanner)
Skye and Lochalsh: 2 Yellow-browed Warblers Harrapool, Broadford (Martin Benson)
29th September
Sutherland: Yellow-browed Warbler Keoldale Plantation, Durness (Bob McMillan), Yellow-browed Warbler Scourie, near burn (Andy Williams), 2 Yellow-browed Warblers Durness Health Centre (Bob McMillan), 2 Jays Strathy Village (per P Higson) (unusual so far north and may be migrants, 2 also seen in Orkney today)
Easter Ross: Jay flying south Portmahomack may also be a migrant (Dave Tanner)
Skye and Lochalsh: 2 Yellow-browed Warblers Drumfearn (NB & PK)
Lochaber: Green Woodpecker Uilleann, Morvern (per BirdTrack) (out-of-range birds are reported almost annually although this is essentially a sedentary species)
28th September
Sutherland: Hobby Strathy Village (Kevin Davis), 2 Yellow-browed Warblers Sheigra (per BirdGuides)
Wester Ross: Yellow-browed Warbler on road to Rhue, a few miles N of Ullapool (Andy Williams)
Easter Ross: Little Egret Udale Bay (per BirdTrack)
Skye and Lochalsh: Yellow-browed Warbler Drumfearn (PK)
27th September
Sutherland: 2 Yellow-browed Warblers (Andy Williams)
Easter Ross: Pomarine Skua Chanonry Point (per BirdGuides)
Skye and Lochalsh: Yellow-browed Warbler Portree (Neil Bennett)
26th September
Sutherland: Yellow-browed Warbler Durness, near Health Centre (Per BirdGuides)
Wester Ross: Yellow-browed Warbler Morefield, Ullapool by path on N side of river (Andy Williams)
Easter Ross: juvenile Little Gull and 1 Pomarine Skua Chanonry Point (Kevin Davis)
Skye and Lochalsh: Yellow-browed Warbler Drumfearn, Skye (PK)
25th September
Easter Ross: 2 Pomarine Skuas Chanonry Point (Kevin Davis)
24th September
Easter Ross: 3 Pomarine Skuas Chanonry Point (per BirdGuides)
Inverness: 2 Pomarine Skuas Fort George (Mike Crutch), 4 there (Alan MacAskill)
Skye and Lochalsh: The Yellow-legged Gull still at Loch Poolteil (A Stables).
23rd September
Wester Ross: 2 Leach's Petrels, 2 Pomarine Skuas Ullapool-Stornoway Ferry (also 30+ Storm Petrels, 30 Arctic Skuas & 50 Great Skuas) (John Poyner)
Easter Ross: Little Egret Udale Bay (per BirdTrack), Long-tailed Skua and 12 Arctic Skuas Chanonry Point (Kevin Davis). Great Egret Dingwall area (per BirdGuides)
Skye and Lochalsh: Yellow-legged Gull Loch Pooltiel (Bob McMillan)
22nd September
Easter Ross: Sooty Shearwater 11kms SE of Tarbat Ness (Andy Williams).
Skye and Lochalsh: The Yellow-legged Gull still at Loch Poolteil (per A Stables).
Lochaber: 4 Gadwalls Linhe and Lochy Mouth (per BirdTrack).
21st September
Sutherland: Balearic Shearwater and 3 Pomarine Skuas south Embo (Dean MacAskill). Kingfisher by A835 15 minutes N of Ullapool (Mike Crutch).
Easter Ross: juvenile Little Gull off Tain Links (Bob Swann), Gadwall Loch Eye (Bob Swann).
20th September
Easter Ross: juvenile Pomarine Skua Chanonry Point (Blair Whyte)
Inverness: immature Pomarine Skua South Kessock (Jenny McNee)
Badenoch and Strathspey: first Fieldfare Nethybridge-Grantown (John Poyner)
Skye and Lochalsh: Pomarine Skua Uig-Lochmaddy Ferry (per Birdguides) - also 2 Killer Whales, 1 Minke Whale
Lochaber: Lapland Bunting Kilmory, Rum (Bob McMillan)
19th September
Sutherland: Barred Warbler trapped and ringed Melvich (per E Maughan). Juvenile Little Gull off Embo Pier (Dean MacAskill)
Easter Ross: Adult Pomarine Skua and 2 juvenile Long-tailed Skuas, 11 kms SE of Tarbat Ness (Andy Williams)
18th September
Skye and Lochalsh: Pomarine Skua from Uig - Lochmaddy Ferry (per Birdguides). The Yellow-legged Gull still at Lower Milovaig (per A Stables).
Lochaber: Black Duck above second bridge Strontian in afternoon (but not seen in four-hour search in morning) (per Birdguides).
Badenoch and Strathspey: Juvenile Marsh Harrier Invertromie/Ballochbuie (Insh) (Dave Pierce).
17th September
Easter Ross: Pomarine Skua passed Tarbat Ness into Dornoch Firth this morning (Birdguides).
16th September
Wester Ross: Juvenile Sabine's Gull, 2 Pomarine Skua, 3 Whooper Swan and 2 Sooty Shearwaters on the Highland side of the Minch from the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry (Peter Stronach).
Easter Ross: Juvenile Black Tern, juvenile Little Tern and 60 Common Tern on Dornoch Beach (Dean MacAskill).
15th September
Sutherland: 1 Balearic, 23 Sooty and hundreds of Manx Shearwaters, 1 Pomarine, 2 Arctic and 21 Great Skuas, all at Balnakeil (Nina O'Hanlon and Rob Hughes). 5 hour swatch from Strathy Point; 5 Pomarine Skuas, 1 adult Long-tailed Skua, 33 Arctic Skua, 32 Bonxie, 56 Sooty Shearwater, 1 Leach's Petrel, 10 Common Tern and 100's of Manx Shearwaters (Dean MacAskill).
Skye and Lochalsh: 11 Pale-bellied Brent Geese Broadford (NH)
Badenoch and Strathspey: Marsh Harrier Insh Marshes (Dave Pierce)
At least one of the Insh Barnacle Geese is confirmed to be a feral bird from Highland Wildlife Park, Kincraig as its ring indicated it had been ringed there in 2016. In January 2018 it was sighted in Dumfriesshire).
14th September
Skye and Lochalsh: 1 Leach's Petrel, 13 pale-bellied Brent Geese in Loch Ainort (NB), 14 Pale-bellied Brent Geese in Loch Portree (NB). Juvenile Sabine's Gull reported from the Uig-Stornoway ferry within Skye waters (per Skye Birds).
13th September
Easter Ross: 570 Red-breasted Mergansers off Ballintraid is an exceptionally high count (Bob Swann)
Skye and Lochalsh: 20 Pale-bellied Brent Geese in Loch Portree (NB)
Badenoch and Strathspey: 163 Barnacle Geese at Dell of Killiehuntly (Dave Pierce) - too early for Svalbard birds and likely to be local birds en route to wintering grounds (some are known to winter on Solway), immature Marsh Harrier at Insh Marshes (Dave Pierce).
12th September
Easter Ross: 410 Ballintraid Pier is a high count (per BirdTrack). An early Long-tailed Duck at Tarbat Ness (Dave Tanner).
Badenoch and Strathspey: Common Redpoll (Mealy or NW-type) dropped into Mountain Garden Cairngorm after rain shower (J Poyner), 80 Barnacle Geese Dell of Killiehuntly (Dave Pierce) - very early for migrants.
Skye and Lochalsh: 62 Brent Geese Broadford Bay am, 110 early evening (M Benson).
11th September
Inverness-shire: 3 Swifts at Craig Dunain, Inverness (Sam Borthwick).
Badenoch and Strathspey: Male Ring Ouzel in the Mountain Garden at Cairngorm (J Poyner).
Skye and Lochalsh: 63 (3, 12 and 48) Brent Geese in Broadford Bay (MB, P O-W), 130 Sconser (L Hamilton).
10th September
Sutherland: Black Scoter with Common Scoters at Achmelvich Bay (per Birdguides).
Easter Ross: 9 Ospreys in the Beauly Firth (Sue Pettit).
Skye and Lochalsh: Great Skua at Kilmory (Sean Morris), Great Skua and Arctic Skua at Raasay (G Rees).
Sutherland: Yellow-browed Warbler Sheigra (per Birdguides)
Easter Ross: Black Brant Udale Bay (identification disputed) (per Susan Seright), Little Egret Udale Bay (per BirdTrack), Egret sp ("Grey Heron sized" so probably Great White Egret) River Conon (Edwin Hafiz), Pomarine Skua Tarbat Ness (Dave Tanner)
Skye and Lochalsh: 2 Yellow-browed Warblers Harrapool, Broadford (Martin Benson)
29th September
Sutherland: Yellow-browed Warbler Keoldale Plantation, Durness (Bob McMillan), Yellow-browed Warbler Scourie, near burn (Andy Williams), 2 Yellow-browed Warblers Durness Health Centre (Bob McMillan), 2 Jays Strathy Village (per P Higson) (unusual so far north and may be migrants, 2 also seen in Orkney today)
Easter Ross: Jay flying south Portmahomack may also be a migrant (Dave Tanner)
Skye and Lochalsh: 2 Yellow-browed Warblers Drumfearn (NB & PK)
Lochaber: Green Woodpecker Uilleann, Morvern (per BirdTrack) (out-of-range birds are reported almost annually although this is essentially a sedentary species)
28th September
Sutherland: Hobby Strathy Village (Kevin Davis), 2 Yellow-browed Warblers Sheigra (per BirdGuides)
Wester Ross: Yellow-browed Warbler on road to Rhue, a few miles N of Ullapool (Andy Williams)
Easter Ross: Little Egret Udale Bay (per BirdTrack)
Skye and Lochalsh: Yellow-browed Warbler Drumfearn (PK)
27th September
Sutherland: 2 Yellow-browed Warblers (Andy Williams)
Easter Ross: Pomarine Skua Chanonry Point (per BirdGuides)
Skye and Lochalsh: Yellow-browed Warbler Portree (Neil Bennett)
26th September
Sutherland: Yellow-browed Warbler Durness, near Health Centre (Per BirdGuides)
Wester Ross: Yellow-browed Warbler Morefield, Ullapool by path on N side of river (Andy Williams)
Easter Ross: juvenile Little Gull and 1 Pomarine Skua Chanonry Point (Kevin Davis)
Skye and Lochalsh: Yellow-browed Warbler Drumfearn, Skye (PK)
25th September
Easter Ross: 2 Pomarine Skuas Chanonry Point (Kevin Davis)
24th September
Easter Ross: 3 Pomarine Skuas Chanonry Point (per BirdGuides)
Inverness: 2 Pomarine Skuas Fort George (Mike Crutch), 4 there (Alan MacAskill)
Skye and Lochalsh: The Yellow-legged Gull still at Loch Poolteil (A Stables).
23rd September
Wester Ross: 2 Leach's Petrels, 2 Pomarine Skuas Ullapool-Stornoway Ferry (also 30+ Storm Petrels, 30 Arctic Skuas & 50 Great Skuas) (John Poyner)
Easter Ross: Little Egret Udale Bay (per BirdTrack), Long-tailed Skua and 12 Arctic Skuas Chanonry Point (Kevin Davis). Great Egret Dingwall area (per BirdGuides)
Skye and Lochalsh: Yellow-legged Gull Loch Pooltiel (Bob McMillan)
22nd September
Easter Ross: Sooty Shearwater 11kms SE of Tarbat Ness (Andy Williams).
Skye and Lochalsh: The Yellow-legged Gull still at Loch Poolteil (per A Stables).
Lochaber: 4 Gadwalls Linhe and Lochy Mouth (per BirdTrack).
21st September
Sutherland: Balearic Shearwater and 3 Pomarine Skuas south Embo (Dean MacAskill). Kingfisher by A835 15 minutes N of Ullapool (Mike Crutch).
Easter Ross: juvenile Little Gull off Tain Links (Bob Swann), Gadwall Loch Eye (Bob Swann).
20th September
Easter Ross: juvenile Pomarine Skua Chanonry Point (Blair Whyte)
Inverness: immature Pomarine Skua South Kessock (Jenny McNee)
Badenoch and Strathspey: first Fieldfare Nethybridge-Grantown (John Poyner)
Skye and Lochalsh: Pomarine Skua Uig-Lochmaddy Ferry (per Birdguides) - also 2 Killer Whales, 1 Minke Whale
Lochaber: Lapland Bunting Kilmory, Rum (Bob McMillan)
19th September
Sutherland: Barred Warbler trapped and ringed Melvich (per E Maughan). Juvenile Little Gull off Embo Pier (Dean MacAskill)
Easter Ross: Adult Pomarine Skua and 2 juvenile Long-tailed Skuas, 11 kms SE of Tarbat Ness (Andy Williams)
18th September
Skye and Lochalsh: Pomarine Skua from Uig - Lochmaddy Ferry (per Birdguides). The Yellow-legged Gull still at Lower Milovaig (per A Stables).
Lochaber: Black Duck above second bridge Strontian in afternoon (but not seen in four-hour search in morning) (per Birdguides).
Badenoch and Strathspey: Juvenile Marsh Harrier Invertromie/Ballochbuie (Insh) (Dave Pierce).
17th September
Easter Ross: Pomarine Skua passed Tarbat Ness into Dornoch Firth this morning (Birdguides).
16th September
Wester Ross: Juvenile Sabine's Gull, 2 Pomarine Skua, 3 Whooper Swan and 2 Sooty Shearwaters on the Highland side of the Minch from the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry (Peter Stronach).
Easter Ross: Juvenile Black Tern, juvenile Little Tern and 60 Common Tern on Dornoch Beach (Dean MacAskill).
15th September
Sutherland: 1 Balearic, 23 Sooty and hundreds of Manx Shearwaters, 1 Pomarine, 2 Arctic and 21 Great Skuas, all at Balnakeil (Nina O'Hanlon and Rob Hughes). 5 hour swatch from Strathy Point; 5 Pomarine Skuas, 1 adult Long-tailed Skua, 33 Arctic Skua, 32 Bonxie, 56 Sooty Shearwater, 1 Leach's Petrel, 10 Common Tern and 100's of Manx Shearwaters (Dean MacAskill).
Skye and Lochalsh: 11 Pale-bellied Brent Geese Broadford (NH)
Badenoch and Strathspey: Marsh Harrier Insh Marshes (Dave Pierce)
At least one of the Insh Barnacle Geese is confirmed to be a feral bird from Highland Wildlife Park, Kincraig as its ring indicated it had been ringed there in 2016. In January 2018 it was sighted in Dumfriesshire).
14th September
Skye and Lochalsh: 1 Leach's Petrel, 13 pale-bellied Brent Geese in Loch Ainort (NB), 14 Pale-bellied Brent Geese in Loch Portree (NB). Juvenile Sabine's Gull reported from the Uig-Stornoway ferry within Skye waters (per Skye Birds).
13th September
Easter Ross: 570 Red-breasted Mergansers off Ballintraid is an exceptionally high count (Bob Swann)
Skye and Lochalsh: 20 Pale-bellied Brent Geese in Loch Portree (NB)
Badenoch and Strathspey: 163 Barnacle Geese at Dell of Killiehuntly (Dave Pierce) - too early for Svalbard birds and likely to be local birds en route to wintering grounds (some are known to winter on Solway), immature Marsh Harrier at Insh Marshes (Dave Pierce).
12th September
Easter Ross: 410 Ballintraid Pier is a high count (per BirdTrack). An early Long-tailed Duck at Tarbat Ness (Dave Tanner).
Badenoch and Strathspey: Common Redpoll (Mealy or NW-type) dropped into Mountain Garden Cairngorm after rain shower (J Poyner), 80 Barnacle Geese Dell of Killiehuntly (Dave Pierce) - very early for migrants.
Skye and Lochalsh: 62 Brent Geese Broadford Bay am, 110 early evening (M Benson).
11th September
Inverness-shire: 3 Swifts at Craig Dunain, Inverness (Sam Borthwick).
Badenoch and Strathspey: Male Ring Ouzel in the Mountain Garden at Cairngorm (J Poyner).
Skye and Lochalsh: 63 (3, 12 and 48) Brent Geese in Broadford Bay (MB, P O-W), 130 Sconser (L Hamilton).
10th September
Sutherland: Black Scoter with Common Scoters at Achmelvich Bay (per Birdguides).
Easter Ross: 9 Ospreys in the Beauly Firth (Sue Pettit).
Skye and Lochalsh: Great Skua at Kilmory (Sean Morris), Great Skua and Arctic Skua at Raasay (G Rees).
