Local Rarity 14th October 2017

[Hawkeye]

Castlebay, Barra
A *Barred Warbler* seen today - See Bruce's post below

Rubha Ardvule, South Uist
A 3.5 hour seawatch this morning produced 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese (S), 58 Barnacle Geese (S), 17 Tufted Duck (S), 7 Eider (S), 3 Red-breasted Mergansers (S), 10 Red-throated Divers (8S, 2N), 35 Great Northern Divers (34S, 1N), 147 Gannets (144S, 3N), 11 Shag (1S, 10N), 152 Golden Plover (S), 21 Snipe (S), 6 Purple Sandpiper (S), 15 Kittiwake (14S, 1N), 2 Arctic Tern (S), 2 Great Skua (1S, 1N), 11 Guillemot (S), 17 Razorbill (S), 1 Black Guillemot (S), 26 auk spp (S) and 5 Skylark (S). Also present in the area were 2 Red-throated Divers and a white-tailed Eagle

Arnol, Lewis
4 flocks of pale-bellied Brent Geese flew south down the shore this morning

Carloway, Lewis
33 Whooper Swans came in off the sea to roost on the loch this evening

Cheese Bay, North Uist:
Circa 90 Brent Geese flew south this afternoon.

Balivanich, Benbecula
A Wood Pigeon was present today

Peter's Port, Benbecula
At least 300 Barnacle Geese flew south this morning.

Ness Area
News from Tony Marr
The largest arrival so far this autumn, with a SW wind F. 6 and occasional showers.

Butt of Lewis
Great Northern Diver – 2 flew SW early morning
Red-throated Diver – 3 flew SW early morning
Barnacle Goose – one flew SW early morning and 2 on clifftop SE of the lighthouse
Arctic Skua – an immature on clifftop nr lighthouse (am)
Goldfinch – 8 nr lighthouse (am)
Siskin – 1 with Goldfinches nr lighthouse (am)
Snow Bunting – 24 (20+2+2) flew SE near the lighthouse (early am)

Loch Stiapavat
Black-tailed Godwit – still one
Ruff – one still present
Pinkfooted Geese – 2
Barnacle Goose – 19 over E-W

Port of Ness
Whooper Swan – flocks of 17 and 11 came in off the sea (the 17 flew on S and the 11 turned in towards Loch Stiapavat). Later 15 were seen sitting on the sea.
Barnacle Geese – 25 flew N-S + 60 on clifftops to S of the village
LBB Gull – ad on cliffs S of village
Arctic Tern – adult still present in the bay
Kittiwake – 300 flew S in the evening
Brambling – male in gardens

South Dell
Redpolls – 12 (at least 9 were Common)
Redwings - A steady arrival during the afternoon, totaling 210 from Port of Ness to South Dell.

 

[Chris Johnson]

Ardivachar
1 Red-throated Diver; 83 (21 + 62) Barnacle Geese; 13 Snipes

 

[BrianR]

North Uist: a few geese were on the move today with ca.500 Barnacles at Carinish at 08.20 hours (arrived from the NE and went away towards Eachkamish), a skein of ca.300 unidentified geese flew S at 10.45 hours (well to the E of where I was) and this evening 37 pale-bellied Brents were on the ground at Clachan-a-Luib (had moved on by 17.30 hours when I returned from picking up the paper). At Carinish this morning a Water Rail was seen (unusually not heard any here for a while) and there were single Lapland and Snow Buntings at Eachkamish.

 

[Bruce]

A few new migrants on Barra today. A barred warbler was at Castlebay by the football pitch this morning and showed well for 20 minutes before going to ground. A male blackcap, a chiffchaff and the coal tit were in the same area. A hawfinch was reported from Ardmhor; no doubt the same chunky looking finch I glimpsed flying through the canopy there on Thursday. A brambling is still present in the plantation there. A yellow-browed warbler was at Northbay this afternoon and a blackcap was still at Creachan.