• When here in the Outer Hebrides and looking at a bird, have you ever wondered how rare it is? The status of all species can vary enormously from island to island. How rare is Shoveler on Barra, has Stock Dove been seen on Harris, does Dotterel occur on Benbecula in the autumn, and how common is Blue Tit on North Uist? Well, fret no longer! The Status and Distribution of birds here on the Outer Hebrides has been completely updated and summarised for every species and each of the main islands and outliers. Available as an online resource at https://status.outerhebrides-birdreports.org/ or via our shop

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Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
Castlebay, Barra
The ***Pechora Pipit*** was showing well near the football pitch again today. A Yellow-browed Warbler was also present.

Langass Lodge, North Uist
A Yellow-browed Warbler and 5 Bramblings were there this morning.

Carinish, North Uist
A Wheatear and a Woodcock were seen there this morning

Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
Counting period: 07:50 - 11:00
Weather: Wind SW F4, mostly bright and sunny. Temp 8.9C - 11C.

A 3+ hour seawatch this morning produced 98 Barnacle Geese (S), 7 Eider (6S 1N), 2 Common Scoter (N), 20 Great Northern Divers (S), 50 Gannets (46S 4N), 69 Shag (7S 62N), 112 Kittiwake (S), 1 Black-headed Gull (S), 17 Guillemots (S), 3 Razorbills (S), 14 auk sp (S) and 18 Skylarks (S).
Also present in the area were Greylag Goose 61, Long-tailed Duck 1, Red-throated Diver 1, Great Northern Diver 1, Curlew 10, Purple Sandpiper 2, Merlin 1, Meadow Pipit 2, Rock Pipit 3 and Twite 20

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Pechora Pipit (C) and courtesy of Ian Ricketts
 
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BrianR

Senior Member
North Uist: at Carinish six Whooper Swans flew S at 08.05 followed by six Black-headed Gulls at 08.15. A Blackcap was still present and a Brambling flew over.

During a WeBS count at Loch Paible later in the morning the Lesser Yellowlegs was present again (roosting with 39 Redshank near high tide). Also recorded in the count area were 500+ Barnacle Geese (two with blue colour-rings but too far away to read; many more were overflying the area and quite disturbed with a White-tailed Eagle present), 44 Oystercatchers, 90 Ringed Plover, 14 Grey Plover, five Knot, 37 Dunlin and two Greenshank.
 

Bruce

Senior Member
On Barra the Pechora Pipit continued to show well under the trees in the SW corner of the football pitch. At times this morning it fed less than 3 metres from me and at one point hoped up into a tree just above my head to check me out! There were at least 4 Blackcaps in the same area plus a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Brambling. A small Canada Goose was among a hundred or so Barnacles at Borve around lunchtime before being spooked by a helicopter and flying off to the south. Views were distant and all we can say is that it was similar in size to the presumed parvipes that was here last week. It may well be the same bird in which case it's likely to return again at some point. The Wood Warbler was still at Glen and showing well.

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Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
News from Tony Marr at Ness

Early morning rain and cloud moved away to give a mostly sunny warm day, with just a few heavy showers. A small arrival at the Butt through the day, and an increase on birds in the fields and gardens around Port of Ness.

Loch Stiapabhat LNR (early am)
Whooper Swan – pair with one cygnet

Butt of Lewis (Morning)
Golden Plover – one near lighthouse flew off S
Northern Wheatear – 2 along clifftop south-west of lighthouse
Redwing – 12

(Afternoon)
Whooper Swan – 13 in off the sea carried on southwards (see below) + 6 on the sea
Northern Wheatear – 2
Fieldfare – 11

Eoropie – Fivepenny
Golden Plover – 440+ on the machair (pm)
Common Snipe – 5 dropped out of the sky into Fivepenny marsh (am)

Port of Ness (afternoon)
Barn Swallow - one
House Sparrow – 60
Greenfinch – 10
Brambling – increase to 30 around the Port of Ness Post Office
Blackcap – still 2 (male and female)
Goldcrest – one
Willow Warbler - one
Yellow-browed Warbler – now 2 in gardens

Loch Stiapabhat LNR (1645-1800)
Whooper Swanno sign of this morning’s three; at (1700) 13 arrived from the north (see above) and came down on the loch, leaving to the SW again 55 minutes later.
Moorhen – one (first for several weeks)
 

Robyn PF

Active Member
3 x Redwings at Parks, Eriskay this afternoon. Also a small flock of Greenfinches there - we saw three for definite but there were more audible.

Sparrowhawk near Balranald House this morning.
 
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