• 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

    New - now available as an ebook

Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
Outer Hebrides / Western Isles bird sightings for today, 17th October 2018. Updated throughout the day

Northbay House, Barra
A ***Baltimore Oriole*** was seen there this morning, later it was in a neighbouring garden.

Huisinis, Isle of Harris
20 Barnacle Geese flew south and 5 Whooper Swans flew east there this morning.

Bornish, South Uist
2 Brambling were there today

baltimore oriole1_1.jpg baltimore oriole2_1.jpg
Northern Oriole (C) and courtesy of Andrew Stevenson
 

Bruce

Senior Member
As far as I'm aware there were no further sightings of the Baltimore Oriole during the afternoon. The small Canada Goose was again on Borve Point, 13 Brent Geese were at Traigh Mhor and the Whooper Swan count on Loch Tangasdale increased to 36.
 

Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
News from Tony Marr at Ness

A day of reasonably settled weather, and an impressive arrival of Arctic birds coming in off the sea at the Butt. Most numerous were Barnacle Geese, with Whooper Swans, Golden Plover, Redwings and Snow Buntings.

Butt of Lewis
Barnacle Goose – 405 in 18 flocks arrived from NE and continued SW down the west coast (08.30 – 12.00)
Whooper Swan – 12 in off the sea (11.50) from NE continued down the west coast
Great Northern Diver – 3 passed NE-SW
Black-headed Gull – 6 passed E-W
Snow Bunting – 5 in off the sea over the lighthouse continued SW down the island
Golden Plover – 13 arrived by the lighthouse (10.20)
Redwing – (am) 8 around the lighthouse compound, and 2 along cliffs west of the lighthouse: (pm) 100+ in fields between the Butt and Eoropie at dusk

Loch Stiapabhat LNR
Whooper Swans – 15 over the loch flew off SW (14.00) plus a flock of 10 on the loch (16.40)

Port of Ness
Garden Warbler – one in gardens
Lesser Whitethroat – one
Brambling – one
Redwing – in late afternoon six flocks totalling 280 passed through the village gardens
Dunnock – 4 together in one garden – unprecedented here!
Chiffchaff – one
Goldfinch – one
 
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