• 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
Western Isles / Outer Hebrides bird sightings for today, 25th March 2020

Carinish, North Uist
A Jack Snipe was there today

Ruhba Ardvule
Counting period: 08:15 - 11:10
Weather: Wind NW veering NNW - NNE - E f2-f1. 8/8 cloud, dull. Temp 6-7C.

A three hour seawatch this morning produced 64 Greenland White-fronted Geese (N), 607 Whooper Swans (N), 26 Eider (N), 4 Long-tailed Duck (N), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (N), 1 Red-throated Diver (N), 37 Gannets (15S 22N), 14 Shag (15S 22N), 16 Oystercatchers (N), 15 Bar-tailed Godwits (N), 11 Kittiwakes (8S 3N) and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull(N).
Also present in the area were Greylag Goose 3, Shelduck 4, Tufted Duck 6, Long-tailed Duck 4, Red-breasted Merganser 3, Great Northern Diver 6, Shag 24, Cormorant 23, Turnstone 57, Purple Sandpiper 26, Redshank 21, Black-headed Gull 4, Great Black-backed Gull 12, Raven 6, Skylark 8 and Pied Wagtail 2

Whooper Swans are beginning to pass through the islands with 36 at Fivepenny, Lewis, 40 flying north at Balranald, North Uist this morning and 80+ on Loch Mor, Benbecula. A further 147 were seen later on Benbecula as was a Northern Wheatear
 

Bruce

Senior Member
Due to the lock down my birding today was mostly from the house with a short walk around Brevig first thing. A Chiffchaff was new in along with a moderate fall of Redwings and a few Goldcrests. Meadow Pipit numbers are creeping up by the day. Several small flocks of Oystercatchers came in off the sea from the south-east and around mid afternoon a flock of around 100 Brent Geese flew north-west over the sea. A single Tree Sparrow is still coming to my feeders and was joined briefly by the Great Tit that has been touring Barra for 12 months!

DSCN0814 (2).JPG
 

Hawkeye

Eyes and Ears Everywhere
News from Andrew:-

A Lapland Bunting was flying around Ardvule first thing this morning, and later a heard only flock of Greenland white-fronts over the house mid afternoon.
 
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