Scottish Rarity 30th April 2017

[Hawkeye]

Castlebay, Barra
The **Black-crowned Night Heron** still present in the Gleann/Garrygall area but elusive. (See Bruces post below)

Carinish, North Uist
20 Whimbrel seen this morning

Bornish, South Uist
37 Whimbrel and 16 Black-tailed Godwits seen on the machair plus a 2CY Iceland Gull at Ardvule in the north bay there

Loch Branahuie, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
250+ Long-tailed Ducks this morning

Tiumpan, Head, Isle of Lewis
2 immature Iceland Gulls present this morning.

Borve Point, Benbecula
22+ Whimbrel reported

Stornoway Harbour, Isle of Lewis
A juvenile Iceland Gull still in the inner harbour. 2 Blackcaps seen nearby in the castle grounds

Ness area, Isle of Lewis
News from Tony Marr
Not much change today: a few more out and a few more in!

The Butt
Chiffchaff - one in lighthouse compound

Loch Stiapavat
Pink-footed Goose - 9
Barnacle Goose - 3
Gadwall - pair still present
Coot - still present
Golden Plover - 150
Dunlin - 30 on adjacent machair & 22 in front of hide
Barn Swallow - one
Sand Martin - one

Fivepenny - flooded machair
Green-winged Teal - the drake and his mate still present
Black-tailed Godwit - one

Port of Ness
Snow Bunting - a male on my bird table on and off during the day, and
feeding with House Sparrows on the ground below!
[Not quite what I expected to see when I set up the feeding station last
autumn! See attached photos]


Photo's courtesy of Tony Marr

 

[MisterT]

Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Cuckoo and Corncrake all singing here in Askernish today


Ringed Plover and Raven

 

[Chris Johnson]

Ardivachar Bay - high tide
7 Whimbrels, 3 Arctic Terns, 200 Dunlins, 250 Turnstones, 7 Redshanks, 11 Eiders, 11 Shelducks, 1 White Wagtail. Lots of gulls, here are the best estimates: Black-headed Gulls 80, Common Gulls, 110, Herring Gulls, 160, Greater Black-backed Gulls 5, Glaucous Gull 1.

Range
101 Golden Plovers, 1 Whimbrel, 2 Wheatears.

North Bay
A spectacular 4000 Dunlins, 600 Sanderlings, 13 Redshanks, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Arctic Tern.
Also a Black-tailed Godwit, ringed with a 4-colour combination above the 'knees'. We sent this to a friend working on them in Iceland, with an immediate response: '... bird was ringed as a chick in 2005'. More precise details to follow.

 

[Bruce]

At least 1 night heron still present today in the Glen/Garrygall area but elusive. I suspect that both birds are likely to be in the area still but are increasingly hard to locate in the deep ditches and stream. Also on Barra today 2 blackcaps around Brevig, my first whitethroats and sedge warblers of the year at Castlebay, 11 whimbrel at Allasdale and another at Leinis.

 

[BrianR]

There were quite a few summer visitors at Lochmaddy this morning including at least five Common Sandpipers, a Cuckoo, at least six Willow Warblers and a Sedge Warbler.

Yesterday at Loch Paible there was an Iceland Gull and offshore near the mouth of the loch at least 85 Arctic Terns.

 

[Ardmaraig]

Three juv starlings in the garden today! Earliest I have ever seen them! God knows how they got here as the nearest site I know of is at least 400m away and I doubt whether they could have flown that distance! Spent much of the day cowering under vegetation - just as well as our male hen harrier is back!