• 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
Outer Hebrides / Western Isles bird sightings for today, 5th April 2018. Updated throughout the day

St Kilda
The adult drake ***Hooded Merganser*** is still on the fire pond, Hirta. [Note:- the observers on St Kilda have yet to detect any rings on its legs]

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Drake Hooded Merganser courtesy of Jill Pilkington

Tiumpan Head, Isle of Lewis
A juvenile Glaucous Gull seen there again today

Baleshare, North Uist
3 flocks totalling c310 Barnacle Geese were seen flying NW this morning

Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
Weather: Wind NNW backing WNW f2, bright and sunny. Temp 2.7 - 5.6C
A 3.5 hour seawatch this morning produced 9 Greylag Geese (N), 9 Eider (7S 2N), 1 Red-breasted Merganser (N), 5 Red-throated Divers (1S 4N), 9 Fulmars (3S 6N), 243 Gannets (4S 239N), 32 Shag (2S 30N), 1 Cormorants (S), 357 Kittiwakes (1S 356N), 3 Razorbills (N) and 8 auk sp (4S 4N).
Also present in the area were Greylag Goose 5, Wigeon 42, Tufted Duck 10, Eider 23, Long-tailed Duck 11, Red-breasted Merganser 3, Red-throated Diver 2, Great Northern Diver 7, Shag 16, Cormorant 14, Golden Plover 3, Purple Sandpiper 3, Black-headed Gull 41, Raven 6, Redwing 1, Pied Wagtail 3, Meadow Pipit 4 and Twite 2

Eoligarry, Barra
The *White-billed Diver* was seen offshore again today (See Bruces post below)
 

Chris Johnson

Senior Member
A single large skein of barnacle geese, c400, heading north early afternoon. Seen from Ardivachar headland.
Another 50 at 17:00hrs.
Another 140 at 20:00hrs.
Total c590.
 
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BrianR

Senior Member
Sightings made by Mike Bell this morning included six (three ♂) Lapland Buntings at Aird an Rùnair, North Uist and two pairs of Pintail on Loch nam Feithean.
 

Bruce

Senior Member
As mentioned above, the white-billed diver was again off Eoligarry at high tide this morning, but unlike the red-throated diver that was bobbing around just off the jetty, the closest it got was about half a mile from us. At least 13 slavonian grebes were in the same area, now in summer plumage and frequently displaying to each other and taking short flights; suspect they are about to leave. A single slavonian grebe flew south past Leinis this afternoon. A juvenile Iceland gull was off Ardmhor this morning.

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