• 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
Western Isles / Outer Hebrides bird sightings for today, 5th December 2021. Updated throughout the day

Loch Stiapabhat, Isle of Lewis
The drake ***Lesser Scaup*** was seen there again late morning. 47 Barnacle Geese and 90 Twite were also in the area

Malacleit, North Uist
A ***Cackling Goose*** a *Snow Goose* and a single Pink-footed Goose were seen there this morning

Carinish, North Uist
A Chiffchaff was visiting a garden there

Balavanich, Benbecula
A Common Scoter was seen offshore today

Rubh' Aird-mhicheil, South Uist
A juvenile *Surf Scoter* was offshore and a Little Egret was nearby on West Loch Ollay

Rubha Ardvule, South Uist
Counting period: 08:35-10:50
Weather: Wind NE f1, 0/8 cloud, Temp 1-2c

A 2+ hour seawatch this morning produced 12 Eider (N), 2 Long-tailed Ducks (N), 7 Red-throated Divers (5S 2N), 1 Gannet (N), 10 Shag (2S 8N), and 2 Cormorants (S),
Also present in the area were Greylag Goose 12, Wigeon 9, Mallard 62, Teal 56, Tufted Duck 19, Long-tailed Duck 12, Great Northern Diver 3, Grey Heron 1, Cormorant 12, Common Buzzard 1, Golden Plover 23, Curlew 9, Bar-tailed Godwit 16, Snipe 5, Redshank 13, Hooded Crow 25, Raven 6, Pied Wagtail 1, Rock Pipit 2, Twite 100, and Snow Bunting 1
 

Chris Johnson

Senior Member
A morning count, as soon as light-levels allowed, on a falling high tide from Ardivachar beach to the first range.
Bar-tailed godwits, c750, Sanderlings c1400, redshanks 23.

Same area mid- to late-afternoon.
Similar numbers of bar-tailed godwits and sanderlings spread over a large area. 350+ ringed plovers, 220+ purple sandpipers (this winter resident population needs a rising tide to disturb them of the rocks to get a feel of numbers).

Machair: 500+ twites, 80 goldfinches.

West Loch bee: 16 white-fronted geese (I’m pretty sure there were a lot more but difficult to establish with certainty).

Loch Bee causeway: 31 whooper swans (11 adults, 20 juveniles), c700 wigeon.
 
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