Hawkeye
Eyes and Ears Everywhere
West Gerinish, South Uist
The juvenile *American Golden Plover* is still to be found on the range along with a Black-tailed Godwit
Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
A two hour seawatch this morning produced 6 Eider (3S 3N), 7 Long-tailed Duck (6S 1N), 4 Red-throated Divers (S), 7 Great Northern Divers (S), 55 Gannets (46S 9N), 15 Shag (N), 6 Kittiwakes (S), 1 Great Skua (S), 10 Guillemots (S), 6 Razorbills (S) and 12 auk sp (10S 2N). 6 Long-tailed Duck, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers and 3 Great Northern Divers were also in the area.
Stinky Bay, Benbecula
A Whimbrel was seen there today.
The Braigh, Lewis
50 Long-tailed Ducks were seen this morning.
Barvas, Isle of Lewis
400 Redwings flew south today
Carinish, North Uist
4 Bramblings, a Wheatear and a Fieldfare seen today
Ness Area
News from Tony Marr
Tuesday 17 October
Butt of Lewis
Sooty Shearwater – 1
Arctic Skua – 3
Bonxie – 2
Pinkfooted Geese – 11 arrived by Loch Stiapavat and rapidly moved on
Black Redstart – one reported from South Dell
Redwing – 190 in South Dell, 100 of these flew up very high and headed off S over the moorland
Goldcrest – one in South Dell
Wednesday 18 October
Barnacle Geese – 24 by Loch Stiapavat
Pinkfooted Geese – 5 arrived at Loch Stiapavat (am) and within ten minutes had moved on.
Golden Plover – 200 in Fivepenny machair area
Redwing – 250+ in South Dell
Lesser Redpoll – three there
Goldcrest – two there
House Sparrow – in recent days up to 80 at my garden feeding station in Port of Ness
Thursday 19 October
A very large arrival of thrushes in off the sea from N and heading S at the Butt between the lighthouse and the western tip of the Butt at Roinn a ’ Roidh, a distance of a mile or so. Starting with low numbers when we arrived around 0900, the passage increased and continued unabated for some eight hours, ending around 1700. It involved 5,400 birds in total which was an actual count of numbers passing and involved 4,790 Redwings [an estimate based on numbers in the nearer flocks], circa 610 Fieldfare and 44 Blackbirds
Also 12 Brambling and Snow Bunting, two flocks combined into one of 42 at the western end of the Butt, overlooking Cunndal
Northern Wheatear – 1
Ring Ouzel – 2 along cliff top
Hawfinch – a probable one passed over, caught up in a flock of Redwings
South Dell (late afternoon)
Redwing – hundreds passing over N-S
Goldcrest – 1
Brambling – 12
Ring Ouzel - 1
The juvenile *American Golden Plover* is still to be found on the range along with a Black-tailed Godwit
Ruhba Ardvule, South Uist
A two hour seawatch this morning produced 6 Eider (3S 3N), 7 Long-tailed Duck (6S 1N), 4 Red-throated Divers (S), 7 Great Northern Divers (S), 55 Gannets (46S 9N), 15 Shag (N), 6 Kittiwakes (S), 1 Great Skua (S), 10 Guillemots (S), 6 Razorbills (S) and 12 auk sp (10S 2N). 6 Long-tailed Duck, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers and 3 Great Northern Divers were also in the area.
Stinky Bay, Benbecula
A Whimbrel was seen there today.
The Braigh, Lewis
50 Long-tailed Ducks were seen this morning.
Barvas, Isle of Lewis
400 Redwings flew south today
Carinish, North Uist
4 Bramblings, a Wheatear and a Fieldfare seen today
Ness Area
News from Tony Marr
Tuesday 17 October
Butt of Lewis
Sooty Shearwater – 1
Arctic Skua – 3
Bonxie – 2
Pinkfooted Geese – 11 arrived by Loch Stiapavat and rapidly moved on
Black Redstart – one reported from South Dell
Redwing – 190 in South Dell, 100 of these flew up very high and headed off S over the moorland
Goldcrest – one in South Dell
Wednesday 18 October
Barnacle Geese – 24 by Loch Stiapavat
Pinkfooted Geese – 5 arrived at Loch Stiapavat (am) and within ten minutes had moved on.
Golden Plover – 200 in Fivepenny machair area
Redwing – 250+ in South Dell
Lesser Redpoll – three there
Goldcrest – two there
House Sparrow – in recent days up to 80 at my garden feeding station in Port of Ness
Thursday 19 October
A very large arrival of thrushes in off the sea from N and heading S at the Butt between the lighthouse and the western tip of the Butt at Roinn a ’ Roidh, a distance of a mile or so. Starting with low numbers when we arrived around 0900, the passage increased and continued unabated for some eight hours, ending around 1700. It involved 5,400 birds in total which was an actual count of numbers passing and involved 4,790 Redwings [an estimate based on numbers in the nearer flocks], circa 610 Fieldfare and 44 Blackbirds
Also 12 Brambling and Snow Bunting, two flocks combined into one of 42 at the western end of the Butt, overlooking Cunndal
Northern Wheatear – 1
Ring Ouzel – 2 along cliff top
Hawfinch – a probable one passed over, caught up in a flock of Redwings
South Dell (late afternoon)
Redwing – hundreds passing over N-S
Goldcrest – 1
Brambling – 12
Ring Ouzel - 1