• 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, 3rd September 2020. Updated throughout the day

Butt of Lewis
12 Greenland Wheatears were at there and two Black-tailed Godwits were nearby at Loch Stiapabhat

Borve, Isle of Lewis
A Lapland Bunting flew over this morning

Loch Ordais, Isle of Lewis
The juvenile Curlew Sandpiper was still there today

Gallan Head, Isle of Lewis
A Lapland Bunting was seen there today

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
7 Great Skuas, 1 Arctic Skua and a Sooty Shearwater were seen offshore from the harbour

Lockmaddy, North Uist
2 Grey Phalaropes were seen from the Uig - Lochmaddy ferry this morning

Eoligarry, Barra
A *Common Rosefinch* was seen there this morning [see Bruce's post below]
Five Sooty Shearwaters, four Great Skuas, eight Teal and 100s of Manx Shearwaters past Eoligarry in an hour this evening

Rubha Ardvule, South Uist
Counting period: 06:30-10:20
Weather: Wind SW f4 - 6, initially 8/8 cloud with light rain but clearing to bright sunny conditions, Temp 14 - 15 C.

A near 4 hour seawatch this morning produced 7 Red-throated Divers (S), 1 Black-throated Diver (S), 6 Great Northern Divers (S), 3 Storm Petrels (S), 51 Fulmars (S), 5 Sooty Shearwaters (S), 238 Manx Shearwaters (S), 449 Gannets (447S 2N), 7 Shag (2S 5N), 14 Oystercatchers (S - in off the sea), 14 Golden Plover (S- in off the sea), 4 Bar-tailed Godwits (S - in off the sea), 21 Kitiwakes (S), 3 Common Terns (N), 1 Arctic Tern (S), 2 Great Skuas (S), 1 Arctic Skua (S), 2 Guillemots (S), 5 Razorbills (S) and 2 auk sp (S).
Also present in the area were Greylag Goose 23, Teal 1, Tufted Duck 3, Eider 9, Red-throated Diver 1, Cormorant 8, Ringed Plover 24, Turnstone 25, Knot 1, Sanderling 30, Dunlin 27, Peregrine 2 [adult & juvenile], Hooded Crow 1, Wheatear 1, Pied Wagtail 4, White Wagtail 3, Meadow Pipit 12 and Lapland Bunting 1

Counting period: 13:30-14:15
Weather: Wind strengthen with showers in afternoon.

A later 45 minute seawatch produced 1 Storm Petrel (S) and 2 Leach's Petrel (S).

A **Great Shearwater** later heading south at 19:27
An additional 32 Leach's Petrel's flew past the point between 14:40 and 20:07 with two killed and eaten by a Peregrine. 4 Storm Petrels, 7 Sooty Shearwaters, 302 Manx Shearwaters and 750+ Gannets also passed during that period.

GreatShearwater_RArdvule_PeterStronach_20200903.jpeg
Great Shearwater, Rubha Ardvule. Courtesy of and ©Peter Stronach
 

Bruce

Senior Member
Barra.
A juv Common Rosefinch was at Eoligarry first thing this morning, though apparently wasn't seen later. A Ruff was in nearby fields and the Pied Flycatcher remained at Ardmhor.
A 3 hour seawatch on the west side of Vatersay from 2pm produced a juv Sabine's Gull (2.30pm), 5 Leach's and 3 Storm Petrels, 1 Great Skua, I Red-throated Diver, 8 Sooty Shearwaters and c1800 Manx all going south.

DSCN7283 (2).JPG
 
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