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Recent Sightings Please note that the sightings below do not reflect the variety of species you can see in a normal day out birding or wildlife watching. These reports concentrate on more unusual species or significant counts or movements. For an idea of what you can find on an average day please visit the the appropriate seasonal links on the left side of the home page. To report sightings please contact Steve at: steveduffield@hebrides.net County bird recorder: Brian Rabbitts [rabbitts@hebrides.net]
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30th November: South Uist: Snow Bunting at Grogarry. 29th November: North Uist: Richardson's Canada Goose with 700 Barnacle Geese on Berneray machair. Also 250 Twite, 6 Snow Buntings and 24 Corn Buntings. Little Egret at Oban Trumisgarry. South Uist: 5 Woodcock at Druidibeg. 28th November: North Uist: Crossbill at Ben Langass plantation. A single Brambling with around 50 Greenfinch by Borve Hall, Berneray. Snow Bunting on Borve machair, Berneray and 850 Barnacle Geese by Loch Brusda. Cetaceans: At least 2 Porpoise to the south-west of Berneray and another in the Sound of Pabbay. 27th November: South Uist: 3rd winter Glaucous Gull at North Bay. 26th November: Benbecula: 1st yr male Scaup on Coot Loch. South Uist: male American Wigeon at south-west end of Loch Bee, also female Long-tailed Duck there. 25th November: Lewis: Little Egret at Tong (from Ravens Lane) and 3 Waxwings at Park Barvas. 2 x 1st winter Iceland Gulls on the pier in Stornoway this evening. Harris: 1st winter Iceland Gull at Leverburgh. South Uist: 46 Snow Buntings on Eochar machair. 24th November: Lewis: 4 Waxwings at Laxdale and 3 in Goathill Road, Stornoway. North Uist: Brown Shrike at Claddach Vallay this afternoon. Originally in the gardens along the road side just west of the plantation but later entered the plantation. It was also apparently seen in the same gardens yesterday. Spotted Redshank also at Claddach Vallay and Long-eared Owl at Knockquein.
The shrike above shows a number of pro-Brown features such as the obviously dark brown upper parts; strong facial mask; prominent supercilium; brown rather than rufous tail; quite heavily marked flanks that appears slightly yellowish in one of Peggie's photos. The tail also appears to show shorter outer tail feathers in two of the profile shots from Peggie and in the sixth photo from the top left (right hand tail feather). Compared with the Turkestan Shrike below the bill also appears broader at the base on the Brown and the primary projection shorter.
23rd November: Lewis: Iceland Gull at Bragar. South Uist: Long-billed Dowitcher feeding with Golden Plover on the Range at West Gerinish. 3rd winter Glaucous Gull at Ardivachar.
22nd November: North Uist: 15 Crossbills in Ben Risary plantation. Spotted Redshank off Claddach Vallay (north end of Committee Road). 81 Whooper Swans on Loch Eaval and 550 Barnacle Geese at Balranald. Long-eared Owl at Knockquien. South Uist: juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher at Loch Bee, plus an American Wigeon. Fieldfare at Drimsdale. 3 Woodcock South Glendale.
21st November: South Uist: 2 Fieldfare and 2 Woodcock at Druidibeg Plantation.
More photos from Brian Rabbitts of the controversial shrike at Claddach Vallay 18th November. Please note that these shots were taken on 18th November and the bird has not been seen since although weather conditions have been poor.
20th November: Lewis: 11 Waxwings in Urquhart Gardens, Stornoway as well as 2 Blackcaps and a juvenile Iceland Gull. North Uist: Snowy Owl seen flying towards the school in Lochmaddy today at 13:55. South Uist: 24 Scaup at the north end of Loch Bee. 18th November: North Uist: 1st winter Isabelline Shrike at Vallay Strand today. Richardson's Canada Goose with 830 Barnacle Geese on Berneray machair. South Uist: Juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher at south-west corner of Loch Bee. 3rd winter Glaucous Gull North Bay. 20 - 30 Snow Buntings along Snishival shore.
17th November: South Uist: A juvenile American Black Tern was seen for around an hour at mid-day in North Bay before flying off east. This constitutes the second record for the UK although there have also been 2 in Ireland. A Grey Phalarope also stopped in North Bay briefly. A 1st winter Iceland Gull was at Kilbride and 36 Snow Buntings were on the Range.
16th November: Lewis: 3 Little Auks passed the Butt of Lewis and a ringtail Hen Harrier also there. 15 Snow Buntings Port of Ness. North Uist: A 1st winter Iceland Gull on Loch Paible. South Uist: An unverified report of a Long-billed Dowitcher feeding amongst 200 Golden Plover at the south end of Loch Bee until 09:40 when apparently it flew off. Also there an American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal and a Coot. Barra: A single Storm Petrel and 31 Black-throated Divers were in the Sound of Barra this morning. On Barra - 3 Long-tailed Tits in North Bay. Also a Fieldfare, 30+ Snow Buntings, 2 Woodcock and a male Scaup on the island.
15th November: South Uist: Male American Wigeon, male Green-winged Teal and a Coot in the south-west corner of Loch Bee. 25 Scaup at the northern end of Loch Bee.
14th November: Lewis: Immature Iceland Gull on Loch Branahuie. 7 Waxwings and Bayhead and 22 near the golf club in Stornoway. A pair of Blackcaps were in Leurbost.
13th November: Lewis: 20 White-fronted Geese at Loch Urrahag. Grey Phalarope in Bargar Bay. 1st winter Glaucous Gull at Shawbost and 1st winter Iceland Gull at Loch Barvas. 10th November: Lewis: Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Waxwing and Woodcock on Great Bernera. 6 Goosanders at Achmore. 9th November: Lewis: 50 Waxwings at Laxdale. Blackcap and juvenile Iceland Gull in Stornoway. 8th November: Lewis: A Storm Petrel has been taken into care at Carloway after being picked up at a fish farm on Loch Roag last night.
7th November: Lewis: 150 Waxwings at Laxdale and 70 around Stornoway. South Uist: A male Blackcap at South Glendale.
6th November: Lewis: An adult Iceland Gull, female Goosander and 3 Snow Buntings at Loch Barvas. Little Egret is still around Sand Street, Stornoway. South Uist: 4 Woodcock at Druidibeg plantation. 5th November: Lewis: Hume's Warbler at Bru briefly. 2 Red-breasted Flycatchers trapped at Uigen / Reef plus 11 Long-tailed Tits there. 80 Barnacle Geese at Loch Roag. North Uist: 9 Long-tailed Tits today in Ben Langass plantation. South Uist: 14 Waxwings and 55 Fieldfare at South Glendale. Insects: A male Mottled Umber was found at Askernish, South Uist this monring.
4th November: Lewis: Waxwings in Stornoway. North Uist: 100+ Snow Buntings on Paible beach. Snowy Owl reported from Balranald yesterday. Benbecula: Waxwing heading south over the airfield today. 23 White-fronted Geese on Loch Mor. South Uist: 5 Waxwings and a Woodcock at Druidibeg Plantation.
3rd November: Lewis: 45 Waxwings on Castle Grounds side of the harbour until they were flushed by a Sparrowhawk when they headed for town. Blackcap at Port of Ness. Coot and Long-tailed Duck on Loch Stiapabhat. 5 Snow Buntings over Skigersta. Benbecula: Woodcock on the airfield and a Blue Tit at Market Stance briefly. South Uist: 3rd winter Glaucous Gull in North Bay and 50 Snow Buntings at Balgarva. There was a possible sighting of a Barn Owl just south of Howmore yesterday evening. Other: A small bat was seen again this evening in Leurbost.
2nd November: Lewis: Little Egret on the salt marsh behind the hospital again today. Chiffchaff in Stornoway plus a minimum of 41 Waxwings with flocks of 21, 20, 20, 15 and 5 seen around the town this morning. 5 Grey Phalaropes in Bragar and 2 at Siadar. North Uist: Firecrest, 3 Waxwings, 2 Brambling and a Woodcock at Langass. 2 Woodcock at Clachan Farm and another at Newton House. 2 Little Egrets at Clachan Sands / Oban Trumisgarry. Red Kite near Callanish before flying off towards Malaclet. 60 Snow Buntings at Balranald. South Uist: Buff-bellied Pipit still at Garrynamonie - Smerclate. Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll, 2 Coal Tits and 2 Fieldfare at North Loch Eynort, plus Woodcock. Juvenile White-rumped Sandpiper on the South Ford. 2 Little Auks and 9 Slavonian Grebes off Balgarva. Paul Boyer reports an adult White-rumped Sandpiper on flood pools on the Range and 22 Waxwings over West Gerinish this morning. Other: 2 small bats thought to be Pipistrelles hawking around a garden in Leurbost at dusk.
1st November: Lewis: Little Egret on the salt marsh below the hospital in the morning. 9 Crossbills in the Cearns and a Waxwing at Laxdale. 15 White-fronted Geese in Arnol by Urrahag and 3 Snow Buntings also in Arnol. North Uist: 5 Waxwings in Bayhead. Benbecula: The Red Kite was seen heading north over the airfield at 13:00, also 2 Jack Snipe there. South Uist: Buff-bellied Pipit feeding along the beach between Smerclate - Garrynamonie (mostly at the latter site). A Red Kite flew north along the machair at Garrynamonie around 10:25. A juvenile male Goshawk was reported heading east over Haarsal late this afternoon. 3 Waxwings, a Chiffchaff and 2 Blackcaps at North Loch Eynort. 2 Waxwings south over Snishival. Chiffchaff and Woodcock at Bornish. A Grey Wagtail at Loch Eynort.
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