Recent Sightings

To report sightings please contact Steve at: stephenduffield@tiscali.co.uk

County bird recorder: Brian Rabbitts [rabbitts@hebrides.net]

31st March:

Benbecula: 2 male Lesser Scaup Coot Loch along with 3 Pintail (2 male, 1 female), White-fronted Goose and 2 Black-tailed Godwits.

North Uist: Hoverfly: Eristalis intricarius today at Carinish.

Eristalis intricarius (S. Duffield)

South Uist: male Belted Beauty in Ormiclate dunes (J. Love)

30th March:

Lewis: 1st yr American Herring Gull Stornoway harbour. White-billed Diver Skigersta

Benbecula: Lesser Scaup Coot Loch. 1st yr Glaucous Gull Stinky Bay

South Uist: 1st yr Glaucous Gull Drimore.

29th March:

Lewis: 1st w American Herring Gull and 9 Iceland Gulls ( 8 x 1st yr and 1 adult) in Stornoway harbour. 2nd yr Ring-billed Gull Loch Barvas

Benbecula: Lesser Scaup Coot Loch.

                                                                                                       photos from left to right: 2nd yr Ring-billed Gull, adult Kulmiens Gull and 1st yr Iceland Gull (Tom Mckinney)

28th March:

Benbecula: 2 Lesser Scaup Coot Loch

2 male Belted Beauties on Torlum / Borve machair

27th March:

Lewis: White-billed Diver Skigersta. Snowy Owl Borve. Adult Kumliens Gull Loch Stiapavat.

Harris: Surf Scoter Sound of Taransay.

Benbecula: adult Little Gull south at Stinky Bay. Lesser Scaup Coot Loch.

White-billed Diver (Tristan ap Rheinallt)

South Uist: 2 Hebrew Characters trapped Carnan (P. Boyer).

26th March:

Lewis: 1st yr American Herring Gull Stornoway harbour. White-billed Diver Skigersta. 2 Snowy Owls Borve

Benbecula: Lesser Scaup Coot Loch

1st yr Iceland Gull (M. Scott); 1st yr Glaucous Gull (Terry Fountain).

25th March:

Lewis: 1st yr American Herring Gull Stornoway harbour. 2 Snowy Owls Borve. White-billed Diver Skigersta. Adult kumliens Gull Butt of Lewis

North Uist: Lapland Bunting North Uist

Benbecula: 3 Lesser Scaup Coot Loch

South Uist: at least 3 Belted Beauty moths Peninerine. 16 Hebrew Characters trapped at Druidibeg over night.

from left to right: Lapland Bunting (Brian Rabbitts) Lesser Scaup (S. Duffield); Snowy Owl (T a Rheinallt); Annurida maritima - a springtail, White-tailed Bumblebee and Hebrew Character (S. Duffield)

24th March:

Lewis: Snowy Owl Borve. White-billed Diver Skigersta.

23rd March:

Lewis: Snowy Owl Borve. adult Kumliens Gull Loch Stiapavat

Hebrew Character trapped in Castle Grounds overnight of 22nd.

  adult Kumliens Gull (Martin Scott)

22nd March:

Lewis: Snowy Owl Borve. White-billed Diver Tiumpan Head. adult Kumliens Gull Loch Stiapavat

                                                                                                                     from left to right: adult Kumliens Gull Loch Stiapavat; imm. male Snowy Owl (S. Duffield); Small Tortoiseshell (Terry Fountain)

South Uist: Small Tortoiseshell at Carnan.

21st March:

Lewis: 1st yr American Herring Gull Stornoway harbour. Snowy Owl Borve.

Benbecula: 2 Lesser Scaup Coot Loch

1st yr American Herring Gull (Steve Duffield)

20th March:

Lewis: 1st yr American Herring Gull Stornoway harbour. Snowy Owl Borve.

19th March:

Lewis: 2 Snowy Owls Borve.16 Little Auk north past the Butt of Lewis in half an hour.

Benbecula: 2 Lesser Scaup Coot Loch

2 male Lesser Scaup and a male Scaup Coot Loch (Terry Fountain)

Uist: 2 Little Auks found on the road and later released, one at Daliburgh, South Uist and another at Hougharry, North Uist.

White-sided Dolphin beached on Baleshare (photo: J Volbeda)

18th March:

Lewis: 1st yr American Herring Gull Stornoway harbour. 2 Snowy Owls Borve. 33 Little Auk north past the Butt of Lewis in one hour.

South Uist: 3 x 1st yr Iceland Gulls at Ardivachar, 2 x 1st yrs at Ardvule, 1st yr at North Bay. 1st yr Glaucous Gull at Ardivachar, 5 x 1st yr Glaucous Gulls at Ardvule. Male American Wigeon Loch Bee

Benbecula: 2 Lesser Scaup Coot Loch plus 21 Barnacle Geese north over here in the evening.

                                                                                                                 male American Wigeon, 2 Lesser Scaup and Lesser Scaup showing wing pattern

17th March:

Lewis: 1st yr American Herring Gull Stornoway harbour. Snowy Owl Borve.

Benbecula: 129 Whooper Swans at Nunton, 2 Lesser Scaup Coot Loch

16th March:

Lewis: Snowy Owl Borve. 5 x 1st yr Iceland Gulls Stornoway harbour.

Benbecula: Lesser Scaup Coot Loch

                                                                                                                       photos from left to right: Black-tailed Godwit Coot Loch; Lesser Scaup Coot Loch ( S. Duffield) and Snowy Owl Borve (M. Scott)

15th March:

Benbecula: Lesser Scaup Coot Loch

8 Pale-bellied Brent Geese Baleshare, North Uist.

14th March:

Benbecula: Lesser Scaup Coot Loch plus Black-tailed Godwit

South Uist: 12 Pied Wags Howmore (obvious influx).

13th March:

Benbecula: Lesser Scaup Coot Loch

12th March:

Benbecula: Lesser Scaup Coot Loch

11th March: male Lesser Scaup Coot loch along with Scaup.

33 Whooper Swans flew into Nunton, Benbecula this evening.

10th March: male Lesser Scaup, Scaup and Pintail on Coot Loch, plus 1st yr Glaucous Gull at Gramsdale, Benbecula.

Snowy Owl at Borve, Lewis.

8th  / 9th March: male Lesser Scaup still on Coot Loch along with a male Scaup

 2 imm male Snowy Owls at Borve, Lewis plus 2 imm Glaucous Gulls at Siadar and 1st w Glaucous Gull at Barvas - 9th.

7th March: Lesser Scaup still on Coot Loch plus 1stw Iceland Gull and 1st w Glaucous Gull at Gramsdale, Benbecula

 4 x 1st w Glaucous Gulls at Port Scolpaig, North Uist

6th March: adult Little Gull, North Bay, S Uist plus 1stw Iceland Gull Ardivachar Point, S Uist

5th March:  Lesser Scaup male on Coot Loch, Benbecula along with 2 male Scaup.

1st winter Glaucous Gull North Bay, South Uist.

3rd March:

Lunar eclipse (photo: Martin Scott)