Wildlife Sightings in Glendale, Skye in 2019

December 2019

31st

There were two great northern divers at Bharcasaig Bay, Orbost, early afternoon.

The tree sparrow is still coming to feeders at 2 Lower Milovaig.

25th

There were 20+ common dolphins far out in the Minch off Neist Point at mid-day.

At Neist Point today: 16 purple sandpipers and 8 turnstones. A female merlin caught a song thrush.

On Loch Mor: 16 little grebes, 7 goldeneye, 2 goosanders.

There was a tight, mixed flock of 30 fieldfares and 20 redwings at Waterstein.

The yellow-legged gull was showing well on the white beach at Lower Milovaig, early afternoon. The tree sparrow is still coming to the feeders at 2 Lower Milovaig.

22nd

A late gannet went south past Pooltiel Fish Farm, late morning.

15th

The yellow-legged gull and tree sparrow were both showing well at Lower Milovaig this morning. The first three returning (winter-plumage) black guillemots were back on Loch Pooltiel this morning.

14th

The tree sparrow has now been coming to feeders at 2 Lower Milovaig for five weeks.

There was a juvenile white-tailed eagle over crofts 2 and 3 Lephin, mid-afternoon, that headed over to Upper Fasach.

8th

The yellow-legged gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at mid-day. The tree sparrow is still coming to feeders at 2 Lower Milovaig.

November

30th

The tree sparrow has been coming to the feeders at 2 Lower Milovaig for over three weeks now.

26th

On Loch Mor this morning: 2 dippers, 3 drake goosanders, 10 goldeneye, 12 little grebes, 6 lapwings, 3 redshanks, 1 snipe, 8 mallard.

25th

There was a flock of 10 fieldfares with 6 redwings on the top road in Upper Milovaig. The tree sparrow continues to visit feeders at 2 Lower Milovaig.

19th

The yellow-legged gull actually landed on, and took bread from, the bird table at 2 Lower Milovaig before roosting on the skerries the rest of the morning. The tree sparrow is still at 2 Lower Milovaig.

There was a drake goosander off the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 3pm.

18th

There were a minke whale, two unidentified dolphins and a few harbour porpoises at Neist Point.

The female blackcap was again briefly at feeders at 2 Lower Milovaig. Also, tree sparrow still here.

On Loch Mor today: 1 drake goosander, 7 goldeneye and 4 little grebes.

17th

There were three whooper swans and 7 wigeon on Loch Suardal, Dunvegan. There were two red-breasted mergansers and an adult white-tailed eagle at the Coral Beach.

The tree sparrow was still coming to the feeders at 2 Lower Milovaig.

16th

The yellow-legged gull was back on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel in the morning. The tree sparrow is still coming to feeders at 2 Lower Milovaig. An adult white-tailed eagle flew past Pooltiel Fish Farm towards Oisgill. There was a single grey wagtail on the bottom road in Lower Milovaig at mid-day.

14th

The tree sparrow is still coming to the feeders at 2 Lower Milovaig.

12th

The female blackcap and tree sparrow were still coming to the feeders at 2 Lower Milovaig.

11th

There are now a female blackcap and a tree sparrow coming to feeders in the garden at 2 Lower Milovaig.

10th

The tree sparrow turned up again at feeders in the garden at 2 Lower Milovaig at mid-day and was still there at dusk. There was a great northern diver on Loch Pooltiel. There was a late skylark on the top road in Lower Milovaig. There was a flock of 30 siskins in MacDougal's Spruces at Lower Milovaig. Small influx of robins, with 20-30 feeding around the Milovaig loop.

9th

A single tree sparrow turned up at bird feeders in the garden at 2 Lower Milovaig at 8:30am. This is the first ever autumn record for tree sparrow in Glendale.

There was a white-tailed eagle far out in the Minch off Dunvegan Head, late morning.

5th

The yellow-legged gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 1:20pm.

There were ten long-tailed tits in the public garden at Orbost. There were two female bullfinches and two mistle thrushes at Bharcasaig Bay. Two whooper swans flew south over Orbost Forest at mid-day.

100 fieldfares flew NW over Lephin at 8am.

4th

There were two waxwings, 100m along the track past Orbost House and 4 long-tailed tits on the track at Orbost (Lynden Schofield).

3rd

There was a group of six harbour porpoises far out in the Minch off Neist Point, late morning.

There was a juvenile white-tailed eagle soaring high over Moonen Bay and Neist Point, late morning.

Two adult white-tailed eagles flew over the bottom road in Lower Milovaig heading towards Feriniquarrie at 2:45pm.

1st

There was a harbour porpoise in Loch Dunvegan opposite Colbost jetty at 4pm (Iain Linsdell).

October

29th

There were six long-tailed tits briefly in the garden at 2 Lower Milovaig, moving south at 8am.  This is the first record for long-tailed tit in Milovaig for 11 years.

There was a flock of 20 siskins in the gardens at 1 & 2 Lower Milovaig , early morning.

There was a red-throated diver off the seaward end of the Milovaig loop, late evening.

A flock of 400 fieldfares flew east over the Community Hall, mid morning.

27th

The yellow-legged gull was on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel, mid-morning. An adult white-tailed eagle flew low above the bottom road in Lower Milovaig towards the pier, late morning.

26th

The yellow-legged gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig until 10am.

25th

There were an adult and 3 cygnet whooper swans on Loch Dunvegan by Kinlochfollart at 5:30pm.

24th

There was a woodcock at Borrodale at dawn.

23rd

There was a woodcock on croft 2 Lephin at dusk.

21st

There were five whooper swans by the Black Beach, Feriniquarrie, at 8am.

A few winter thrushes arriving: 8 redwings at Hamara Lodge at 7:45am. Three mistle thrushes at Lower Milovaig, late morning.

The yellow-legged gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig, late morning.

14th

There was a female/juvenile reed bunting feeding amongst bladder wrack on the inner shore at Meanish, late morning. There was a flock of 30 mixed migrants at Meanish, late morning, comprising goldfinches, twite and linnets. A skylark flew north over Meanish and out over the sea to Harris, late morning.

13th

There was a pod of around 8 common dolphins far out in the Minch off Lower Milovaig, late afternoon.

12th

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Two adult and three juvenile whooper swans came in from the north and landed on Loch Pooltiel, early afternoon.

A group of 29 whooper swans flew south over Lephin at 4:15pm.

There was a juvenile grey wagtail on the lawn at 2 Lower Milovaig at mid-day.

11th

Two barnacle geese flew south off the sea over Lower Milovaig at 11am (Darren Hemsley).

A colour-ringed shag (Red Left AB37) was photographed at Meanish today (Gordon McCracken). The bird was ringed at the nest in the Shiants this year.

10th

A skein of around 120 pink-footed geese flew south over Lower Milovaig at 10:45am and there was a redwing on the hill road at Lower Milovaig (Darren Hemsley).

8th

There was an adult white-tailed eagle over the community hall at 3pm (Darren Hemsley).

7th

There was a singing male chiffchaff in the garden at 1 Lower Milovaig at 2:30pm. There was a juvenile lapwing below the bottom road on croft 3 Upper Milovaig, mid afternoon. There was a curlew at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop that flew around to the white beach, early afternoon.

6th

A juvenile white-tailed eagle flew west over the Lower Milovaig grazings, late morning (Darren Hemsley).

4th

The otter was putting on a fantastic show at Lower Milovaig in the afternoon.

3rd

There was an otter fishing off the white beach at Lower Milovaig that came ashore at 8am.

2nd

There was a minke whale around Neist Point, early afternoon.

There were three purple sandpipers at Neist Point.

September

30th

A skein of 100+ pink-footed geese flew south over Lower Milovaig, late morning. Our local adult white-tailed eagles were low over the bottom road in Lower Milovaig, late morning, heading towards Pollosgan.

A skein of 60 pink-footed geese went south over Lower Milovaig, mid afernoon and our local white-tailed eagles were circling over Lower Milovaig again, mid afternoon.

29th

There was a peregrine over the bottom road in Lower Milovaig, late morning.

The yellow-legged gull was on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel, late afternoon.

28th

There were 50+ common dolphins far out in the Minch off Lower Milovaig, early evening.

There was a single turnstone at Meanish, early evening and a red-breasted merganser off the white beach at Lower Milovaig.

27th

There was an otter fishing off the white beach at Lower Milovaig that came ashore at 8am (Alison Stables).

24th

The yellow-legged gull has been showing exceptionally well at Meanish slipway for the last couple of nights around 5pm when the fishermen are gutting fish.

22nd

There was a minke whale close to shore, west of Pooltiel fish farm, together with at least 6 harbour porpoises, late morning.

There was a common redstart in the gardens at 1 and 2 Lower Milovaig at mid-day. This is the first record in Glendale since 1986. There was a treecreeper in the garden at 1 Lower Milovaig at mid-day. This is only the second record in Milovaig, the last being 15 years ago. There was a female reed bunting with a flock of 18 twites on the top road in Lower Milovaig, late morning. This is only the third record for Reed Bunting in Milovaig. An unidentified small, yellow warbler was glimpsed briefly on the slope down to the pier, late morning. There was a flock of 25 goldfinches at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop.

The yellow-legged gull put on a great show at Meanish around 6pm, coming for fish guts.

 

17th

There was an adult white-tailed eagle over the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 8:30am.

The yellow-legged gull was on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel at 6:45pm.

There were two adult white-tailed eagles perched on Scorr Farm, close to the shed, early evening. Two juvenile white-tailed eagles were over the Minch, off Dunvegan Head, early evening, and flew across the Minch towards Harris.

16th

The yellow-legged gull was roosting on the white beach at Lower Milovaig, late evening.

15th

A skein of 47 pink-footed geese went south over Upper Milovaig at mid-day. There were four grey wagtails: one at Meanish, one at 13 Lower Milovaig and two on the top road in Upper Milovaig.

There was a late wheatear on the bottom road in Lower Milovaig, late evening.

13th

The bonxie that I photographed at Neist Point on August 5th was originally ringed as a nestling on the Shiant Islands on July 15th, 2008, making it 11 years old.

There were two adult white-tailed eagles at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop at 6:30pm.

12th

There was a flock of 25 linnets behind the PO on croft 2 Lephin at 7:50am.

8th

There was a late chiffchaff in the garden at 2 Lower Milovaig at 9am.

7th

A pod of 50+ common dolphins went north at Neist Point in the morning and there were two or three minke whales and two harbour porpoises there until at least 2pm.

There was a single black guillemot in Moonen bay. A common guillemot and a single arctic skua went north past Neist Point. All other auks and skuas have gone now. There was a juvenile white-tailed eagle at Neist Point. There was a late leucorhoa wheatear at Neist.

1st

The yellow-legged gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 10am before flying around towards Pollosgan.

August

31st

There was a female otter with two cubs near Meanish Pier, early evening (Sam Bilner).

30th

There was a merlin on the bottom road in Lower Milovaig, late evening.

29th

There was a late common sandpiper calling on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 9:15pm

27th

An American Cliff Swallow was at Meanish Pier in the evening. This is the first ever record for Scotland and only the 12th for the UK. The bird was found by Samuel Langlois at 7:40pm and stayed until 8pm.

25th

There was a male common whitethroat in bracken at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop, late morning.

21st

The yellow-legged gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 6:30pm.

20th

There was a migrant common whitethroat in bracken at Meanish at 5:30pm. There was a curlew on Beinn Bhuidhe, Upper Milovaig at 5pm.

19th

The yellow-legged gull was on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel at 2:30pm and took off around towards Oisgill/Neist.

18th

There was a juvenile white-tailed eagle over Beinn Bhuidhe, Upper Milovaig at 10:15am that went north over Loch Pooltiel.

12th

There was a flock of 100+ meadow pipits and 3 golden plovers at Waterstein. The shelduck is still on Loch Mor. There were two red-throated divers on Loch Mor.

The yellow-legged gull re-appeared again on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 5:20pm.

11th

There was a flock of 25 twite on the top road in Lower Milovaig, with another 8 on the top road at Upper Milovaig, 4 on the bottom road in Upper Milovaig and 2 at the seaward end of the loop.

8th

A leatherback turtle was videoed in Moonen Bay, close to Neist Point, today by SeaSkye boat trips.

5th

There was a minke whale at Neist Point all morning.

20+ arctic skuas and 8+ bonxies went south past Neist Point in the morning. One of the bonxies had a left, tarsus, yellow leg-ring number B4. There was a red-throated diver on the sea off the point.

4th

There were a dunlin and a late common sandpiper together at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop, late morning.

3rd

There were an adult and juvenile peregrine falcon being very vocal over the bottom road in Lower Milovaig at 5pm. A juvenile white-tailed eagle flew from Upper Milovaig, across Loch Pooltiel and then on towards the Milovaig grazings at 5:40pm.

There were a shelduck, three little grebes and two tufted ducks at Loch Mor (Lynden Schofield).

2nd

There were 10+ harbour porpoises out in the Minch by Pooltiel Fish Farm, early evening.

An adult white-tailed eagle flew over Pooltiel Fish Farm and onto the Lower Milovaig grazings, early evening.

July

31st

There were 7 arctic skuas off Neist Point point and 14 puffins flew north past the point (Lynden Schofield).

30th

There was a pod of c. 20 common dolphins far out in the Minch off Lower Milovaig, late afternoon.

29th

There were around twelve harbour porpoises far out in the Minch off Lower Milovaig in the afternoon.

There were a bonxie and two arctic skuas attacking gulls out in the Minch off Lower Milovaig in the afternoon.

28th

A bonxie flew over land along the seaward end of the Milovaig loop towards Meanish, late morning. There was a grey wagtail on the bottom road in Lower Milovaig and two grey wagtails on the top road in Upper Milovaig. There was a white wagtail with a group of 8 adult and juvenile pied wagtails below the top road in Lower Milovaig, late morning.

There was a ringed plover on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at sunset.

27th

The yellow-legged gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 2:40pm before heading off towards Meanish and then back again at 4:50pm..

26th

The yellow-legged gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 8:15pm after a 10 day absence.

23rd

A flock of 30 dunlin came in off the sea from the north and flew across Loch Pooltiel at 4:20pm.

21st

A grey wagtail was carrying food at a territory in Upper Milovaig.

19th

There was a group of eight redshanks on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 7pm.

17th

The yellow-legged gull was at Meanish in the morning (Seth Gibson).

16th

Incredibly, on the day that the yellow-legged gull at Lower Milovaig was accepted by the SBRC, the bird re-appeared on the white beach at Lower Milovaig, early evening. This is the first official record for Skye and the third for Highland.

14th

There were at least 12 harbour porpoises in three groups a long way out in the Minch off Neist Point.

Ten puffins flew south past Neist Point and there were 6+ bonxies and 12+ arctic skuas out in the Minch off Neist. A great northern diver flew north past Neist Point.

Herring gulls were fledging today at Neist and there were lots of very tame fledglings wandering around beside the path near the herring gull colony.

7th

There were three harbour porpoises close in around Neist Point all day, with several more further out in the Minch off Rum. There was a minke whale off Neist Point, out in the Minch towards Rum.

The Iceland gull has been been absent since the 1st.

There were four arctic skuas and two bonxies at Neist Point.

6th

There were a minke whale, 10 common dolphins and a harbour porpoise in the Minch off Lower Milovaig at 5:50pm.

2nd

There were two adult, summer-plumage black-headed gulls on the white beach at Lower Milovaig, mid afternoon.

1st

The Iceland gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig, early morning and early evening. It now seems to have fully recovered from its head injury.

There was a white wagtail on the top road in Upper Milovaig, late afternoon.

June

29th

The Iceland gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 7:45am and throughout the day.

28th

There were four harbour porpoises at Neist Point from 10am until at least 1pm.

There was a pod of around 20 common dolphins in Loch Pooltiel as far as Meanish Pier for half an hour, mid afternoon (Angela Dickinson).

There was a late cuckoo calling at Lower Milovaig and another was photographed on telegraph wires at Borreraig (AS, Debbie Dean).

The Iceland gull was back on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 6pm after a two-day absence.

27th

There was a pair of lapwings showing agitated behaviour at Ramasaig and a mixed flock of 11 adult/juvenile golden plovers.

There were an adult and juvenile white-tailed eagle over the Ramasaig Road on the Borrodale grazings at mid-day.

25th

The Iceland gull was back on the white beach at 9:20am.

24th

There was a pod of 30-40 common dolphins in Moonen Bay off Ramasaig in the morning (Brian Smith).

There was no sign of the Iceland gull today.

An elephant hawkmoth was trapped last night at Lower Milovaig (Alison Stables). The first known record of this species in Milovaig and only the 38th ever for Skye.

23rd

There was a minke whale at Neist Point, mid afternoon, and a pod of four harbour porpoises there throughout the day.

Four puffins flew south past Neist Point in singles during the day. There were two bonxies and four arctic skuas there all day.

The Iceland gull was still on the white beach at Lower Milovaig in the morning.

22nd

The Iceland gull is still present around the white beach and adjacent sheep parks at Milovaig.

19th

There were three stonechat fledglings and a famly of four baby common sandpipers at Meanish. The Iceland gull is still spending most of each day on the white beach.

17th

Iceland gull spent the whole day again on the white beach at Lower Milovaig and adjacent parks.

16th

The iceland gull was roosting on the white beach at Lower Milovaig from dawn till dusk, with a few forays onto the adjacent sheep parks.

15th

The 3CY Iceland gull is still around and was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 8am and then walking around the sheep parks al Lower Milovaig and Upper Milovaig in the late afternoon. The bird has a head injury.

11th

The sub-adult Iceland Gull was again at the white beach at Lower Milovaig before heading towards Pollosgan at 7am.

10th

There was a singing male linnet on the top road in Upper Milovaig at mid-day and a pair of twites on the top road in Lower Milovaig. Linnets have been very scarce this summer..

9th

There was an exceptionally late near-adult Iceland Gull on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at mid-day and again at 5:30pm.

8th

There was a harbour porpoise close to shore at Neist Point, late morning.

There were 8 arctic skuas off Neist Point today being very active in attacking kittiwakes. There were two bonxies at Neist point. There was a juvenile great northern diver at Neist Point.

4th

An adult white-tailed eagle was circling low over the Hamara river at Lephin at 4pm.

3rd

Scarce this summer, there were two linnets in the garden at 2 Lower Milovaig, mid afternoon.

1st

An orca (killer whale), probably Aquarius, was photographed at Neist Point just before sunset (David Holmes). This may be the same individual that was reported from Kilt Rock Observation Point on Friday by Sylvia Porter. There were four off Kilt Rock OP yesterday including John Coe and Aquarius, again Sylvia Porter.

May

28th

There was a minke whale off Neist Point, early afternoon (visitor report).

27th

There was a singing male whitethroat in the garden of Mandallagh cottage, Lower Milovaig, late morning.

There was a minke whale off Neist Point at mid-day (visitor report).

21st

There were two orcas (killer whales), including bull 'John Coe', initially off Lower Milovaig and then working their way around to Oisgill Bay from 6:15am until 7:45am (Astrid & Frank van Eybergen).

There was a white wagtail below the road on croft 4 Lower Milovaig, late afternoon. A peregrine flew over the bottom road in Lower Milovaig and on to Beinn Bhuidhe at 7:30pm.

19th

There were a minke whale, 12+ common dolphins and a harbour porpoise in the Minch off Lower Milovaig, late morning.

There was a singing male whitethroat in Ron & Glenda's garden at Lower Milovaig, late morning. There was a house martin at MacDougal's Spruces. A group of six twites flew overhead at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop and there was a singing male twite on the bottom road in Upper Milovaig.

16th

The first baby house sparrows fledged today at Lower Milovaig (Alison Stables).

The first midges of the season were biting at Lephin, early morning.

15th

There was a singing male whitethroat above the road on croft 2 Lephin, early morning.

There was a harbour porpoise in the Minch off Pooltiel Fish Farm, early evening.

13th

There were four house martins in a small mixed flock of  migrant hirundines feeding around MacDougal's Spruces at Lower Milovaig, late morning.

12th

There was a minke whale in Moonen Bay at 11am and then feeding around Neist Point until at least 1pm.

There were five bonxies and an arctic skua at Neist Point. Our breeding pair of bonxies were back on their patch today.

11th

There was a great northern diver in Loch Dunvegan at Colbost that headed off towards the Minch (Jeni Neale).

7th

There was a singing male whinchat above the road on croft 2 Lephin at 7:15am.

6th

On the walk from Orbost Farm through the first section of forest there were: 1 singing male whitethroat, 2 singing male blackcaps, 1 singing male chiffchaff, cuckoo and an adult white-tailed eagle.

5th

There was a singing male twite on the bottom road in Upper Milovaig, late morning.

April

29th

Small influx of woodpigeons overnight, with three at Hamara Lodge and two at Lower Milovaig. The Milovaig birds flew off north across the Minch.

28th

There were three harbour porpoises putting on a good show at Neist Point, early afternoon.

There was an arctic skua and a bonxie at Neist Point. There were two puffins off-shore.

27th

There was a singing male chiffchaff, the first this spring, in the garden at 2 Lower Milovaig, early morning. There were three twites on the bottom road in Lower Milovaig and two white wagtails at Meanish, late afternoon.

The first early purple orchid was in bloom at Lower Milovaig.

26th

The first cuckoo was back and calling at Lephin, early evening.

A black-headed yellow wagtail was photographed at Trumpan, Waternish (per skye-birds.com).

22nd

There was a constant stream of migrants coming in off the sea from the north-west (North Uist or Harris?) at Ramasaig throughout the day. They were mostly meadow pipits in groups of 5 to 10 arriving every few minutes. There were several swallows and sand martins amongst them. There were several greenland-race wheatears, three white-wagtails and a juvenile ringed plover at Ramasaig Bay. There was a pair of teal, two great northern divers and several manx shearwaters off-shore. There were seven twite at Ramasaig Farm and two more at Borrodale. A skein of 120 pink-footed geese flew North past Ramasaig.

There were 15 ringed plovers at the mouth of the river Hamara at mid-day (Lynden Schofield).

There were 12 ringed plovers on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 7pm.

A four-hour seawatch at Neist Point produced 98 golden plovers flying south, 140 pink footed geese north, 683 puffins north and 125 manx shearwaters with small numbers of passerines flying south including skylark, meadow pipits, hirundines and goldfinches (per skye-birds.com).

21st

There were two swallows at Feriniquarrie and a greenshank at the head of Loch Pooltiel (Lynden Schofield).

20th

Early evening: A pair of red-breasted mergansers off the white beach, a greenshank on the white beach, three great northern divers off Meanish, a common sandpiper at Meanish, 7 ringed plovers at Meanish, two white wagtails at Meanish and a redshank at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop.

19th

There were two swallows and a linnet feeding around Neist Point Lighthouse, mid morning. Swallows are still scarce, these being only the 2nd and 3rd birds of the spring.

A magpie was seen again at Waterstein, late afternoon (Brian Smith).

18th

There was a greenshank on the white beach at Lower Milovaig, early evening.

16th

There was a stunning male merlin sitting on a fence post on the bottom road in Lower Milovaig at 9:15am.

15th

There was a merlin hunting along the bottom road in Lower Milovaig at 2pm.

14th

There was another linnet back at Upper Milovaig, late morning.

13th

The first two returning linnets of the spring were at Lephin, mid afternoon.

12th

The first common sandpiper of the spring was at the black beach in the afternoon (Alison Stables).

The first swallow was feeding over the willows between the roads at Lephin, late evening. There was a singing male willow warbler at Lephin in the morning.

11th

There was a stunning summer-plumage great northern diver off Meanish, late evening.

The first redpoll was back at Lephin, early morning, and the first singing male willow warbler was back in MacDougal's Spruces, Lower Milovaig, early evening. A greenshank flew NW over Meanish and out over the sea towards North Uist.

9th

The first two sand martins of the year were at the mouth of the Hamara river, early morning (Lynden Schofield).

There were four great northern divers off Meanish and a single merlin on the bottom road in Lower Milovaig, late afternoon.

8th

There were eight white-tailed eagles together at Neist Point this afternoon putting on a fantastic aerial display of tumbling and diving. Two even locked talons and dropped from a great height, breaking apart just moments before they would have crashed into the sea.

5th

The first twite of the year was back under bird feeders at Feriniquarrie in the morning (Lynden Schofield).

There was a magpie in the garden at 5 Waterstein that took off towards Waterstein Head at 1:25pm (Will Mann).

4th

There was a hen harrier photographed on a fence post in her garden at Skinidin (Jeni Neale).

1st

A group of 37 whooper swans landed on Loch Pooltiel, off Meanish, at mid-day and stayed the afternoon. There was a single white wagtail at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop.

March

31st

The yellow-legged gull re-appeared and was sitting on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 12:45pm.

There was a big influx of wheatears, with 37 counted around the Milovaig loop including several females.

There were sixty redwings at Lower Milovaig in three groups. There was a sub-adult white-tailed eagle soaring high at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop, late morning.

28th

There were three adult black-headed gulls on the white beach at Lower Milovaig, the first returnees of the spring (Alison Stables).

25th

The first wheatear was back, a male, below the bottom road in Upper Milovaig at 8am.

Another male wheatear was at Neist Point. There were eight purple sandpipers at Neist Point and 50+ meadow pipits. Ten meadow pipits were observed flying out over the sea from Neist to North Uist.

There was a significant passage of birds heading north past Neist Point including: several hundred razorbills, 100 gannets, 40 + 33 whooper swans, 29 white-fronted geese and a white-tailed eagle.

There was a significant influx of pied wagtails, with several at each of Neist, Waterstein and Milovaig.

There were 13 goldeneye, displaying, 3 little grebes and 2 redshank at Loch Mor (Lynden Schofield). A group of 85 whooper swans flew along the Hamara and out to sea over Loch Pooltiel (Lynden Schofield).

24th

There was a flock of 20 meadow pipits at Lephin, late afternoon. The first sizeable arrival of returning birds this spring.

18th

There was a small pod of 10-12 common dolphins out in the Minch off Lower Milovaig, mid afternoon.

There was a male merlin at Oisgill Bay at dusk.

17th

The yellow-legged gull was on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel at 1:20pm. There was an adult white-tailed eagle circling below the top road in Lower Milovaig and a juvenile white-tailed eagle flew along the bottom road in Lower Milovaig, early afternoon.

14th

The yellow-legged gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 4pm.

The first primroses have come into bloom around the Milovaig loop. The first lamb of the spring was at Hamara Parks.

12th

The yellow-legged gull landed briefly on the road outside 2 Lower Milovaig and then was relocated beside the road at Upper Milovaig, early afternoon.

The black-throated diver was again feeding off the white-beach at Lower Milovaig, late morning.

11th

The yellow-legged gull was showing well on the white beach at Lower Milovaig from 9am until around 10am when it disappeared. It was later found on Loch Mor at Waterstein, early afternoon (Bob McMillan & Martin Benson).

The first pied wagtail of the spring was back on the white beach at Lower Milovaig and the first gannet inside Loch Pooltiel of the spring was back in the morning..

There were twenty skylarks at the sheep feeders at 6 Waterstein, twenty-five skylarks at Fasach and 7 redwings at Waterstein (RMcM, MB).

10th

There was a flock of seven golden plovers at 6 Waterstein, mid afternoon (Brian Smith).

9th

The yellow-legged gull and iceland gull were both showing well this morning on the white beach and skerries at Lower Milovaig.

8th

There was an otter by the pontoon at Meanish, late afternoon (Anne Powell).

7th

The yellow-legged gull and 2cy iceland gull were both togther on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel at 10:50am (Anne & Graham Powell).

6th

The iceland gull was again on the skerries and white beach at 10:30am (Anne Powell).

5th

There was a juvenile iceland gull on the white beach at Lower Milovaig from 9am. Joined by a lesser black-backed gull from 10am. There were four lesser black backs on the black beach at Pollosgan, late morning.

The yellow-legged gull landed briefly on the white beach at Lower Milovaig, late morning, before flying off with a herring gull in what appeared to be a courtship/bonding flight. The pair landed briefly at Feriniquarrie but could not be relocated (Andy Stables, Bob McMillan, Neil Bennett).

4th

The yellow-legged gull was showing well on the white beach at Lower Milovaig from mid-day until at least 1:30pm (Andy Stables, Neil & Tricia Hinchcliffe, Lynden Schofield).

There were two peregrines at Lower Milovaig at mid-day (Lynden Schofield).

The first two lesser black-backed gulls of the spring were back at Hamara Parks at 4pm.

3rd

The yellow-legged gull was back on the white beach at Lower Milovaig from 11am until 12:30 pm and then again at 3:30pm (Andy Stables, Alison Stables, Graham Powell, Anne Powell, Martin Benson).

2nd

There was a black-throated diver off the white beach at Lower Milovaig at 10am.

February

23rd

A putative adult yellow-legged gull was on the white beach at Lower Milovaig, late afternoon. If accepted this would be the first record of this species for Skye.

19th

There were two adult white-tailed eagles over Meanish, early afternoon.

18th

There were two skylarks over 2 Lower Milovaig at 2pm. A juvenile white-tailed eagle flew from Pooltiel Fish Farm across to the big waterfall, early afternoon.

17th

There was a flock of 24 goldfinches in the garden at 2 Lower Milovaig at mid-day.

A single skylark was calling at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop, early afternoon.

16th

A WeBS bird count at Loch Mor produced: 14 Little Grebes, 8 Mallard, 12 Goldeneye, 12 Curlew, 1 Redshank and 2 Skylarks (Lynden Schofield).

A skylark was also reported from Lower Milovaig (Brian Smith).

11th

There were two juvenile white-tailed eagles at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop, late morning.

10th

There was a pod of five or six harbour porpoises feeding close to the shore at Neist Point, early afternoon.

Two gannets flew north past Neist Point, together with small groups of razorbills. The first common guillemots, around twelve in total, and the first pair of fulmars were back on the ledges at Neist. There were a few kittiwakes off-shore.

There were ten little grebes and six goldeneye on Loch Mor.

2nd

There were 123 seals, mostly greys with a few harbour, on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel at mid-day.

Two sub-adult white-tailed eagles were doing a bonding/display flight over Lower Milovaig, mid afterrnoon, before heading over to Upper Fasach.

January 2019

31st

There was a chiffchaff in the play park at Lephin in the morning (Lynden Schofield).

There were three juvenile and sub-adult white-tailed eagles and six buzzards circling near Meanish, mid afternoon.

28th

There were two pairs of adult white-tailed eagles circling over Moonen Bay, late morning. Just singles of fulmar, razorbill and black guillemot off-shore at Neist Point, with three cormorants still on the cliff and only shags back on the ledges.

There were ten little grebes and six goldeneye on Loch Mor.

27th

Two adult white-tailed eagles flew very low over the bottom road in Lower Milovaig at 9am and again mid afternoon, circling over the white beach.

23rd

There was a white-tailed eagle soaring high over Upper Milovaig at 2:30pm.

21st

There were two white-tailed eagles low over the Hamara at Feriniquarrie at 8:40am.

20th

There were two white-tailed eagles over Scorr Farm near Scoval at 3:40pm.

19th

A juvenile white-tailed eagle flew south over Loch Pooltiel, late morning. There was a single cormorant on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel, late morning.

There were four cormorants on the cliff at Neist Point. The shags are back on the nesting ledges.

15th

There was an adult white-tailed eagle amongst a flock of gulls that were surface-feeding in the mouth of Loch Pooltiel, near the fish farm, late morning. It headed off towards Upper Milovaig.

14th

An adult golden eagle flew over Upper Milovaig and onwards towards Upper Fasach at mid-day.

7th

The first two returning oystercatchers were back at Meanish today.

1st

There were two juvenile white-tailed eagles at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop and an adult on Dunvegan Head, late morning. There are still a pair of over-wintering stonechats on the top road in Lower Milovaig.

A very happy New Year to all the regular readers of this blog and a warm welcome to new visitors!