Gramsdale - Benbecula

Eochar - South Uist

Gramsdale - Benbecula

Bornish + Eochar - South Uist

Lesser Scaup

Coot Loch - Benbecula

Far end of loch (opposite Borgh on B892)

NF 770 510

Gramsdale - Benbecula

Stinky Bay - Eochar - South Uist

Lesser Scaup

Coot Loch - Benbecula

Far end of loch (opposite Borgh on B892)

NF 770 510

Gramsdale - Benbecula

Stilligarry - South Uist

Adivachar - South Uist

Drimsdale + North Bay + Balgarva- South Uist

First winter bird

Bird length 53-65cm and wingspan 120 -150cm.

This is the Nearctic counterpart of Herring Gull

The American herring gull is apparently similar to the herring gull, but a little larger and heavier, with a stronger bill, smaller head, with a flatter forehead.

The American herring gull is slimmer than the glaucous gull with a rounder head, eyes that are more centrally placed, a more slender bill, and with a less clear *gonys-angle

The gull's head often peaks on the crown well behind eyes. When it has settled it shows 3 or 4 equally spaced primary tips beyond tail.

Distinguishing the American herring gull from the herring gull is described as straighforward in first years (!) but otherwise extremely difficult, and for older birds is often impossible.

Apparently sound recordings of the American herring gull played to herring gulls in Western Europe got no response. (So perhaps they are unlikely to cross-breed and make identification even more difficult...)

Stinky Bay - Benbecula

Goat Island - Stornoway Harbour

Stinky Bay - Benbecula

Lochboisedale - South Uist

Goat Island - Stornoway Harbour (2)

Tobha Beag - South Uist

Gramsdale - Benbecula

Lesser Scaup

Coot Loch - Benbecula

Far end of loch (opposite Borgh on B892)

NF 770 510

Ardivachar - South Uist

Stornoway (municipal dump)

Eochar - South Uist

Stornoway (municipal dump)

Ardivachar - South Uist

Stornoway (municipal dump)

Eochar - South Uist

Stornoway (municipal dump) + Harbour

Stinky Bay - Benbecula

Lesser Scaup

Coot Loch - Benbecula

Far end of loch (opposite Borgh on B892)

NF 770 510

• Glaucous Gull
• Larus hyperboreus
• Winter Visitor, 200+ UK (winter) RSPB
• Breeds Arctic & Northern Atlantic European coasts: Greenland, Iceland, North Russia, North North America. (nests on ground or cliffs)
• Winters: Mostly North Atlantic & North Pacific oceans, some go as far south as Northern Mexico
• Large gull: bigger, bulkier than herring gull. Pale wingtips (no black in wings & tail)
  Adult pearl-grey above, thick yellow bill. Immatures: very pale-grey, creamy-white or biscuit coloured with pink & black bill.
  More fierce looking than similar (smaller) Iceland gull
• Habitat: Seacoasts, lakes, rubbish tips, reservoirs, fishing ports (with other winter gulls)
• Diet: Omnivorous: mostly animals, also other seabirds ( in flight) scavenges carrion, scraps & is a pirate
• Listen to a glaucous gull (RSPB site)
• Similar birds: herring gull, Iceland gull

• Slavonian Grebe
• AK: Horned Grebe, Devil-diver, hell-diver, pink-eyed diver, Water Witch.
• Podiceps auritus
  AMBER LIST UK (breeding) 70 - 80 pairs, (winter) 400 birds RSPB
• Breeds: Vegetated areas of freshwater lakes (nests water's edge). Europe - (inc Scotland), Asia, Canada ( Striped young sometimes carried on adult's back).
• Winters: Europe (inc WI), South China, USA
• Habitat: Marshes, lochs, streams (also coast in winter)
• Diet: Insects, fish (Dives & chases fish underwater)
• Small grebe 12 - 15in long. Summer male: Face has golden puffy ear-like tufts along sides & black cheeks. Reddish neck & flanks. Scarlet eyes. Small & stubby straight white-tipped black bill. Winter bird: white cheeks, throat & breast with a sharply defined black cap. Dark nape & back. Rides high in water. Legs set far back - not good at walking. Nests at water's edge.

Photographs of slavonian grebes in winter and summer plumage on Steven Round's web site

Eats it's own feathers (& feeds them to chicks) the feathers form a mass in the stomach that has a sieve-like effect, and holds fish-bones until the bird has digested them.

Eochar - South Uist

Eochar - South Uist

Lesser Scaup

Scaup

Coot Loch - Benbecula

Far end of loch (opposite Borgh on B892)

NF 770 510

Kilpheder - South Uist

Eochar - South Uist

Loch Barvas - Isle of Lewis

Gramsdale + Drimsdale - Benbecula

Eochar - South Uist

North Uist (200+)

Sollas

Berneray

Drimsdale - South Uist

Stornoway Harbour

Lesser Scaup

Scaup

Coot Loch - Benbecula

Far end of loch (opposite Borgh on B892)

NF 770 510

Drimsdale - South Uist

Stornoway Harbour

Loch Roag - Isle of Lewis

Lesser Scaup

Scaup

Coot Loch - Benbecula

Far end of loch (opposite Borgh on B892)

NF 770 510

• Glaucous Gull
• Larus hyperboreus
• Winter Visitor, 200+ UK (winter) RSPB
• Breeds Arctic & Northern Atlantic European coasts: Greenland, Iceland, North Russia, North North America. (nests on ground or cliffs)
• Winters: Mostly North Atlantic & North Pacific oceans, some go as far south as Northern Mexico
• Large gull: bigger, bulkier than herring gull. Pale wingtips (no black in wings & tail)
  Adult pearl-grey above, thick yellow bill. Immatures: very pale-grey, creamy-white or biscuit coloured with pink & black bill.
  More fierce looking than similar (smaller) Iceland gull
• Habitat: Seacoasts, lakes, rubbish tips, reservoirs, fishing ports (with other winter gulls)
• Diet: Omnivorous: mostly animals, also other seabirds ( in flight) scavenges carrion, scraps & is a pirate
• Listen to a glaucous gull (RSPB site)
• Similar birds: herring gull, Iceland gull

• Melanitta perspicillata
• Accidental
• Large sea duck, bulky shape, large bill.
• Male almost all black, white patches nape & forehead. Bulbous red, yellow & white bill.
• Females brown birds, pale head patches. Head wedge-shaped & no white in wings helps ID female from female velvet scoter
• Fewer than 20 UK records
• Breeds: Alaska & Canada
• Winters: South USA, Europe & UK
• Habitat: Close to sea, lakes, rivers, tundra
• Diet: Molluscs, crustaceans, (migration fish eggs)
• BTO records

• Slavonian Grebe
• AK: Horned Grebe, Devil-diver, hell-diver, pink-eyed diver, Water Witch.
• Podiceps auritus
  AMBER LIST UK (breeding) 70 - 80 pairs, (winter) 400 birds RSPB
• Breeds: Vegetated areas of freshwater lakes (nests water's edge). Europe - (inc Scotland), Asia, Canada ( Striped young sometimes carried on adult's back).
• Winters: Europe (inc WI), South China, USA
• Habitat: Marshes, lochs, streams (also coast in winter)
• Diet: Insects, fish (Dives & chases fish underwater)
• Small grebe 12 - 15in long. Summer male: Face has golden puffy ear-like tufts along sides & black cheeks. Reddish neck & flanks. Scarlet eyes. Small & stubby straight white-tipped black bill. Winter bird: white cheeks, throat & breast with a sharply defined black cap. Dark nape & back. Rides high in water. Legs set far back - not good at walking. Nests at water's edge.

Photographs of slavonian grebes in winter and summer plumage on Steven Round's web site

Eats it's own feathers (& feeds them to chicks) the feathers form a mass in the stomach that has a sieve-like effect, and holds fish-bones until the bird has digested them.

• AKA: Widgeon, Baldpate
• Anas americana
• Scarce visitor, 6 UK annual records BTO
• Breeds North-West & Central America
• Winters: South USA to Northerly South America
• Duck: Adult male in breeding season: pinkish brown body, greenish eye patch, creamy white crown stripe,
• Gregarious outside of breeding season
• Habitat: lochs, marshes, wet meadows, on migration also rivers, estuaries
• Diet: Mostly grass, invertebrates ( seeds in summer)
• Similar bird: (wigeon cream-buff or orange crown)

• Glaucous Gull
• Larus hyperboreus
• Winter Visitor, 200+ UK (winter) RSPB
• Breeds Arctic & Northern Atlantic European coasts: Greenland, Iceland, North Russia, North North America. (nests on ground or cliffs)
• Winters: Mostly North Atlantic & North Pacific oceans, some go as far south as Northern Mexico
• Large gull: bigger, bulkier than herring gull. Pale wingtips (no black in wings & tail)
  Adult pearl-grey above, thick yellow bill. Immatures: very pale-grey, creamy-white or biscuit coloured with pink & black bill.
  More fierce looking than similar (smaller) Iceland gull
• Habitat: Seacoasts, lakes, rubbish tips, reservoirs, fishing ports (with other winter gulls)
• Diet: Omnivorous: mostly animals, also other seabirds ( in flight) scavenges carrion, scraps & is a pirate
• Listen glaucous gull (RSPB site)
• Similar birds: herring gull, Iceland gull

• Iceland Gull
• Larus glaucoides
• Uncommon winter and passage visitor , scarce in summer
• 70 - 80 birds (usually singular) winter in UK RSPB
• Usually smaller than herring gull. All plumages very pale, no black in wings or tail. Immatures pale-creamy brown with fine barring. Rounded head, large dark eyes. Flight: "short-necked", very pale wings - white tips
• Breeds: Arctic Canada, Greenland (not Iceland)
• Winters: North Atlantic, South to North Europe - UK, East coast USA
• Habitat: Seacoasts, lakes
• Diet: Omnivores: Mostly fish, some carrion, eggs & young of other birds
• Similar birds: Glaucous gull (they're usually larger & more frequent

The BTO migration Atlas estimates 100 - 200 birds wintering in the UK.

North Bay - North Uist

Stornoway - Harbour - Isle of Lewis

Lesser Scaup

Coot Loch - Benbecula

Far end of loch (opposite Borgh on B892)

NF 770 510

Drake bird

• Lesser Scaup
• Aythya affinis
• Accidental UK 2 annual records BTO
• Breeds: Marsh ponds. North America (Alaska) , Western Canada
• Winters: Lake rivers, coasts Pacific coast of North & South America (UK vagrant first record in 1987) One of latest migrants to head south each year
• Diving duck: at 7 weeks old can dive for 25 seconds to 60 feet depth. Also some dabbling. Eats aquatic insects, molluscs, plants
• Small duck (38-45cm long). Blue bill. Yellow eyes. Adult males dark (purple sheen), black breast, light-grey back, black tail, white below. Adult females white band base of bill, brown head & body.
  
  Smaller than the Greater Scaup and very similar, they often flock together:

  " Lessers have a very small amount of black at the tip, and a more concave shape bill, most so at the base.... the highest point of head is at the rear, and much more sloped at the front.....males flank feathers have fine grey vermiculations giving a clouded greyish appearance. (rear flank striping usually courser and visable.).... upper parts darker than greater scaup and more coarsely vermiculated...they sit higher in the water.."

based on Neill Hunt's notes

There are about 18 UK lesser scaup sites so far this year RBB.
BTO records show about 2 birds a year
BBRC records show 14 for 2006, as highest number in any year.

South Uist

Ness + Loch Barvas - Isle of Lewis

"just before Hebridean Jewellers park on left"

• Kentish Plover
• AKA: Snowy Plover
• Charadrius alexandrinus
• 34 annual UK records BTO
• UK Former Breeder, Scarce Visitor
• Breeds: "Locally" in Europe, Asia, (NOT KENT or rest of UK)
• Winters: South Europe - Central Africa, South-East Asia
• Habitat: Beaches, mudflats, rivers, lochs
• Small wader, like ringed plover, but smaller, paler, longer-legged & thinner-billed. Breast band never complete, & usually as dark lateral patches on sides of breast. Greyish-brown above, white below. Summer adults' breast markings black, otherwise brown. Legs black. Flight: Flight feathers blackish & strong white wingbar
• Diet: Inland: Insects. Coastal: Crustaceans, worms, molluscs (run & pause)

Siadar - Isle of Lewis

Ardivachar - South Uist

North Bay - South Uist

Goat Island - Stornoway (6)

Stornoway Harbour (7)

Lochboisedale - South Uist

Ardivachar - South Uist (12)+(5)

North Bay - South Uist (8)

Goat Island - Stornoway (6)

Stornoway Harbour (7)

Lochboisedale - South Uist

Ardivachar - South Uist

Loch Barvas- Isle of Lewis

Loch Barvas + Siadar - Isle of Lewis

Loch Barvas + Shawbost - Isle of Lewis

Mediterranean version of the Herring Gull with yellow instead of pinkish legs. It is also called the Yellow-legged Gull.

Larger bird, different shape with longer wings and legs. Darker back. The adults' wing tips have more black and less white, (underwing shows hardly any white).

In winter the Kumlien's Gull has less streaking on the head than the Herring Gull so can be spotted within a flock.

Recently it has been decided that this is a separate species to the Herring Gull.

Loch Barvas + Siadar - Isle of Lewis

Balgarva - South Uist

Loch Barvas - Isle of Lewis

Howmore - South Uist

• Ardea alba
• AKA : White Heron, Common Egret
• Scarce visitor
• Just 6 UK annual records BTO
• Large, (approx as grey heron) all white, yellow bill, black legs & feet
• Distribution: Tropical & warmer temperate parts of the world
• Breeds: in colonies in trees
• Habitat: Marshy places shallow water, reedbed, lakes, rivers
• Diet: Insects, fish, frogs, small mammals

The Great White Egret develops a set of long showy feathers which spread like a very large fan. It uses them in courtship displays. In the late 19th and early 20th century the species was decimated by the requirements of the fashion trade as humans emulated the herons.

This Egret is shy and vigilant, the only time it is easy to approach is when sitting on eggs, so this is when the birds were most frequently shot.

The species is now recovering and has repopluated many areas from which it had disappeared.