The photograph of the snowy owl was taken in Benbecula in 2006 by Debbie Bozkurt (yes that is seaweed)

Please email sightings or photographs to birding@thewesternisles.co.uk  

Bird Sightings photographs the collection is large enough now to help with ID

Our county Bird Recorder - Brian Rabbitts would also like to receive details of your rarity sightings

Western Isles Wldlife Forum new

Where to go birding? Visit Tristan's site: Heb Birding

Corrections are always welcome

• Yellow Wagtail
• AKA: Blue-headed wagtail, yellow wag, yellow waggy
• Motacilla flava (Gaelic: breacan buidhe)
• Migrant Breeder, Passage Visitor (April - October)
• AMBER LIST, UK 19,000 pairs (Summer) BTO
• Annually less than 10 Western Isles records,
• Breeds: Europe (Bred St Kilda (1998) Asia, North Africa, Alaska,
• Winters: South Africa, North Australia
• Habitat: Open land near water: Damp meadows, arable farmland, estuaries, along streams, marsh, riverbanks
• Diet: Insects: From ground or in flight, (often around livestock) walks & runs across ground & constantly wags its tail
• Small graceful yellow & green bird, medium-length tail, slender black legs. Breeding adult male olive above & yellow below. (Their head colour varies according to subspecies). Other plumages yellow is whiter.
• Listen to yellow wagtail (RSPB site)
• Similar birds: grey wagtail, pied wagtail

Yellow wagtails only live 3 years

There are 15 -20 subspecies of yellow wagtail!
Most often we get the" Grey-headed" subspecies Motacilla flava thunbergi (Dark-headed wagtail).

We have also had Motacilla flava flava and Motacilla flavissima

Female

• Snowy Owl
• Nyctea scandiaca, Bubo scandiacus
• AKA: Arctic Owl, Great White Owl, Catyogle, Child's Snowman
• UK: 3 records a year (BTO) (1958-2004 total of 159 records)
• UK: accidental, former breeder
• WI: Vagrant
• Distribution: Primarily resident circumpolar - North of the Arctic Circle. Europe, North Asia, North North America. Nomadic bird - shortage of prey forces it to more Southern tundra breeding sites. Nests on ground - a scrape on a mound, rock or gravel bar. (Areas with good visibility & good hunting). An abandoned eagle nest sometimes used. Breeds in May, laying 5 -14 eggs). Winter: fields & prairie
• Diet: Hunting style "sitting and waiting", bird has sharp talons & catches prey on ground, in air or fish from surface of water. Lemmings, voles & other rodents, small birds , fish, carrion
• All white. Upright stance. Body barrel-shaped. Head rounded. Eyes yellow & staring. Bill black. Male almost pure white. Female (largest bird) & young covered with narrow black bars & crescent-shaped spots. Heavily feathered feet (together with bird's thick plumage suitable for life in the Arctic)

A nesting pair were found on the Island of Fetlar in Shetland in 1967. During the next few years they bred and and fledged 23 young. A second female joined them in 1972, but she was unsuccessful in fledging her young - perhaps because the male could not proivide for two broods. The male left in 1976, and did not return. An immature male was later found nearby but did not join the two females. (see Birds Britannica)

BBRC Snowy Owl records 1990-2006
3, 4, 1, 5, 5, 1, 4, 3, 1, 1, 1, 3, 0, 1, 1, 7, 2,

Up to 6 Snowy Owls were recorded in The Western Isles in 2006. Times do change, there is an old record of a gamekeeper in Ness shooting 3 Snowy Owls in one day (see Peter Cunningham's: Birds of the Outer Hebrides).

Makes a sound called "clapping" when threatened or annoyed (the sound is probably made by clicking of the tongue).

If prey is small enough the Snowy Owl usually swallows it whole, the bird's stomach juices digesting the flesh and it's gut compacting the fur, bones etc into a pellet which it then regurgitates. The owl frequently uses the same perch to regurgitate from, so there may be a lot of pellets marking this area .

• Great Northern Diver
• AKA: (big loon, common loon, black-billed loon, call-up-a-storm, imber diver, ring-necked loon, and walloon, ember-goose, greenhead, guinea duck)
• Gavia immer
• AKA Common Loon
• Scarce breeder, winter visitor
• Arrives UK August - leave to breed April - May
• 3000 in UK in winter BTO
• Usually solitary, large: average 32 inches long, wingspan of 54 inches, weighs 9lbs (81cm : 136cm : 4.1kg)
• Breeding adults: black head, white below, checked black & white mantle, sexes similar
• Non-breeding brownish, white chin, foreneck, bill is grey- whitish held horizontal
• Breeds: Greenland, Iceland, Alaska, North Scotland, North America, Canada
• Winters: North Europe, UK, North America
• Habitat: Lakes, ponds & rivers
• Diet: Mostly fish, crustaceans amphibians,
• Fishes underwater to 200 feet (60m) immer means submerge

One of the names of the bird is "call-up-a-storm" the call was supposed to presage rain!

In April and May large numbers of Great Northern Diver gather together ready to begin their return trip to Greenland and Iceland. Many will be in breeding plumage. The usual gathering sites are Broadbay (near Stornoway) and the Sounds of Harris, Taransay and Barra. Single birds may be seen offshore during most months.

• Garganey
• Anas querquedula
• UK Migrant Breeder, Passage Visitor
• UK AMBER LIST, 69 pairs (summer) BTO
• Breeds: Europe, Asia (a few in UK)
• Winters: South Europe, South Africa, Australia, South Asia
• Diet: Garganey is a dabbling duck so often feeds swimming with head under water, or by skimming surface. Eats leaves, shoots, aquatic vegetation
• Habitat: Shallow wetlands, rushy marshland, flooded meadows, ditches, shallow lakes, reedbeds
• Secretive duck (especially when breeding). Smaller than mallard, bit bigger than teal. Adult male, brown head & breast. Broad white stripe over eye. Rest of plumage grey, (loose grey shoulder feathers). Grey bill & legs.
  Fight shows a pale blue forewing.
• Max recorded age 21yrs 4mths
• Similar birds: teal, green-winged teal (rare)
• Listen to a garganey (RSPB site)

• 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

Male near the Grenitote picnic area and female at Balranald !

• Eurasian Turtle Dove
• Streptopelia tutar
• AKA: Turtle Dove, Gaelic: tutar
• WI: Regular but scarce passage migrant (March - Oct but mostly May-June & Sept) Approx 10 records a year
• UK: RED LIST, 44,000 territories (summer) BTO
• UK: Migrant reeder, Passage Visitor
• Habitat: arable land near townships, woodland edges, hedgerows & open land with some shrubs, gardens
• Breeds: Europe, Central Asia, North Africa
• Winters: south of breeding range to Central Africa
• Diet: Seeds, cereal grain, weeds
• Size of a large blackbird. Dainty dove. Smaller & darker than collared dove. Upperparts mottled chestnut & black. Black tail has white edge
• Max recorded age: 7yr 1 mth
• Listen to a turtle dove (RSPB site)
• Similar bird: collared dove
  

Turtle doves are the only migratory dove.

• Sylvia borin
• Passage visitor, migrant breeder
• 190,000 pairs in UK (summer)
• Arrives late-April - May, leaves mid- July, Continental migrants seen Aug - Sept
• Breeds: West Asia, Europe
• Winters: Central & Southern Africa
• Very plain warbler, mainly brown-grey above and whitish below, mostly hides in scrub cover
• Habitat: Forest edge, glades, deciduous & mixed woodland edges, towns (prefers open areas near trees)
• Diet: Berries, summer insects
• BTO records
• Listen to garden warbler RSPB site

• Eurasian Marsh Harrier
• Circus aeruginosus
• Gaelic: Clamhan l òin
• WI Accidental/Scarce passage visitor (April - October), just a couple of records annually
• UK Migrant/Resident Breeder, Passage Visitor. AMBER LIST 206 females (summer) BTO
• Breeds: Shallow freshwater rivers or lakes. Europe to Asia, Africa
• Winters: (UK small resident population) South of breeding range to Africa, Asia
• Habitat: Marshland, reedbeds, farmland by wetlands
• Diet: Small birds, mammals.
• Largest harrier. Recognised by long tail, soaring light flight - wings held in shallow V-shape
• Similar birds hen harrier, buzzard
  

"I have not often heard one calling in this part of Callanish"

• Common Cuckoo
• Cuculus canorus
• AKA: Gokk, Gowk, Gok, Cucu, Cuccu, Gaukr, Geac
• Gaelic: Cuthag
• UK: AMBER LIST, 14,000 pairs (Summer) BTO
• UK: Migrant Breeder, Passage Visitor (Arrives late March - April, departs July - August)
• Breeds: Europe, Asia, North Africa
• Winters: South of breeding range to South Africa, South Asia
• Habitat: Reedbeds. Trees: open woodland, taiga (moist subarctic coniferous forest begins where tundra ends), steppe forest
• Diet: Larger Insects and large hairy caterpillars & beetles (usually ones that other species avoid)
• Dove-sized blue-grey bird with slender body, long tail, strong legs. Pointed wings.
  Adult females two morphs: sometimes grey like male but with rusty-buff tinge & dark barring on breast, other morph rusty-brown above & breast with dark barring all over, the “hepatic” phase. Young are brown.
• Max recorded age 17yrs 9ths
• Listen to a cuckoo (RSPB site). It is the call of the male that gives the bird it's name. Female's call is a loud bubbling sound
• Similar birds: Sparrowhawk, collared dove

There are different common cuckoo populations (gens). The female of each cuckoo population lays eggs that match in colour and markings those of her host species, eg pipit-cuckoo (mottled brown eggs), robin-cuckoo, (red-speckled eggs). Male cuckoos will breed with the female from any of the cuckoo populations. Other host species include Wheatears, Dunnocks, Reed Warblers, Twites, Reed Buntings (over 100 different species have been recorded as host species to cuckoos).

A female cuckoo has up to 50 nests in her territory, she watches them and times her egg-laying so that she lays her egg almost at the same time as the host species. She usually throws out one of the host's eggs before laying hers. Sometimes the host species has a domed nest with a small entrance hole, the female cuckoo has evolved an extrusible cloaca, she can "squirt" her egg into this nest. She can lay an egg every two days.

The cuckoo egg hatches earlier than the host's and the cuckoo chick is very fast growing, it will usually throw out the eggs or young of the host by instinct.

The female cuckoo will return to the same breeding territory for up to 10 years. 75% of the nestlings return in later years to establish their own breeding territories within 40km of their birth site.

You will often see a cuckoo being followed by a meadow pipit (sometimes several pipits). In the Gaelic the pipit is called the cuckoo's lady in waiting, in reality it is a wee irate pipit seeing off the cuckoo ...

• Night Heron
• Nycticorax nycticorax
• AKA: Night Heron, Quark
• UK: Approx 10 records a year BTO
• UK: Scarce visitor, escaped breeder
• Habitat: Nest in colonies on platforms of sticks in tree group. Or on ground in safe places (islands, reedbeds). Fresh and saltwater wetlands: Marshes, ponds, lakes, mangrove
  Diet: Mostly fish, crustaceans, frogs, aquatic insects, small mammals
• Short-necked, stout heron. Black crown & back. Rest of body white/grey. Eyes red. Short yellow legs. Young birds: brown, flecked with white & grey.
  
  This heron stands at the water's edge waiting to ambush prey, mostly at night. During the day it rests in trees or shrubs.
  The Latin name, Nycticorax, means "night raven", and refers to the nocturnal habit and crow-like call of the night heron.

Heard two cuckoos calling together in Carloway,

Richard H
Wednesday 7th May.

I would'nt normally report this , but to see one in our garden, Upper Aird, Point, this am, 7 May, was a nice surprise !
Movements of Wood Pigeons have been reported from the East coast of Scotland.

Grahame & Jackie
Wednesday 7th May, 2008

Broad Bay - Isle of Lewis

• White-billed Diver
• AKA Yellow-billed loon, parsnip bill
• Gavia adamsii
• Passage migrant (Spring), Winter Visitor
• WI up to 7 (spring)
• UK 4 -22
• Breeds in Arctic: Russia, Alaska, Canada
• Winters at sea: Coasts of Norway, western Canada; & sometimes found on large inland lakes.
• Largest of the loons, 77-100 cm (30-40 in) length. Wingspan 135-160 cm (53-63 in). Breeding adults: black head. White below. Chequered black & white mantle. Non-breeding drabber with white chin & foreneck. Long straw-yellow bill looks slightly uptilted.
• Diet: fish, catches prey underwater

BBRC (British Birds Rarities Committee) records of the incidence of this species in Britain 1996 to 2006 are: 4,9,14,5,3,13,22,11,26,17.

In his book " Bird's of the Outer Hebrides" published 1990, Peter Cunningham wrote that there were only four records ever of this rare diver in the Outer Hebrides, all off the coast of the Uists. In recent years this bird has been a regular visitor to the Lewis Coast, usually found just offshore at Skigersta (or in 2008 Port of Ness) from mid-February, but most frequently in mid-April to early-May. In 2007 there were up to 7 birds along the Port of Ness - Skigersta - Tolsta - Tiumpanhead coastline.

The white-billed diver was seen off Lewis in February of 2007 and 2008 so now is a winter visitor as well as a spring migrant.

• (Eurasian) Hoopoe
• Upupa epops
• UK: scarce spring passage visitor (Late April - May). Has bred
• UK: 116 records a year, usually single birds
• WI: Accidental, approx 5 records in a century
• Breeds: Nests in hole in tree or wall. Prefers farming areas with open grazing, open woodland, copses, hedges, bushes. Savanna, steppe. Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Bangladesh
• Winters: Tropical Africa, Asia (resident in many equatorial areas)
• Diet: Feeds on insects mostly caught on ground & also pulled from underground - so short grass areas or bare patches. Has very short tongue in long bill so swallows food ( Insects: worms, grasshoppers, crickets, larvae, locusts) by throwing it into the air & catching it way back in the gullet.
• Exotic looker! Large thrush-size. Pinkish-brown body. Black & white stripes. Long, narrow, downcurved bill. Both sexes have a flat ornamental crest of long feathers that rests folded on nape (when bird is excited they raise and expand forming a spectacular fan. Tail broad white band. Flight flappy & erratic. Wings broad & rounded.
• Average lifespan 11years
• Listen to a hoopoe (RSPB site)( "hoop-hoop-hoop")

About 78% of the birds in the UK are seen as singles on the South coast of the UK in late April and May, these are on spring passage, migrating north to Europe from their East African wintering sites and they have overshot their usual European breeding grounds. There are a total of over 30 UK breeding records. Vagrant birds have been found as far North as Iceland.

Birds on the autumn passage usually occur from mid-July to late October. Occasionally birds have over-wintered in the UK.

The hoopoe has worldwide traditional associations with divination of wisdom and is sometimes called "The Celestial Messenger".

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 (*not in my dictionary - please can anyone explain this?) and a narrower tip.

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...)

• Wood Sandpiper
• Tringa glareola
• UK: AMBER LIST. Scarce Breeder (a few pairs in the Scottish highlands), Passage Visitor Spring & Autumn
• Breeds: Taiga near water (moist subarctic coniferous forest begins where tundra ends) Alaska, North Europe, North Asia
• Winters: Africa, Australia, South Europe, South Asia
• Migration: Coastal areas & lochs, lakes, rivers, wet meadow
• Diet: Insects: worms, spiders, shellfish and small fish.
• Medium-sized wader. Narrow, straight bill, yellow legs. Long white stripe bill - over the eye to back neck. Flight: Square white rump, no wing-stripes
• Listen to a Wood Sandpiper (RSPB site)
• Similar birds: green sandpiper (rare here), common sandpiper
  

Peninerine - South Uist

• 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: It's an omnivore: 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.

A large group of long tailed ducks off the brae and on the brae loch yesterday.Also razorbills feeding on sandeels in bayble bay

Andy L
Tuesday 6th May, 2008

Singing. Possibly the one recently in Breacleit?

• WI Rare migrant breeder, (approx 3 singing records annually? - Stornoway). Passage visitor
• Listen to a chiffchaff (RSPB site)

• Medium size plover
• 630 pairs in UK in summer - Amber list
• Breeds: UK - Europe, Asia, Alaska
• Winters: Mediterranean
• Habitat: "High tops" grassland with stones, on (on migration mudflats)
• Diet: Insects, small invertebrates & spiders (from under stones...)
• Female more bright in colour than male
• Adults mostly grey-brown upperparts, bright chestnut belly, a white chest band, throat and eyestripe, dark cap
• Male stays on the nest & incubates the eggs
• Listen to a dotterel on the RSPB site
• BTO records

"...a fantastic week on Taransay – more like the Seychelles than Scotland... a pair of King Eiders on the east coast of Taransay on Monday 5th May... "

Mick B

Peninerine - South Uist

"2 this am in Stornoway Harbour"

• AKA Arctic Tern, Sea swallow
• Sterna paradisaea
• 553,000 pairs - summer UK BTO
• AMBER LIST
• Mostly grey & white, red beak & feet, white forehead, black nape & crown, white cheeks. Deeply forked whitish tail giving long "streamers"
• Breeds: UK - Europe, Arctic, North America
• Winters: Antarctic oceans
• Habitat: Tundra, Seacoast, lochs, rivers. Winter - sea
• Diet: Fish, insects
• A chick ringed in Northumberland one June was in Australia, that October (12, 000 mile round trip)
• Usually return to breed in area & colony, where they hatched to breed. Lives to 20yrs.
• Listen to an Arctic Tern RSPB site

The birds winter far South in the Antarctic oceans. In Late April, early May they begin to arrive back in the UK, the northernmost birds arriving back in June. Migration back South starts at the end of the breeding season in late July and August.

• Ring-billed Gull
• Larus delawarensis
• Scarce UK visitor, 74 annual records BTO
  (Most common gull in North America)
• Breeds: North America, Canada (Colonies nest on ground by rivers, lakes & coast. Bird returns to same nest site each year)
• Winters: South to North America & the Great Lakes (wanderer to UK & West Europe)
• Habitat: Seacoasts, lakes, rivers, fields
• Diet: Forages, scavenges, steals. Omnivorous: Fish, insects, earthworms, small mammals, grain, eggs & rodents
• Slightly larger than common gull. White head, neck & below. Shortish, yellow bill has dark ring. Back & wings silver-grey. Yellow legs and eyes. Different immature plumage classes for first three years.
• Live to 15yrs

14 siskins in the garden.

This evening: 13: 7 males and 6 females, they are costing me more to feed than my grown up son was!

A couple of days a go a hooded crow swept down into the garden and frightened all the wee birds and one of the siskins crashed into the kitchen window. I crept out...and there was the male siskin in a heap on the floor! I thought at first it was dead, I picked it up and I could see it was just breathing. I didn't want to leave it on the floor as both crows and seagulls were ahead and one of the neighbours has a cat. I sat in the cold on the step with this wee little soldier in my hand. After about 10 minutes in came around and snuggled in my hand, had a few hops about but didn't seem inclined to move, I didn't dare risk sitting indoors incase it flew away and hurt itself in my kitchen. It let me take a few photos one handed and then after 20 minutes flew away as if nothing was wrong. The siskins are quite brave and tame as they will wait on the barbed fence whilst I am filling the seed holders and are the last ones to be spooked by the large birds.

Siskin	Siskin

• Eurasian siskin
• Carduelis spinus
• UK: Resident Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor, 369,000 pairs UK (Summer) BTO
• WI: Scarce breeder (1-2 pairs), passage migrant
• Breeds: Northern Europe - UK including Scotland, Russia, Asia
• Winters: South Europe, Central Asia (favours riverside alders)
• Habitat: Woodland treetops (prefers coniferous) (On passage here: Often tall & dense, seedy undergrowth )
• Small finch: Upper parts greyish-green, under parts grey-streaked white. Short & forked tail. Wings & tail have yellow patches. Male: More yellow-green body & yellower face, black cap & bib. Female & young birds greyish-green heads & no cap. Gregarious out of breeding season (mixed flocks often with redpolls)
• Diet: Seeds (prefers spruce & pine) alder, birch, (summer - insects)
• Listen to siskin RSPB site
• Similar birds greenfinch, serin (rare)

"Been out and about for a couple of days and have noted in the uig area : ringed plover,redshanks,wheatears,meadow pipits,white wagtail,shelduck and heard a cukoo and 2 corncrakes at ardroil . 

Also saw a male merlin around the pentland road being harrased by a hooded crow"

Andy L.
Sunday 4th May, 2008

Sunday 4th May, 2008

Apparently someone saw a PRATINCOLE in Berneray, North Uist today.

The Pratincoles are classed as wader, they have short legs, very long pointed wings and long forked tails.

Their short bills are an adaptation to aerial feeding, they hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows ( they also feed on the ground). Being mostly aerial feeders, their flight is fast and with twists and turns as they chase their prey. They are most active at dawn and dusk.

Records on the BBRC site show The Collared, Oriental and Black-winged Pratincoles as very rare visitors to the UK with just one record of a species every year or so.

The Common Pratincole occurs 1-5 times a year.

Gramsdale - Benbecula

Bayhead - North Uist

Balranald - North Uist

nr Aird an Runair

• Killdeer
• Charadrius vociferus
• UK just one record a year
• Breeds: Bare sandy/gravelly terrain near freshwater (gravel-pits, reservoirs, saltpans etc). North America
• Winters: North to South America. Vagrant to Europe
• Habitat: On migration: Freshwater margins, estuaries, coastal mudflats
• Diet: Forages by sight: fields, mudflats, shores. Insects, mostly earthworms, also snails, grasshoppers, beetles
• Adults: Bit similar to & bit smaller than ringed plover but white breast has 2 black bands. Brown wings & back, white belly, Rump orange-brown. Bill all black. Legs greyish-pink or brownish (not orange)

In North America where the bird breeds, it does the "broken wing" act to entice predators away from it's nest. It also stops horses, cows etc from trampling the nest by fluffing up, putting it's tail over it's head, and charging at the animal to scare it off!

BBRC Killdeer records 1992-2006
0, 2, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 3, 0, 1, 2, 3

2nd Killdeer in the Western Isles in the last 10 years. In 2004 we had one arrive which stayed over Christmas and the New Year - a great mid-winter treat!

Balranald - North Uist

nr Aird an Runair

Chiiffchaff

Willow Warbler

Gramsdale - Benbecula

"3 birds, one of them was in full breeding plumage, very smart"

In April and May large numbers of Great Northern Diver gather together ready to begin their return trip to Greenland and Iceland. Many will be in breeding plumage. The usual gathering sites are Broadbay (near Stornoway) and the Sounds of Harris, Taransay and Barra. Single birds may be seen offshore during most months.

Bird sightings records for April 2008

Sources of information for the bird sightings section