Latest Outer Hebrides Bird and Wildlife Sightings 2023
Archive Jan Feb March April May June
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29th July:
Lewis: A Sooty Shearwater flew south past Aird, Point this evening.
Benbecula: 23 Black-tailed Godwits were at Borve.
Marine Sightings: A Fin Whale and a Humpback Whale were seen from the Stornoway - Ullapool ferry this morning.
28th July:
Barra: A 1st summer Glaucous Gull and an Iceland Gull were at Allasdale.
Knot (Andy Williams)
27th July:
Harris: A Balearic Shearwater was seen between St. Kilda and Leverburgh just after 18:00.
South Uist: 10 Black-tailed Godwits were at Aird Mhichael and 3 were on the Howmore River.
Barra: A Hobby was seen at Brevig this evening.
Marine Sightings: 2 Fin Whales, 3 Humpback Whales, 2 Minke Whales, a White-beaked Dolphin and a Riss's Dolphin were seen from the Stornoway - Ullapool ferry this morning.
26th July:
South Uist: 3 Black-tailed Godwits were on Boisdale machair.
Insects: A V-Pug was trapped in South Glendale last night.
Common Dolphin (Steve Duffield); V-Pug (John Kemp)
25th July:
Lewis: 6 Sooty Shearwaters past Port of Ness this morning. 4 Great Shearwaters were seen from the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry at 15:30.
Marine Sightings: 2 Fin Whales and 4 Humpback Whales were seen to the north of the Ullapool - Stornoway ferry at 10:30. Basking Sharks were seen of Tiumpan Head and Portnaguran this evening.
24th July:
Lewis: A Sooty Shearwater flew past Port of Ness this evening.
Marine Sightings: A Fin Whale was seen lunge feeding off Aird early this evening.
Black-throated Divers and Great Northern Divers (Andy Williams)
23rd July:
South Uist: 2 Black-tailed Godwits were on the shore at Drimsdale today.
Insects: 8 Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana, 4 Zeiraphera griseana and 3 Eudonia truncicolella were trapped in Langass Wood last night.
Zeiraphera griseana and Eudonia truncicolella (John Kemp)
22nd July:
Barra: The 1st summer Glaucous Gull was at Allasdale again today.
Marine Sightings: 2 Humpback Whales, a Fin Whale, 10+ Common Dolphins and 4 small pods of Risso's Dolphins were seen off Tiumpan Head today. 8+ Basking Sharks were seen between Pabbay Island and Cliff Beach, Lewis today.
20th July:
South Uist: 6 Black-tailed Godwits were on the Howmore River.
Vatersay: 2 Quail were heard calling today.
Redshank and Sparrowhawk (Alan Kennedy).
19th July:
Barra: A 1st summer Glaucous Gull was at Craigston again today.
18th July:
South Uist: A Wood Sandpiper was reported from the south-west corner of Loch Bee.
Cuckoo and Dark Green Fritillary (Alan Kennedy)
17th July:
Lewis: A Pectoral Sandpiper was at Labost in the wet strip just beyond the last houses.
South Uist: A Great White Egret was seen in Askernish this morning. A Goldeneye was on East Loch Ollay.
Vatersay: A Quail was calling at the southern end of the island today.
A Basking Shark was seen close in off the south side of Hosta early afternoon.
16th July:
South Uist: A Crossbill was at North Loch Eynort early afternoon.
Marine Sightings: 20 Common Dolphins were seen from the Ullapool - Stornoway today.
Arctic Skua (Andy Williams)
14th July:
Barra: A 1st summer Glaucous Gull was at Craigston.
Marine Sightings: 5 Orcas were seen very distantly east of Tiumpan Head this morning.
13th July:
South Uist: 19 Black-tailed Godwits were on the Howmore River.
Marine Sightings: 8 Risso's Dolphins and 5 Bottle-nosed Dolphins moved south off Tiumpan Head this afternoon; also large pod of Common Dolphins, 9 Harbour Porpoise and a Minke Whale.
Insects: A new micro for the Outer Hebrides - Orthotelia sparganella was found in South Glendale today along with Elophila nymphphaeata, Cochylimorpha straminea, Aethes rubigana and Pleuroptya ruralis.
Orthotelia sparganella (John Kemp)
12th July:
North Uist: A Little Stint was reported on the machair at Berneray.
Insects: 43 species of moth were trapped in Carinish last night including a Ghost Moth, a Small Fan-footed Wave, 4 Light Emerald, a Double-striped Pug and Evergestis palidata amongst many others.
Evergestis pallidata, Light Emerald and Small Fan-footed Wave (Steve Duffield)
11th July:
South Uist: 2 Avocets were at the south-west end of Loch Bee this morning before flying to the north.
Marine Sightings: 4 White-beaked Dolphins with 3 Bottle-nosed Dolphins and 22 Risso's Dolphins moved north at Tiumpan Head this morning whilst 4 Minke Whales and 20 Common Dolphins were there this afternoon.
Pyraustra purpuralis (John Kemp); Short-eared Owl (Steve Duffield)
9th July:
North Uist: A Quail was heard singing early morning at Balranald. A Red-necked Phalarope was still at Loch Paible this morning.
Marine Sightings: 15+ Risso's Dolphins and a Minke Whale were off Tiumpan Head this morning.
Risso's Dolphins (Steve Duffield)
8th July:
Lewis: A Quail was heard in Port of Ness.
North Uist: 2 Swifts flew east past Claddach Kirkibost this afternoon. 2 Swifts were over Sollas machair.
South Uist: 18 Black-tailed Godwits were in the dunes near Cladh Hallan today.
7th July:
Lewis: A Quail was heard in Port of Ness.
South Uist: An Iceland Gull was at Ardvule.
6th July:
Marine Sightings: A Humpback Whale and 20 Common Dolphins were off Tiumpan Head this afternoon.
5th July:
North Uist: A Red-necked Phalarope and 2 Black-tailed Godwits were on the pool at the southern end of Loch Paible this evening.
Insects: 2 Iron Prominent, 1 Coxcomb Prominent, 3 Barred Red, 7 Light Emerald, 1 Treble-bar, 1 Scallop Shell and 1 Small Fan-footed Wave were trapped at North Loch Eynort last night whilst Gracillaria syringella, 3 Argyresthia brockeella, 1 Argyresthia goedartella and 7 Leucoptera spartifoliella were netted at Loch Eynort today.
Marine Sightings: 2 Fin Whales, 4 or 5 Minke Whales and a couple of small pods of Risso's Dolphins were off Tuimpan Head this morning.
Scallop Shell and Argyresthia brockeella (John Kemp)
4th July:
North Uist: 2 Red-necked Phalaropes and a Black-tailed Godwit were on the pool at the southern end of Loch Paible again this evening.
South Uist: A 2bd cal yr Iceland Gull was seen between Kildonan and Bornish on the coast today.
Mingulay: A Quail was heard calling on the island today.
Marine Sightings: 3 Fin Whales, a Humpback Whale, 5+ Minke Whales and several pods of Risso's, White-beaked and Common Dophins were reported from Tiumpan Head this morning. Fin Whales were still present at 16:00. 4+ Minke Whales were feeding east of Scalpay this afternoon.
Bonxie and White-tailed Eagle, Minke Whales (Steve Duffield)
3rd July:
North Uist: 2 Red-necked Phalaropes and a Black-tailed Godwit were on the pool at the southern end of Loch Paible this evening.
Vatersay: A Quail was heard on the island today.
Marine Sightings: A Humpback Whale, 3 Fin Whales, 2 Minke Whales, a small pod of Common Dolphins and a Basking Shark were reported from Tiumpan Head early afternoon.
2nd July:
South Uist: 18 Black-talled Godwits were on the Howmore River today.
1st July:
Lewis: A Sooty Shearwater flew south-west past South Galson this morning.
North Uist: A Cory's Shearwater flew south-west past Griminish Point around 14:00. Also 4 Sooty Shearwaters, 4 Storm Petrels, 4 Bonxies, around 6,000 Manx Shearwaters, 700+ Puffins, 5 Arctic Terns, a Little Tern, 40 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Purple Sandpipers heading south-west off there between 13:30 - 16:00.
Barra: 5 Sooty Shearwaters flew past Cleat.
Cory's Shearwater (Steve Duffield)