Latest Outer Hebrides Bird and Wildlife Sightings 2021
January February March April May June Archive
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26th July:
St. Kilda: The female Snowy Owl and Rose-coloured Starling are still on Hirta.
Barra: A Subalpine Warbler species was at the Manse, Cuithir today.
Insects: 747 moths and 69 species were trapped in Carinish last night including Small Fan-footed Wave, Heart & Dart and a Pinion-streaked Snout amongst many others.
Heart & Dart, Small Fan-footed Wave and Twin-spot Carpet (Steve Duffield)
25th July:
Insects: 402 moths and 40 species were trapped at Carnan last night including a Manchester Treble-bar, 16 Double Lobed, A Mottled Beauty and 3 Narrow-winged Pugs amongst others.
24th July:
Insects: 67 species of moth were trapped in Carinish last night including Dark Spinach, Scotch Annulet, a Ghost Moth and a Mother of Pearl amongst many others. At Druidibeg 2 Bordered Grey, 16 Scotch Annulet, 2 Juniper Pugs and 39 Chestnut-coloured Carpets were caught. In South Glendale the catch included a Northern Rustic, 22 Small Rivulet, Brown China-mark, 4 Eudonia murana, 2 Eudonia mercurella, 1 Eudonia truncicolella and a Grey Mountain Carpet.
Marine Sightings: At least 5 Risso's Dolphins were seen off Scolpaig, North Uist early afternoon and around 5 Harbour Porpoise were off Balranald.
Dark Spinach, Ghost Moth and Mother of Pearl (Steve Duffield); Bordered Grey (John Kemp)
23rd July:
Barra: A Pomarine Skua was seen off the island in the evening.
Black Darter (Andy Williams)
22nd July:
North Uist: An immature Iceland Gull was at Loch Sandary this afternoon.
South Uist: A Crane was seen flying east over Carnan early this afternoon.
Insects: 215 moths were caught on Eriskay last night which included 9 Rustic, 1 Northern Rustic, 3 Scotch Annulet, 1 Brown China-mark, 2 Pyrausta despicata, 10 Grass Rivulet, 1 Barred Rivulet, Small fan-footed Wave, 1 Agapeta hamana, 4 Cnephasia conspersana.
Barred Rivulet and Brown China-mark (John Kemp)
21st July:
St. Kilda: The female Snowy Owl and Rose-coloured Starling were seen on Hirta today
North Uist: A Sandwich Tern was off Rushgarry, Berneray.
South Uist: An immature Glaucous Gull was seen at Orosay.
Marine Sightings: A few Harbour Porpoise were in the Sound of Harris (as seen from Berneray). 20 Harbour Porpoise, 20 Common Dolphins and 2 Minke Whales were seen off Tiumpan Head.
Antler and Emerald Damselfly (Andy Williams)
20th July:
St. Kilda: A Rose-coloured Starling was in Hirta.
Benbecula: 3 Sandwich Terns flew north past Stinky Bay this evening.
South Uist: An Avocet was on the Howmore River.
Barra: The Rose-coloured Starling was at Borve.
Insects: At North Loch Eynort 176 moth of 43 species were trapped and included 32 Light Emerald, 6 Barred Red, 2 Riband Wave, 4 Scallop Shell, 1 Common Lutestring, 1 Iron Prominent, 4 Coxcomb Prominent, 9 Pinion-streaked Snout, 11 Pandemis cerasana and 2 Tinea semifulvella.
Marine Sightings: At least 12 Minke Whales (within 10 nm of Stornoway), a probable Humpback Whale (4nm north of ferry route adn off Aird Point) and 50 Common Dolphins were seen from the Ullapool - Stornoway ferry today. In South Glendale 622 True Lover's Knots, 2 Treble-bar, 20 Small Rivulets, 20 Straw Dot, 2 Rustic, 1 Pinion -streaked Snout, 3 Eudonia pallida, single Gillmeria pallidactyla and Platyptilia isodactylus, Matilella fusca, Eana penziana and Eana osseana were caught.
Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Common Dolphin and Mink Whales (Andy Williams)
19th July:
Marine Sightings: A couple of Minke Whales, Harbour Porpoise and both Common and Risso's Dolphins were off Tiumpan Head this afternoon.
18th July:
Marine Sightings: 4 Minke Whales, 3 Risso's Dolphins and a few Harbour Porpoise were off Tiumpan Head today.
17th July:
North Uist: An immature Glaucous Gull was on Baleshare this morning.
Barra: The Rose-coloured Starling was at Borve this evening although mobile.
Marine Sightings: 5 Minke Whales and 12 Risso's Dolphins were seen off Tiumpan Head this afternoon.
16th July:
Lewis: The Quail is still calling by Loch Stiapabhat and 2 Swifts were in the area.
South Uist: 8 Black-tailed Godwits were at the south-west end of Loch Bee this afternoon.
Insects: 4 Barred Red, 2 Northern Spinach and Clepsis spectrana were seen at Langass Wood last night.
Northern Spinach (John Kemp)
15th July:
At sea: A Wilson's Petrel was seen 42 miles north of St. Kilda
Barra: The Rose-coloured Starling is still at Borve (for its 3rd day).
14th July:
North Uist: An immature Glaucous Gull is at Port Scolpaig, Balranald.
Barra: A Rose-coloured Starling was at Borve.
13th July:
North Uist: 2 Whimbrel were at Aird an Runair.
South Uist: a Sandwich Tern was seen at Ardivachar this afteroon.
Marine Sightings: A Basking Shark was seen to the east of the Braighe, Stornoway this morning.
Corncrake (Steve Duffield)
12th July:
St. Kilda: The female Snowy Owl was seen in Village Bay, Hirta today,
North Uist: 2 Pintails were seen on Loch Bhrusda, Berneray today.
At sea: A Long-tailed Skua and 4 Sooty Shearwaters were seen 59 miles west of Barra.
Golden Eagle (Steve Duffield)
11th July:
North Uist: 2 Quail were calling at Balranald in the evening near the campsite.
Benbecula: A Hobby was reported from Carnan ard Wiay.
Golden Eagle and Short-eared Owl (Steve Duffield)
10th July:
North Uist: An immature Glaucous Gull was on Loch Paible early afternoon. A Quail was heard calling from Balranald near the campsite this evening.
South Uist: 2 Black-tailed Godwits were at the south end of Loch Bee this afternoon.
Insects: 40 moths and 19 species were trapped at Carnan last night including a Mottled Beauty, a Grass Rivulet, 5 Straw Dot and 2 Double Lobed amongst others. A Dark Green Fritillary was at Claddach Baleshare today. Dark Green Firtillaries were also seen at the south end of Loch Bee and several at Howmore.
Marine Sightings: 3 Minke Whales were seen off Tiumpan Head this morning.
9th July:
Barra: A Rose-coloured Starling flew north over Brevig this afternoon.
Marine Sightings: 20 - 25 Common Dolphins, 8 Risso's Dolphins, 2 small groups of White-beaked Dolphins and 2 Minke Whales were seen off Tiumpan Head. 2 Harbour Porpoise were seen from the ferry in the Sound of Harris.
Insects: 152 Pretty Pinion, 31 Lime-speck Pug, 10 Archer’s Dart, 1 Grass Rivulet, 1 Barred Rivulet, 9 Middle-barred Minor, 1 Map-winged Swift, 1 Burnished Brass, 1 Anerastia lotella, 6 Gynnidomorpha permixtana, 3 Phycitodes saxicola, 1 Celypha striana, 1 Celypha cespitana and 10 Crambus perlella were caught on Daliburgh machair last night.
Anerastia lotella and Phycitodes saxicola (John Kemp)
8th July:
Lewis: The Quail was still calling from near the hide at Loch Stiapabhat.
North Uist: A Quail was heard caling at Clachan Sands.
South Uist: A Rose-coloured Starling was by the cemetery at Daliburgh by Loch Hallan.
Marine Sightings: A Basking Shark, 12 Common Dolphins and 2 Harbour Porposie were off Tiumpan Head this morning.
7th July:
Insects: A Scallop Shell was trapped at Loch Eynort last night.
Marine Sightings: 3 small groups of White-beaked Dolphins and a pod of Common Dolphins were seen off Tiumpan Head.
Scallop Shell (John Kemp)
6th July:
North Uist: A Tree Sparrow and a Chiffchaff were at Callerish House; also 24 Black-tailed Godwits were resting on a loch nearby.
5th July:
Insects: 397 moths annd 49 species were trapped in Carinish last night including 4 Small Rivulet, 45 Buff Ermine, a Buff-tip, 3 Straw Dot, a Lempke's Gold Spot and a Notocelia uddmaniana (Bramble Shoot Moth) amongst others.
Buff-tip, Straw Dot and Notocelia uddmaniana (Steve Duffield)
4th July:
Lewis: The Quail was heard calling from near the hide at Loch Stiapabhat again this morning.
Barra: A Rose-coloured Starling was in Brevig.
Marine Sightings: White-beaked Dolphins, Common Dolphins, Harbour Porpoise and a couple of Minke Whales were seen off Tiumpan Head today. 4 Bottle-nosed Dolphins were seen off Brevig.
3rd July:
Lewis: The Quail was still caliing from close to the hide at Loch Stiapabhat today.
Barra: A Rose-coloured Starling was on Vatersay.
Marine Sightings: At least 4 Minke Whales and 12 Risso's Dolphins were off the Butt of Lewis this morning.
Insects: 134 moths and 31 species of moths were trapped at Carnan last night including 8 Buff Ermine, 7 Common White Wave, 8 Light Emerald, 3 Poplar Hawkmoths and a Shark amongst others.
Greenshank and Red-necked Phalarope (Steve Duffield)
2nd July:
Barra: The Rose-coloured Starling is on the machair between Eoligarry jetty and the airport.
Marine Sightings: At least 40 White-beaked Dolphins were off Tiumpan Head this morning with 30 - 40 Common Dolphins off there later in the afternoon. Risso's Dolphin, Common Dolphin, Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 3 Minke Whales, Habrour Porpoise and a Basking Shark were seen off Brevig, Barra this evening.
1st July:
Barra: The Rose-coloured Starling was still present at Eoligarry, at Traigh Mhor this morning.