2015
Please note that the sightings below do not reflect the variety of species you can see in a normal day out birding or wildlife watching. These reports concentrate on more unusual species or significant counts or movements.
31st December:
North Uist: A Gyrfalcon was seen at Loch Mor, Baleshare around midday and also on the coast at Balranald this afternoon. 23 Snow Buntings were also along the shore at Balranald. A Coot is on Loch Sandary. 11 Fieldfare and a Goldfinch are in Carinish.
South Uist: A Grey Phalarope was at Peninerine.
Marine Sightings: 3 Harbour Porpoise were off Traigh Iar, Balranald.
Gyrfalcon and Buzzard (Jac Volbeda)
30th December:
South Uist: Seawatching at Ardvule (08:50 - 11:25) produced 54 Gannets, 44 Red-throated Divers, 47 Great Northern Divers, 3 Fulmars, 99 Kittiwakes, a juvenile Pomarine Skua, 3 Razorbills, 2 Guillemots, a Puffin, 4 Little Auks, 10 auk species and 12 Long-tailed Ducks heading south.
Little Auks (John Kemp)
29th December:
North Uist: At least 12 Fieldfare are in Carinish.
South Uist: A Little Auk was off Ardvule. Seawatching at Ardvule (08:40 - 10:50) produced 28 Gannets, 20 Red-troated Divers and 6 Great Northern Divers heading south whilst 3 Barnacle Geese flew north. 15 Fieldfare were at Bornish.
White-tailed Eagle (Jac Vobeda)
28th December:
South Uist: A Little Auk flew north at Ardvule this morning.
27th December:
North Uist: A Gyrfalcon flew south at Aird an Runair today; also 2 Sandwich Terns heading south there.
South Uist: 13 Fieldfare were at Loch Carnan.
Insects: A female Small White butterfly was found in a house in Carinish this evening.
26th December:
North Uist: A Jack Snipe was seen on the moor just south of Langass Lodge. 15 Fieldfare and a Woodcock were on Carinish.
South Uist: 3 Little Auks flew north past Ardvule this morning.
25th December:
North Uist: 15 Fieldfare and a Short-eared Owl were in Carinish this morning with 54 Brent Geese on the North Ford also from there. 20 -30 Fieldfare were on Grimsay. The Gyrfalcon was seen at Balranald today.
South Uist: Seawatching at Ardvule (08:45 - 11:10) produced 16 Gannets, 12 Red-throated Divers, 37 Eiders, 3 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Kittiwakes and a Snow Bunting heading south.
Great Northern Divers and White-tailed Eagle (John Kemp)
24th December:
North Uist: The Gyrfalcon was at Balranald this morning before being relocated at the south end of Baleshare. 22 Snow Buntings were seen at Balranald.
South Uist: Seawatching at Ardvule (08:40 - 11:05) produced 37 Gannets, 21 Red-throated Divers, 6 Great Northern Divers, 48 Eiders, 6 Long-tailed Ducks, 19 Kittiwakes and 14 Little Auks heading south.
Gyrfalcon (Jac Vobeda); Little Auks (John Kemp)
23rd December:
Lewis: A juvenile Iceland Gull was in Stornoway harbour.
North Uist: The Gyrfalcon was seen again this afternoon near the Balranald visitor centre. A female Pintail was on Baleshare.
Benbecula: A female Pintail was on Coot Loch.
South Uist: Seawatching at Ardvule (08:45 - 10:25) produced 63 Gannets, 11 Red-throated Divers, 4 Great Northern Divers, a Fulmar, 2 Black Guillemots and 47 Kittiwakes heading south.
Barra: A juvenile Iceland Gull and 3 Little Auks flew south at Brevig this afternoon.
Slavonian Grebe (John Kemp)
22nd December:
North Uist: A Gyrfalcon was at Balranald this morning and a Little Auk flew north along the shore there. 5 Pintail were on Loch nam Feithean. A Coot was on Loch Sandary.
Gyrfalcon (Steve Duffield)
21st December:
North Uist: A Gyrfalcon was seen at Hougharry early this afternoon.
South Uist: Seawatching at Ardvule today (08:55 - 12:00) produced 20 Gannets, 6 Red-throated Divers, 2 Great Northern Divers, 4 Fulmars, 12 Kittiwakes, a Razorbill, 2 Black Guillemots, 5 Little Auks and 13 auk species.
Barra: A Little Auk was seen off Craigston.
Insects: An Angle Shades moth was seen at Carnan today.
Little Auk and Kittiwake (John Kemp)
20th December:
North Uist: A drake Pintail was on Baleshare.
South Uist: Seawatching at Ardvule (08:45 - 11:30) produced 21 Gannets, 15 Red-throated Divers, 11 Great Northern Divers, 4 Fulmars, 11 Kittiwakes, 17 Razorbills, 3 Guillemots, 5 Black Guillemots and 13 auk species south whilst a Little Auk flew north.
19th December:
North Uist: A Jack Snipe, Woodcock and 16 Fieldfare were in Carinish today. A dead Little Auk was found at Baleshare road end.
18th December:
North Uist: At least 15 Fieldfare are in Carinish.
Benbecula: A male and 2 female Pintails are on Loch Olobhat.
South Uist: Seawatching at Ardvule this morning (08:40 - 11:00) produced 35 Gannets, 18 Red-throated Diver, 4 Great Northern Divers, 8 Long-tailed Ducks, 21 Kittiwakes, 6 Razorbills, 2 Guillemots, 5 Little Auks and 10 auk species heading south.
17th December:
South Uist: Seawatching at Ardvule (08:45 - 10:35) produced 23 Red-throated Divers, 6 Great Northern Divers, 35 Gannets, 1 female Common Scoter, 14 Long-tailed Ducks, 15 Razorbills, 8 Guillemots, 4 Little Auks and 15 auk species as well as 15 Kittiwakes heading south.
Insects: A Long-tailed Blue butterfly (a rare migrant in the south of the UK form the Mediterranean) was found inside a house in Carinish last night.
Long-tailed Blue (Steve Duffield)
16th December:
North Uist: At least 15 Fieldfare were in Carinish today.
South Uist: Seawatching at Ardvule (09:15 - 11:30) produced a southerly passage of 42 Red-throated Divers, a female Common Scoter, 47 Razorbills, 27 Guillemots, 34 auk species and 122 Kittiwakes; 8 pale-bellied Brent Geese flew north.
15th December:
North Uist: A female Pintail is still on Baleshare.
14th December:
Harris: At least 104 Common Scoters were in the Sound of Taransay.
Barra: A juvenile Iceland Gull was on Loch Tangusdale this morning.
13th December:
South Uist: A juvenile Iceland Gull was in the bay at South Glendale.
12th December:
Lewis: A juvenile Iceland Gull flew north-west over Arnish and a Slavonian Grebe was on Loch Orasaigh.
North Uist: A pair of Pintails were on Loch an Faig, Baleshare.
South Uist: 3 Pink-footed Geese were with Greylags by Loch Bee today.
10th December:
North Uist: A Snow Bunting was in Carinish this morning. A female Pintail is on Baleshare.
South Uist: Ardvule (08:30 – 11:00) produced 46 Gannets, 2 Fulmars, 24 Red-throated Divers, 6 Great Northern Divers, 279 Kittiwakes and 2 Black Guillemots heading south.
8th December:
North Uist: The drake Green-winged Teal is still on Loch Sandary along with the Coot. 50 Snow Buntings were at Balranald. 3 Fieldfare were at Balranald village and 14 were in Carinish along with 9 Goldfinch.
7th December:
North Uist: A drake Pintail was on Loch Mor, Baleshare.
South Uist: 47 Barnacle Geese were on the machair at Ardivachar today.
Teal (John Kemp)
6th December:
North Uist: A male and female Pintail were on Loch Mor, Baleshare.
South Uist: A Gyrfalcon was at Ardivachar before heading south along the coast around mid-afternoon. The Whimbrel was in North Bay again. 2 Little Auks flew south at Ardvule this morning.
Barra: The Great White Egret was at Loch na Obe before flying north.
Gyrfalcon (2 photos - Steve Duffield); Gyrfalcon and Little Auk (John Kemp)
5th December:
South Uist: Southerly passage at Ardvule (08:25 – 11:30) included 71 Gannets, 23 Great Northern Divers, 63 Red-throated Divers, 69 Kittiwakes, 19 Long-tailed Ducks, 2 Little Auks and 3 Black Guillemots. A Magpie was at West Gerinish. 2 Scaup are on Loch Bee and a Whimbrel was in North Bay.
Little Auks (John Kemp); Magpie and Whimbrel (Steve Duffield)
4th December:
South Uist: A Sooty Shearwater flew south at Ardvule this morning.
3rd December:
North Uist: A juvenile Iceland Gull was in Lochmaddy bay this morning.
South Uist: A Pintail was on Loch Bornish.
Otter (Steve Duffield); Otter (2 photos - John Kemp)
2nd December:
South Uist: Southerly passage at Ardvule (08:20 – 10:30) included 81 Red-throated Divers, 17 Great Northern Divers, 27 Gannets, 63 Kittiwakes and 7 Long-tailed Ducks. 3 Pintails were on Loch Ardvule. 5 Fieldfare were at Loch Carnan.
1st December:
North Uist: A Jack Snipe was at Claddach Baleshare and 2 Woodcock were in Carinish.