Outer Hebrides Birds

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Bruce Taylor
@barrabirder
Proper autumnal weather on Barra today with frequent heavy showers driven on by a force 9 south-westerly. Another heavy passage of Manxies offshore and a sample count of 134 Sooty Shearwaters past Borve in an hour this evening.

You reposted from X
St Kilda World Heritage Site NTS
@StKildaNTS
Awesome views of the #StKilda American Cliff Swallow continue today 😍 Flying around a localised patch near the Manse in gale force winds, often settling for a rest on the grass or on rocks. @HebridesBirds @BirdGuides @rbnUK

Image of a Black-headed Gull alongside BTO and WinGS logo and accompanying wording that reads: Winter Gull Survey (WinGS). We need your help to monitor gull populations this Autumn. To learn more visit www.bto.org/wings

By taking part in the Winter Gull Survey this September, you'll aid the understanding of gull movements throughout Autumn & help to better inform conservation efforts 🌍➡️Visit www.bto.org/wings to learn more, sign up & find gull roost sites in your area. #WinGS_UK

Map showing locations of BTO tagged Cuckoos, with the location for Cuckoo Joe in Cameroon, with an arrow pointing to it and the wording: update, Joe has crossed the Sahara. Headshot of Cuckoo Joe with the wording: tagged, Norfolk 2022. Current location: Cameroon. BTO Cuckoo Tracking.

Joe has crossed the Sahara 🙌🌍 He set off across the Mediterranean from Sardinia on Saturday night covering 150 miles of open water before arriving in North Africa, then he moved southward & took a non-stop flight across the Sahara. 😮 Who will be next?➡️ www.bto.org/cuckoos

Change of wind direction and a rather dapper Red-backed Shrike appeared in a Grìnn garden near the quarry. The second time I have seen this species in this garden in three years. At the other end of the birding spectrum the ‘Tango Twins’ are rapidly losing their sparkle #barrabirding #ukbirding

I wasn’t expecting to see a Bohemian Waxwing today but a message & detective work led me to just around the corner at Bolnabodach As I walked over it flew from a small clump of bushes. It was in there again later before flying to Loch an Ail. photo by the finder, Alex. #barrabirding #ukbirding

Thank you!

Thanks for the info Jared, i’ll make sure to use the birdingScotland hashtag in future, and the Outer Hebs Birds ‘local tag’ is #HebridesBirds 😊

BOURC review of old Collared Pratincole records in latest British Birds (2024; 117: 152-167) has turned up first Western Palearctic record of Oriental Pratincole from Flannan Isles, Outer Hebrides, July1908. ID resolved genetically. Image (C) British Birds

Another Oystercatcher ringed as a chick at Ormiclate, South Uist on 14-June-2014 was controlled (caught and released) on the Isle of Orosay on 04-March-2024 a duration of 2,553 days and a distance of 155km.

Phonescoped distant Little Gull at Eoligarry on a blustery Saturday. A Jackdaw, a species we only get one or two of each year on Barra, in a good productive field for crows this year 😂 #UKBirding

The North Bay Treecreeper still defying whatever the winter weather throws at it this morning. Also two Long-tailed Tit in the the woods

Freezing cold day up here and pretty much the usual suspects. Green-winged Teal at Ardmhor and the Grey Plover, a decent Barra bird still on Cleat beach

Yes, sorry, that's the oldest known Oystercatcher. I believe the oldest known bird is a Manx Shearwater which is 50+ years

Not bad at all! The average lifespan is 12 years but still has a way to go to beat the oldest known bird of 41 years 1 months 5 days set in 2017.

Oystercatcher ringed as a chick at Griminish, Benbecula 11/06/2005 was controlled at Bangor Harbour on 28/01/2024, that's 6805 days (18 yrs 7 months 18 days) & distance of 512 km. Previously controlled Beaumaris, Anglesey 16/10/2011. Thanks to Hugh Insley for the info.

2018 Outer Hebrides Bird Report is still available and is for sale on the website, A5 size, 210 pages, full colour, £10 + £2.50 P&P tinyurl.com/44cjmwha edited by Yvonne Benting. Thanks for all who submitted records, photos and art!