We've been up in Scotland staying at Ratagan for a week now, but yesterday we finally went for a proper look around Skye. I was mainly hoping to see eagles, and I was not disappointed. First, we saw a pair of adult White tailed eagles and a Golden eagle while driving near Uig. Then, we saw 3 juveniles White tailed eagles by Loch Harport and finally, a really good sighting of a pair of Golden eagles at Drynoch point.
other birds seen around Skye include:
80 Red breasted merganser (a huge flock on a loch near Portree which I can't remember the name of, I never knew so many of them would ever gather in such numbers. Also, a few pairs or small groups around the rest of the isle) 8 Eider 100 Gannet 3 Black guillemot 5 Common guillemot 30 Kittiwake 60 Fulmar 20 Twite 30 Wheatear (including some juveniles Neist point) 10 Rock pipit (including some juveniles at Neist point) 2 Stonechat 1 Whinchat 6 Chiffchaff 2 Willow warbler 10 Common sandpiper 6 Linnet 1 Greenshank 50 Greylag geese 15 Siskin Shag 40 20 Raven 200+ Hooded crow Peregrine 3 Kestrel 8 Buzzard Sparrowhawk 2 Red throated diver 300 Arctic tern (colony on an island viewed from near Ullinish
4 Otter (in the bay near Camastianavaig) 1 Weasel 3 Red deer 50 Common seal (colony on an island offshore from Ullinish) 10 Harbour porpoise
Megatrip for raptors September 18-24 2013, mostly on Skye:
Merlin - one, M6 near Shap Kestrel - various Buzzard - various Sparrowhawk - one, garden near Broadford Peregrine - one between Broadford and Kylerhea White-Tailed Eagle - pair on boat trip from Portree harbour Golden Eagle - three individuals - Glen Shiel, A87 south of Portree and Kylerhea Red Kite - approx 30 at Argaty feeding centre off A9
Breeding pairs of both eagles are in double figures on Skye so chances are favourable.
Also:
Otter - off A87 near Dunan Red Squirrel - woods in Moffat (off M74) Dipper - off A87 near Dunan Kingfisher - river Tay in Perth Stonechat - Kylerhea
Drive across Skye from Kyle of Lochalsh to Uig, with a few short stops, and ferry to Tarbet (Harris).
Skye:- Shag Cormorant Grey Heron Greylag Mallard Red-breasted Merganser 3 White-tailed Eagles, a pair displaying together, and one below the two 2 Golden Eagles Buzzard Peregrine Oystercatcher Grey Plover Bar-tailed Godwit Curlew Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Common Gull Feral Pigeon Woodpigeon Swallow Meadow Pipit Pied Wagtail Robin Blackbird A flock of 20+ Redwings Blue Tit Hooded Crow Raven Starling Chaffinch Greenfinch Goldfinch Siskin Linnet Common Seal
Ferry :- Sooty Shearwater Manx Shearwater Gannet Shag Black-headed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Kittiwake 3 Terns, none of which were close enough to identify Guillemot Black Guillemot 2 Harbour Porpoises
Went to Portree two days after you. Took the boat trip but the sea was so rough we were too busy feeling sea sick to be able to focus on the Sea Eagle nest ! However, did manage to get wonderful views of the Sea Eagle the following day at the South end of the Island at a place called called Kylerhea, the home of a otter haven. Lovely place, but be warned, the road to Kylerhea is the the road from hell - really scary. My wife drove ( she enjoys jumping out of aircraft in her spare time ) and she was white when we arrived at the other end - I just hid under a blanket !
Skye is a great place though. Also spotted: Great Northern Diver, Red Throated Diver and Golden Eagle amongst many others. We've already re-booked for next year.
-- Edited by John Barber on Tuesday 18th of May 2010 08:24:08 PM
Had a memorable day on Skye last Friday as part of a two day trip with Marcus Conway [ebirder]. Took the boat out of Portree and saw the resident White Tailed Eagles, one of which flew about 15 feet over the boat - which with its 6 foot wingspan was quite a spectacle. Also from the boat were Puffins, Guillemots, Common Gulls, Shags, Buzzards, distant Golden Eagles and a Grey Seal. The had a mooch around the Island and saw loads of Hooded Crows, Wheatear, Golden Plover, a few Dunlin, Sand Martins and all the typical species. Went looking for Corncrake and found some fantastic looking habitat - large expanses of Iris and other cover plants and a friendly local farmer who told us we were three weeks too early.
On the way back to Inverness we had a return trip to the Findhorn valley for a second look at Tree Pipits, Dippers and Redstarts.
looking for a few places to view mainly raptors on the trotternish peninsula in aug-sep this year? will be staying near totescore can anybody help out. thanks in advance craig
