BIRDS
Golden Eagle– Achmelvich 5pm, 30th of September (Reported)
House Sparrow – c25 Culkein Drumbeg, 29th September (DAH)
Goldfinch – 9 Oldany Estuary, 29th September (DAH)
Teal – 5 Oldany Estuary, 29th September (DAH)
Grey Heron – 19 Oldany Estuary, 29th September (DAH)
White-tailed Eagle – 3 near Rhicarn 28th September (Roz Summers)
Lapwing – single Culkein Stoer, 28th September (DAH)
Swallow – Culkein Stoer, 28th September (DAH)
Bar-tailed Godwit – single Bay of Culkein, 28th September (DAH)
Brent Goose – 2 Clashnessie Bay, 27th September (Chris and Carol Puddephatt)
Ptarmigan – 8 on Quinag, 26th September (Chris and Carol Puddephatt)
Raven – 9 on Quinag, 26th September (Chris and Carol Puddephatt)
Whooper Swan – 7 adults Loch Neil Bhain, 26th September (DAH). All the ‘arctic’ birds are coming back! Again for comparison, previous first dates – 2014-29th Sept; 2013-25th Sept; 2012-4th Oct.
Pink-footed Goose – c30 heading south-east over Culkein Drumbeg (DAH); c50 over Little Assynt (Julie Grey) and two skeins of 40/50 over Inchnadamph (Helen Morrison), 25th September. The first reports of 2015. For comparison, previous first dates (all September) – 2014-20th; 2013-17th; 2012-11th.
Brent Goose – 10 Bay of Culkein, 25th September (Paul Burnett)
Wheatear – single at Bone caves, 23rd September (Andy Summers)
Tufted Duck – 4 (2 pairs) Loch na Bruthaich, 24th September (DAH)
Lesser Black-backed Gull – single adult Loch Kirkaig, 24th September (DAH)
Curlew – 8 Loch Kirkaig, 24th September (DAH)
Mallard – 15 Loch Inver, 24th September (DAH)
Goldfinch – 65 at Clachtoll feeding on knapweed, 22nd Sept (Andy Summers). A huge number of these birds which a few years ago were a rare sighting for Assynt. This increase possibly as a result of Goldfinch learning to visit gardens for food.
Twite – 45 caught and ringed as part of ongoing programme Clachtoll, 22nd September (Tony Mainwood, Highland Ringing Group)
Wheatear – single Culkein Stoer, 22nd September (Andy Summers)
Teal – 4 female Bay of Culkein, 22nd September (DAH)
Turnstone – 8 Bay of Culkein, 22nd September (DAH)
Knot – single winter adult Bay of Culkein, 22nd September (DAH)
Stonechat – 1st-winter bird in garden Torbreck, 21st September (Gwen Richards)
Long-tailed Tit – 3 Pollachapuill, Culkein Drumbeg, 21st September (DAH)
Goosander – eclipse male on River Inver, 20th September (Gwen Richards)
Snow Bunting – 2 near trig point Sidhean Mor, Raffin, 19th September (Malcolm Edwards)
Bar-tailed Godwit – single Bay of Culkein, 19th and 22nd September (DAH)
Dunlin – 2 Bay of Culkein, 19th September (DAH)
Turnstone – 3 Bay of Culkein, 19th September (DAH)
Goldfinch – 10 Clashnessie, 19th September (DAH)
Twite – 51 Stoerhead Lighthouse, 18th September and 78 on the 19th (Malcolm Edwards)
Great Skua – 2 Stoerhead Lighthouse, 18th September (DAH)
Golden Plover – 4 near Stoerhead Lighthouse, 18th September (DAH)
Willow Warbler – 2 Pollachapuill, Culkein Drumbeg, 16th September (DAH)
Grey Heron – 7 Oldany Estuary, 16th September (DAH)
Red-breasted Merganser – 6 female/juvenile Loch Kirkaig, 14th September (DAH)
Tawny Owl – 2 birds calling close to each other at 20:45 Culkein Drumbeg, 13th September (DAH)
Arctic Skua – single ‘resting’ on grazing near Stoerhead Lighthouse, 12th September (DAH)
Swift – single past Stoerhead Lighthouse, 12th September (DAH)
Black-headed Gull – single adult over Stoerhead Lighthouse, 12th September (DAH)
Turnstone – 4 Bay of Culkein, 12th September (DAH)
Sparrowhawk – 2 in garden Clashmore, 11th September (Leigh Sedgley)
Shag – c190 on rocks below Stoerhead Lighthouse, 11th September (DAH)
Cormorant – single juvenile on rocks below Stoerhead Lighthouse, 11th September (DAH)
Buzzard – 4 over Stoer and 3 over Little Assynt, 10th September (DAH)
Starling – c110 Clachtoll, 10th September (DAH)
Whimbrel – single bird Stoerhead Lighthouse, 8th and 12th September (DAH)
Kestrel – female near Clashmore, 8th September (DAH)
Twite – c25 Stoerhead Lighthouse, 7th September (DAH)
Starling – c90 Stoerhead Lighthouse, 7th September (DAH)
Sparrowhawk – juvenile flying up the line of roadside ditch near Stoerhead Lighthouse, 7th September (DAH)
Black-throated Diver – single in Loch Inver, 7th September (DAH)
Goldfinch – 3 Culkein Stoer and 2 (adult feeding juvenile on thistle) Pollachapuill, Culkein Drumbeg, 6th September (DAH)
Sanderling – 7 Bay of Culkein, 6th September (DAH)
Sparrowhawk – juvenile bird on beach Bay of Culkein, 6th September (DAH)
Slavonian Grebe – 6 Loch Druim Suardalain, Glencanisp, 3rd September (DAH)
Bullfinch – 2 Glencanisp road, Lochinver, 3rd September (DAH)
Goldcrest – 2 Glencanisp road, Lochinver, 3rd September (DAH)
Kestrel – single over Balchladich, 2nd September (Howard Gray)
White-tailed Eagle – immature bird over Bay of Culkein, 1st September (DAH)
Turnstone – 6 Bay of Culkein, 1st September (DAH)
Sanderling – 12 Bay of Culkein, 1st September (DAH)
Dunlin – 9 Bay of Culkein, 1st September (DAH)
Linnet – 5 Bay of Culkein, 1st September (DAH)
Great Northern Diver – 3 Bay of Stoer, 1st September (DAH)
Red-throated Diver – 4 Bay of Stoer, 1st September (DAH)
Eider – 7 Bay of Clachtoll, 1st September (DAH)
Black-headed Gull – single adult Bay of Clachtoll and single 1st-winter Bay of Culkein, 1st September (DAH)
OTHERS
Common Dolphin – 10+ off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 28th September (DAH)
Small Tortoiseshell – Bay of Culkein, 28th September (DAH)
Otter – off Culkein Drumbeg, 28th September (Paul Burnett)
Red Deer – stag roaring 07:40 near Nedd, 23rd September (Ian Evans)
Waxcap fungi – several species recorded – Culkein Stoer NC039335: Hygrocybe punicea (Crimson) and H. pratensis var. pratensis (Meadow); NC036336: H. reidii (Honey) and H. insipida (Spangled). On route to Old Man of Stoer NC008342: H. pratensis var. pratensis, H. psittacina (Parrot) and H. russocoriacea (Cedarwood). All 22nd September (Karen and Andy Wilkinson)
Harbour Porpoise – single Clashnessie Bay, 20th September (DAH)
Harbour Porpoise – 3 (2 adult 1 calf) Clashnessie Bay, 19th September (Chris and Carol Puddephatt)
Common Dolphin – c40 off Stoerhead Lighthouse for over 5 hours, 18th September, (DAH and many others)
Common Dolphin – c20 foraging in Eddrachillis Bay, 17th September (DAH)
Otter – single Clashnessie Bay, 16th September (Chris and Carol Puddephatt)
Common Blue butterfly – single Pollachapuill, Culkein Drumbeg, 16th September (DAH)
Common Dolphin – c34 off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 16th September (DAH)
Harbour Porpoise – 4 off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 16th September (DAH)
Water Shrew – seen in lay-by near church on main road in Lochinver, 14th September (Roz Summers)
Common Dolphin – c5 Clashnessie Bay, 9th September (Chris and Carol Puddephatt)
Harbour Porpoise – 8 off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 8th September (DAH)
Basking Shark – single off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 8th September (DAH)
Elephant Hawkmoth – caterpillar on Himalayan balsam Clashnessie, 7th September (Chris and Carol Puddephatt)
Risso’s Dolphin – 2 off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 7th September (Leigh Sedgley)
Minke Whale – single off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 7th September (DAH)
Common Dolphin – c10 off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 7th September (DAH)
Harbour Porpoise – 3 off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 7th September (DAH)
Harbour Porpoise – 2 feeding Clashnessie Bay, 6th September (DAH)
Emperor Moth caterpillar – on road to Glencanisp Lodge, 3rd September (DAH)
Harbour Porpoise – 2 off Bay of Strathan, 2nd September (reported)