Sightings – February 2017
BIRDS
Grey Wagtail – single male on River Inver below ‘Spar’ car park, 28th February (DAH)
Iceland Gull – single 1st-winter bird Clashnessie Bay, 27th and 28th February (DAH)
Little Grebe – single bird in bay at east end of Loch Assynt, 27th February (DAH)
Skylark – single bird flying over River Traligill car park, Inchnadamph, 27th February (DAH)
Greenfinch – 4 (2 pairs) in trees at River Traligill car park, Inchnadamph, 27th February (DAH). The males were displaying and, with a bit of sun on them, they looked stunning.
Yellowhammer – single male Glendarroch, 26th February, (Chris and Fran Barley)
Mistle Thrush – bird singing at 7am Culkein Drumbeg, 25th February (DAH)
Great Northern Diver – single bird Clashnessie Bay 24th February (DAH)
Meadow Pipit – 37 near Clashnessie, 24th February (DAH)
Lesser Black-backed Gull – 2 adults Bay of Culkein, 21st February (DAH)
Turnstone – 10 Bay of Culkein, 21st February (DAH)
Greylag Goose – 20 Oldany Farm, 20th February (DAH)
Teal – 9 flying over Oldany estuary, 20th February (DAH)
Bullfinch – single male Culkein Drumbeg, 20th February (DAH)
Goldfinch – 8 Culkein Drumbeg, 20th February (DAH)
Twite – 4 on garden feeder Torbreck, 17th February (Gwen Richards)
Glaucous Gull – single immature bird following creel boat off Clachtoll, 17th February (DAH)
Great Northern Diver – 13 off Clachtoll, 17th February (DAH)
Red-throated Diver – single bird Bay of Clachtoll, 17th February (DAH)
Tawny Owl – singing at rear of visitor’s centre Lochinver, 16th February (Bill Badger)
Knot – single bird Bay of Culkein, 15th February (DAH)
Sanderling – single bird still present Bay of Culkein, 15th February (DAH)
Golden Plover – single bird flying and calling near Raffin, 15th February (DAH)
Great Northern Diver – 3 off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 15th February (DAH)
Black-headed Gull – 5 past Stoerhead Lighthouse, 15th February (DAH)
Fulmar – 400+ on the sea off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 15th February (DAH)
Eider – 2 River Inver, 13th February (Clarinda Chant)
Grey Wagtail – single bird flying near Achmelvich Bridge, 13th February (DAH)
Whooper Swan – 2 adults Maiden Loch, Clachtoll, 13th February (DAH)
Grey Heron – single bird Loch Neil Bhain, 13th February (DAH). Not an unusual record but the loch was 100% frozen.
Tufted Duck – 3 pairs Loch na Claise, 13th February (DAH)
Black Guillemot – 7 Bay of Culkein, 13th February (DAH)
Great Northern Diver – 4 Bay of Culkein, 13th February (DAH)
Whooper Swan – 2 Loch na Claise, 12th February (Gordon and Leslie Sleight)
Mallard – 12 (8 male 4 female) Oldany Estuary, 12th February (DAH)
Grey Heron – 9 Oldany Estuary, 12th February (DAH)
Twite – single bird singing Culkein Drumbeg, 12th February (DAH)
Song Thrush – 3 Culkein Drumbeg, 12th February (DAH)
Black-throated Diver – single winter plumage bird Loch Dhrombaig, 12th February (DAH)
Dipper – single bird on Loch Assynt near Calda House, 11th February (Gordon and Leslie Sleight)
Whooper Swan – 6 (5 adults 1 juvenile) Loch Fasg an t-Seana Chlaidh, near Achmelvich Bridge, 10th February (Romany Garnett)
Great Spotted Woodpecker – female feeding near Glencanisp Lodge, 10th February (DAH)
Black-throated Diver – full summer plumage bird flying over Glencanisp Lodge, 10th February (DAH)
Curlew – 11 Stoer green, 10th February (DAH)
Goldeneye – 2 pair Loch an Aigeil, 10th February (DAH)
Teal – a pair Loch an Aigeil, 10th February (DAH)
Greylag Goose – 17 Loch an Aigeil, 10th February (DAH)
White-tailed Eagle – juvenile bird off Culkein Drumbeg, 7th February (DAH). Photo on Gallery-Birds.
Great Northern Diver – single bird Loch Dhrombaig, 7th February (DAH)
Treecreeper – single bird near Achmelvich bridge, 6th February (Romany Garnet)
Mistle Thrush – 2 near Achmelvich bridge, 5th February (DAH)
Goldfinch – 5 Culkein Drumbeg, 6th February (DAH)
Greylag Goose – 15 Oldany farm, 6th February (DAH)
Black-throated Diver – single bird still in winter plumage Achmelvich Bay, 5th February (DAH)
Merlin – female hunting near Clashnessie, 5th February (DAH)
Goosander – a pair Badnaban bay, 4th February (Dave Bird)
Black Guillemot – 8 Bay of Culkein, 3rd February (DAH)
Common Gull – 105 (mixed ages) Bay of Culkein, 3rd February (DAH)
Rock Pipit – 24 Bay of Culkein, 3rd February (DAH)
Redshank – 3 Bay of Culkein, 3rd February (DAH)
Ringed Plover – 19 Bay of Culkein, 3rd February (DAH)
Sanderling – single bird Bay of Culkein, 3rd February (DAH)
Turnstone – 16 Bay of Culkein, 3rd February (DAH)
White-tailed Eagle – juvenile bird over Oldany estuary, 3rd February (DAH)
Little Grebe – single bird Loch Inver, 1st February (DAH)
Red-breasted Merganser – 2 pairs Loch Inver, 1st February (DAH)
OTHERS
Frog Spawn – first report of 2017 is two clumps in roadside ditch near Pollachapuill, Culkein Drumbeg, 19th February (DAH)
Harbour Porpoise – 24 off Clachtoll, 17th February (DAH). This is an unusually high count for this cetacean but numerous gulls and auks were feeding in the same area suggesting an abundant food source was present.
Common Toad – 3 animals crossing road at Loch an Ordain, 16th February (AS)
Harbour Porpoise – a single animal and group of three off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 15th February (DAH)
Risso’s Dolphin – 2 adults off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 11th February (DAH)
Harbour Porpoise – three single animals and a group of six off Stoerhead Lighthouse, 11th February (DAH)
Pine Marten – single animal in Inverkirkaig garden, 8th February (Beryl Southall)
Common Seal – 29 Loch Roe, 5th February (DAH)