April 2017 Sightings

30th April 2017

  • Whimbrel: Seven at Culkein Stoer (AS)
  • Black-tailed Godwit: Adult in summer plumage at Culkein Stoer (AS)
  • Pintail: Beautiful adult male feeding in the surf on shoreline of Culkein Stoer (AS); bird still present 1 May (DAH). This is only the second record of Pintail in Assynt.
  • Golden Plover: Flock of c70 in fields at Culkein Stoer (AS)
  • Meadow Pipit: Flock of more than sixty at Stoer Green (AS)
  • Common/Arctic Tern: Two in Clachtoll bay (AS)
  • Common Carder Bumblebee: Several in garden at Clachtoll feeding on comfrey (AS)
  • Red Admiral: Single feeding on dandelions, Clachtoll (AS)
  • Cave Spider (probably Meta menardi): 10+ Cave spiders (probably Meta menardi) seen underground in sewage digester at Glencanisp lodge including 5+ teardrop-shaped eggsacs hanging from the lid. (Stuart Belshaw)

29th April 2017

  • Snow Bunting: single adult male near Clashnessie (DAH)
  • Wigeon: 2 pairs Loch Borralan (DAH)
  • Common Sandpiper: 2 Loch Drumbeg and a single Clashnessie (DAH)
  • Swallow: 2 Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)
  • Greenshank: single bird near Fionn Loch (Sarah Livingstone)

28th April 2017

  • Blackcap: Adult singing Baddidarach, Lochinver (AS)
  • Grasshopper warbler: Singing male at the back of the old Visitor Centre, Lochinver (AS)
  • Black-tailed Godwit: Single in full breeding plumage at Culkein Stoer, (Tony Maskens)
  • Dunnock: 3 fledglings in garden near Torbreck (Michael Rochester)
  • Cuckoo: single bird heard Badnaban (Dave Bird)
  • Ring Ouzel: 2 birds near Bealach a' Chornaidh on Quinag (Sarah Livingstone)
  • Cuckoo: bird calling Culkein Drumbeg (Amanda MacRae)
  • Whimbrel: Seven at Clachtoll (AS)
  • Red-breasted Merganser: Pair at Inverkirkaig bay (AS

27th April 2017

  • Red-throated Diver: 5 Bay of Stoer (DAH)
  • Redwing: 3 near Totag (DAH)
  • Cuckoo: single bird heard in Drumbeg (Wendy Glover)

26th April 2017

  • Tufted Duck: 2 pairs Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Little Grebe: 4 Loch na Claise (DAH)
  • White Wagtail: 2 Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Dunlin: single bird Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Merlin: single male unsuccessfully chasing Meadow Pipits for 2-3 minutes Culkein Stoer (DAH)
  • Golden Plover: 15 Culkein Stoer and 12 Clashmore (DAH)
  • Whimbrel: 6 on Clachtoll crofts (AS)
  • Grey Heron: Nine active nests in Culag Wood. Eggs hatched. (AS)

25th April 2017

  • Lesser Redpoll: 2 in Balchladich garden (Gordon and Lesley Sleight)
  • Brambling: single female on garden feeder Balchladich (Gordon and Lesley Sleight)
  • Cuckoo: single bird heard in Drumbeg (Angus MacCrimmon)

24th April 2017

  • Lapwing: 2 pairs near Raffin (Willie & Sue Jack)
  • Ring Ouzel: pair feeding in disused quarry above Glenleraig (DAH)
  • Snow Bunting: single, summer plumage male feeding on road side near Cnoc Coire a' Bhaic (NC2430) (DAH)

23rd April 2017

  • Common Sandpiper: Single on the beach at Inverkirkaig (AS)
  • Whimbrel: 3 on Clachtoll crofts (AS)
  • Whimbrel: 21 Culkein Stoer (Jonathan Hewitt)
  • Iceland Gull: single 1st/2nd winter bird Achmelvich Bay (Jonathan Hewitt)
  • Glaucous Gull: single 1st/2nd winter bird Achmelvich Bay (Jonathan Hewitt)
  • Sedge Warbler: single bird singing in Balchladich garden (Gordon and Lesley Sleight)
  • Ringed Plover: Pair at Inverkirkaig bay (AS)
  • Oystercatcher: 8 in Inverkirkaig bay (AS)
  • Greylag Goose: Pair Inverkirkaig bay (AS)

22nd April 2017

  • Sanderling: 2 Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Swallow: 2 feeding Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • White Wagtail: 3 males Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Whimbrel: 7 flying north past Stoerhead Lighthouse (DAH)
  • Pomarine Skua: single bird off Stoerhead Lighthouse (DAH)
  • Red-throated Diver: 2 flying past Stoerhead Lighthouse (DAH

21st April 2017

  • Golden Eagle: single bird soaring near Kylesku (Mike Lippert)
  • Brambling: single male on peanut feeder in Nedd garden (Ian Evans)
  • Redshank: 10 over Culkein Drumbeg harbour (DAH)
  • Peregrine: female bird chasing one of four Lapwing over Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Tufted Duck: 3 (2 male 1 female) Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Teal: 4 (2 pairs) Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull: 7 adults and immatures Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)

20th April 2017

  • Great Northern Diver: Single bird in Clachtoll bay (AS)
  • Whimbrel: Single at Clachtoll broch (AS)

19th April 2017

  • Swallow: single bird over Balchladich garden (07:30) (Gordon and Lesley Sleight) and also over Torbreck garden (15:30) (Gwen Richards)
  • Minke Whale: single animal off Stoerhead Lighthouse 11.30am (DAH)
  • Golden Plover: 7 over Stoerhead Lighthouse (DAH)
  • Lapwing: 2 Pairs Loch Neil Bhain, Stoer (AS)
  • Redwing: 8 birds at Clachtoll (AS)

18th April 2017

  • Red-throated Diver: 2 Loch Dhrombaig (DAH)
  • Red-breasted Merganser: Pair on River Inver (AS)
  • Little Grebe: Single bird on Loch Sgeireach, Stoer (AS)

17th April 2017

  • Pink-footed Goose: c700 resting near Culkein Stoer; several skeins were heading north-west mid-morning but the weather closed in off Point of Stoer. The birds circled for a few minutes before landing to wait on another weather window (DAH)
  • Snipe: Single bird alarming on Clachtoll Crofts (AS)
  • Greylag Goose: c80 birds on landed Clachtoll crofts (AS)

16th April 2017

  • Little Grebe: 2 on Loch an Aigeil (Les and Liz Pearce)
  • Black-throated Diver: single bird Maiden Loch, Clachtoll (Tam and Cilla Barnshaw)
  • Glaucous Gull: single 1st-winter bird Maiden Loch, Clachtoll (Tam and Cilla Barnshaw)
  • Minke Whale: 2 animals feeding c3km off Stoerhead Lighthouse for around 1.5 hours (DAH)
  • Pink-footed Goose: 5 skeins with a total of 1000+ birds heading north-west over Stoerhead Lighthouse and The Minch (DAH)
  • Iceland Gull: single immature bird off Stoerhead Lighthouse (DAH)
  • Great Northern Diver: 3 off Stoerhead Lighthouse (DAH)
  • Merlin: single female near Stoerhead Lighthouse (DAH)
  • Barnacle Goose: 23 over Stoerhead Lighthouse heading north-west (DAH)
  • Whooper Swan: 5 adults Loch na Claise (DAH)
  • Red-beasted Merganser: 2 pairs Lochinver bay (AS)
  • Eider: 3 pairs Lochinver bay (AS)
  • Greylag goose: 150 flying over Stoer (AS)
  • Goldcrest: Single Clachtoll (AS)
  • Greenshank: Single flying over Clachtoll crofts (AS)

15th April 2017

  • Snow bunting: Single at Culkein Stoer (Tony Maskens)
  • Barnacle Goose: Single with Greylags at Clachtoll (AS)
  • Greylag Goose: 26 on Clachtoll crofts (AS)
  • Bonxie: 4 flying passed Clachtoll (AS)
  • Lapwing: 2 pairs on Clachtoll crofts (AS)
  • Redwing: Single at Clachtoll (AS)

14th April 2017

  • Goldeneye: pair Loch Drumbeg (DAH)

13th April 2017

  • Merlin: single bird over Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)
  • Redwing: 8 and 2 Song Thrush, Valhalla Croft, Inverkirkaig (Stuart Byers & Nicola Cassidy)
  • Common Lizard: single animal along bank of River Kirkaig (DAH)
  • Chaffinch: numerous males and females Inverkirkaig; one female seen nest building (DAH)
  • Bullfinch: a pair feeding around Achin's Bookshop, Inverkirkaig (DAH)
  • Willow Warbler: 2 birds singing Inverkirkaig (DAH)
  • Greenshank: 2 Loch Kirkaig (DAH)
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull: single Loch Inver (DAH)
  • Ringed Plover: 4 Loch Kirkaig (DAH)

12th April 2017

  • Oil beetle: single in garden at Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)
  • Wood Anemone: several in flower Kirkaig Falls path and River Inver path (Gwen Richards)

11th April 2017

  • Black-headed Gull: single bird Clashnessie together with good number of Common Gulls (Ian Evans)
  • Jackdaw: c25 on dung heap Elphin. Always good to see Assynt's only colony of Jackdaws. (DAH)
  • Goldeneye: 3 (1 male 2 females) Loch Ruighean an Aitinn, Drumbeg (DAH)

10th April 2017

  • Harbour (Common) Seal: 50 Culkein Drumbeg harbour area (DAH)
  • Redshank: 2 Oldany estuary (DAH)
  • Great Skua: single bird perched on shed roof at fish farm, Loch Dhrombaig (DAH)
  • Sand Martin: Two Loch an Aigeil, Clachtoll (Andy Summers)
  • Grey Wagtail: 2 in garden at Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)

9th April 2017

  • Greenshank: 3 Loch Roe (Romany Garnett)
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull: 5 Loch na Claise (DAH)
  • Black-throated Diver: 2 Loch Drumbeg (DAH)
  • Pink-footed Goose: single skein of 132 birds over Culkein Drumbeg 07.35 (DAH)

8th April 2017

  • Dipper: juvenile bird being fed by its parents on River Inver (Les and Liz Pearce)
  • Chiffchaff: single bird singing Glencanisp (Romany Garnett)
  • Redwing: c45 moving around Culkein Drumbeg and a single bird, not part of flock, singing (DAH)
  • Pink-footed Goose: single skein of 42 birds over Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)
  • Willow Warbler: single bird singing Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)
  • Lapwing: single bird on territory near Ledmore Junction (Ian Evans/Gwen Richards)
  • Red deer: 12+ Lon Ruadh, Oldany (Ian Evans)

7th April 2017

  • Willow Warbler: single bird heard singing but not seen, Balchladich garden (Gordon and Lesley Sleight)
  • Stoat: single animal Culkein Stoer (Kath Ainslie)
  • Common Snipe: 2 birds 'drumming' near 'The Smithy' Stoer (Ian Evans)
  • Slow-worm: single animal moving through grass near Little Assynt Tree Nursery (DAH)
  • Red-throated Diver: single bird in breeding plumage Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Pink-footed Goose: 35 feeding Culkein Stoer (DAH)
  • Teal: pair on Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Lapwing: 9 around Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Greenshank: 2 Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Lesser Redpoll: 2 males over Achmelvich bridge (DAH)
  • Grey Wagtail: pair near Rhicarn (DAH)
  • Siskin: single male near Rhicarn (DAH)
  • Bullfinch: pair feeding near Rhicarn (DAH)

6th April 2017

  • Black-throated Diver: 2 on Loch Drumbeg; this is not a breeding loch but these birds seem to spend a few days here before moving on (DAH)
  • Little Grebe: pair on Loch Ruighean an Aitinn (DAH)

5th April 2017

  • Redwing: 7 Clashnessie (DAH)
  • Tufted Duck: single male Lochan Sgeireach, Stoer (DAH)

4th April 2017

  • Great Northern Diver: single bird in breeding plumage in harbour area Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)
  • Eider: pair in Culkein Drumbeg harbour area (DAH)
  • Cormorant: single with breeding patch in harbour area Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)

3rd April 2017

  • Redwing: many calling Nedd (Ian Evans)

2nd April 2017

  • False Morel (Gyromitra esculenta): 3 on conifer bark in grounds of Glencanisp Lodge (Ian Evans/Gwen Richards)
  • Wheatear: several birds around Clachtoll Peat Track above Maiden Loch (Liz Burns)
  • Great Black-backed Gull: 2 on Maiden Loch, Clachtoll (Liz Burns)
  • Chiffchaff: single bird singing Glencanisp Lodge (Ian Evans/Gwen Richards)
  • Slow-worm: 2 near Glencanisp Lodge (Ian Evans/Gwen Richards)
  • Evergreen alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens): several flowering in walled garden of Glencanisp Lodge (Ian Evans/Gwen Richards)
  • Snipe: single bird calling then flying, Bad na h-Achlaise, Glencanisp (Ian Evans/Gwen Richards)
  • Six gull species: surface feeding Bay of Stoer - Herring Gull 118; Common Gull 48; Great Black-backed Gull 5; Kittiwake 3; Black-headed Gull 1; Iceland Gull 1 (DAH)
  • Red-throated Diver: 2 Bay of Stoer (DAH)
  • Greenshank: single bird Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Redwing: 3 Balchladich (DAH)
  • Lapwing: 9 near Balchladich (DAH)
  • Black-throated Diver: 2 in breeding plumage Maiden Loch, Clachtoll (Liz Burns)
  • Pink-footed Goose: 68 in two skeins (40 + 28) over Oldany Farm (DAH)
  • Lesser Redpoll: 3 females in trees near Loch Poll (DAH)

1st April 2017

  • Risso’s Dolphin: 3 - adult male and a female with her calf off Stoerhead Lighthouse (DAH)
  • Teal: 3 (1 male 2 females) Oldany Estuary (DAH)
  • Greenshank: single bird Oldany Estuary (DAH)
  • Stonechat: a pair back at traditional breeding location near Raffin (DAH)
  • Peregrine: single female hunting Culkein Stoer (DAH)
  • Great Skua: single bird flying over Culkein Stoer (DAH)
  • Lapwing: 28 Culkein Stoer (DAH)
  • Pink-footed Goose: 13 Culkein Stoer (DAH)
  • Red-throated Diver: 2 off Bay of Culkein and 3 off Stoerhead Lighthouse (DAH)
  • Sanderling: single bird Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Turnstone: 7 Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Redshank: 3 Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Song Thrush: single bird singing since approximately 6.30am Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)