March 2022 Sightings

31st March 2022

  • Whooper Swan: 11 birds, Loch Cul Fraoich (Stephanie James)
  • Woodcock: Single bird beside road, Drumbeg (Carol Langford)

30th March 2022

  • Otter: Single animal crossing over road to beach, Culkein Stoer (Kath Ainslie)

29th March 2022

  • Buzzard: Seven birds circling on thermals before dispersing, Badnaban (Dave Bird)
  • Lesser Redpoll: Single bird, Clachtoll (Helen Lockhart)
  • Chiffchaff: Single bird, Culag Woods (Jane Richmond Young).  This species is regularly heard here.

28th March 2022

  • Redwing: Single bird, in bush by Loch an Aigeil (Charlie Leeson)
  • Greenshank: Single bird, Lochan an Tairbh, Torbreck (Gwen Richards)

27th March 2022

  • Great Skua: Single bird, flying north, Bay of Stoer (Charlie Leeson)
  • Lapwing: Two birds, Clachtoll croft land (Charlie Leeson)
  • Guillemot: Three birds, offshore, Bay of Stoer (Charlie Leeson)
  • Goosander: Single female, Loch Druim Suardalain, then flying down Culag river (Gwen Richards)
  • Sparrowhawk: Single bird flying fast, chasing another bird, Woodside car park, Culag woods (Gwen Richards)

25th March 2022

  • Drinker moth (Euthrix potatoria): 20 larvae, thinly scattered along the river loop footpath, river Inver (Peter Hall)
  • Greenshank: Two birds, one calling across Loch Nedd, one further to north (Ian Evans)

24th March 2022

  • Slow Worm: Single animal in Glendarroch garden, Lochinver (Chris & Fran Barley)

23rd March 2022

  • Skylark: 24 birds on passage at Clachtoll (AS)
  • Fieldfare: Two birds on hillside, Clachtoll (DAH)
  • Golden Plover: A pair, Meall Diamhain, Canisp (Janet Robinson)
  • Ptarmigan: Two pairs, with red grouse heard further down, Canisp (Janet Robinson)
  • Peacock Butterfly: Single butterfly in garden at Lochinver (Ken Fairchild)

22nd March 2022

  • Pied Wagtail: Single bird on the beach, Clashnessie (Cheryl Smith)

21st March 2022

  • Barn Owl: Single bird on roadside fence post at 9.30pm, Loch Eileanach (DAH)
  • Goosander: Single male bird flying over Lochan an Iasgaich, opposite Little Assynt Tree Nursery (DAH)
  • Dipper: Two birds, one singing, river opposite Little Assynt Tree Nursery (DAH)

20th March 2022

  • Wheatear: Three birds (two male, one female) near Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH). Our first 2022 record of this sub-Saharan migrant. First dates for past four years 2021 - 1st April; 2020 - 21st March; 2019 - 25th March; 2018 - 26th March.
  • Harbour Porpoise: Single animal off Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH)
  • Common Lizard: Two animals, Culkein Drumbeg (Carol Langford)
  • Eider: Three male and two female birds, Badnaban Bay (Dave Bird)

19th March 2022

  • Reed Bunting: Single bird heard calling, Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)
  • Shelduck: Pair still showing well from Culkein Drumbeg jetty (DAH)
  • Common Lizard: Single reptile near Loch Crocach (Janet Robinson)
  • Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly: Single butterfly in Stoer garden (Claire Belshaw)
  • Whooper Swan: 19 birds on Cam loch (AS)
  • Water Vole: Single animal swimming in ditch by track, Rhicarn (Janet Robinson)
  • Common Carder Bumblebee: Possibly first of the season at Raffin (Heather Mitchell)
  • Pied Wagtail: Single bird, Culkein Drumbeg (Carol Langford)

18th March 2022

  • Greenshank: Single bird, Loch Kirkaig (DAH). Our first 2022 record. The first date in 2021 was 1st April and 2020 was 29th March.
  • Goosander: Two birds (a pair), Loch Kirkaig (DAH)
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull: Two adult birds, Loch Kirkaig (DAH)

17th March 2022

  • Reed Bunting: Single male bird in Torbreck garden (Gwen Richards)

16th March 2022

  • Kestrel: Single bird hovering near Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Water Shrew: Single dead animal, Raffin (Bill Badger)

15th March 2022

  • Shelduck: Two birds off the jetty, Culkein Drumbeg (Carol Langford)

14th March 2022

  • Oystercatcher: 32 birds, Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Redshank: Single bird, Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Little Grebe: Single bird in breeding plumage, Loch Drumbeg (DAH)
  • Great Northern Diver: Three birds in winter plumage Loch Dhrombaig and also Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • White-tailed Bumblebee: Single insect in garden, Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)
  • Goosander: Pair on Loch Awe (AS)
  • Black-throated Diver: Pair back on breeding lochs in Assynt (AS)

13th March 2022

  • Eider: 25+ birds (adult males and females and a few 1st-winter males) off Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)

12th March 2022

  • Hooded Crow: 25+ birds flying over near Drumbeg (DAH)

11th March 2022

  • Pied Wagtail: Four male birds, Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)

7th March 2022

  • Ptarmigan: Two birds, still in winter plumage, near summit of Spidean Coinich (Karen Beattie)
  • Red-breasted Merganser: Two birds, Badnaban Bay (Dave Bird).  One male and one female.

6th March 2022

  • Mountain Hare: Single animal, south-east slopes of Canisp (John Wakefield).  Still in winter coat
  • Turnstone: Three birds on rocks, Bay of Clachtoll (DAH)
  • Skylark: Three birds, one of which was singing briefly, Clachtoll (DAH)
  • Razorbill: Two birds in breeding plumage off Clachtoll (DAH)
  • Great Northern Diver: Three birds off Clachtoll (DAH)
  • Barnacle Goose: 38 birds on croft land, Culkein Stoer (DAH). Photo Gallery - Birds
  • Lapwing: Nine male birds on croft land, Culkein Stoer (DAH). Photo Gallery - Birds
  • Carrion Crow: Single bird, Culkein Stoer (DAH)
  • Mistle Thrush: Two birds feeding on grazing land, Culkein Drumbeg (DAH). Photo Gallery - Birds
  • Snow Bunting: Two male and four female birds, eastern slopes of Canisp (Xavier Lambin)
  • Golden Plover: Two birds, seemingly a pair, eastern side of Canisp (Xavier Lambin)

5th March 2022

  • Great Northern Diver: Single bird, Bay of Culkein (Xavier Lambin)
  • Pied Wagtail: 10+ birds, Balchladich (Carol Langford)

4th March 2022

  • Tawny Owl: Two birds calling to one another at night, Nedd (Ian Evans)
  • Great Spotted Woodpecker: Single bird drumming, Nedd (Ian Evans)

3rd March 2022

  • Sparrowhawk and bat: Sparrowhawk took a bat in flight at the third pass, Stoer (David Tyson)
  • Greenfinch: Two birds on nut feeder in garden, Torbreck (Michael Rochester)

2nd March 2022

  • Long-tailed Tit: Two birds on nut feeder in garden, Torbreck (Michael Rochester)
  • Goldeneye: Single male, lochan north of Loch nan Lub (Ian Evans and Gordon Rothero)
  • Song Thrush: Single bird in full song, Nedd (Ian Evans)

1st March 2022

  • Skylark: 6 birds at Clachtoll crofts (AS)
  • Golden Plover: 14 birds at Clachtoll crofts (AS)
  • Grey Wagtail: Very early female bird at Duart lagoon, near Nedd (AS)

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