October 2022 Sightings

31st October 2022

  • Woodcock: Single bird flew from roadside c. 6.15pm, Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)

30th October 2022

  • Mixed Waders: 16 Ringed Plover, single Dunlin and Redshank, Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Redwing: 20+ birds, Culkein Stoer (Paul Burnett)

29th October 2022

  • Little Grebe: Two birds, Loch Drumbeg (DAH)
  • Common Dolphin: c12 animals off Bay of Clachtoll (DAH)
  • Great Northern Diver: Four birds Bay of Stoer, two birds Bay of Clachtoll, single bird Clashnessie Bay (DAH)
  • Magpie: Single bird near Stoer (DAH)
  • Redwing: 16 birds in flight, Lochan Fearna, Lagg (Jane Livingstone)
  • Whooper Swan: Five birds flying south west over Culkein Stoer (Paul Burnett)
  • Barnacle Goose: 50+ birds flying south west over Culkein Stoer (Paul Burnett)
  • Dunlin: c12 birds feeding on the shoreline, Clashnessie (Jane Livingstone)

28th October 2022

  • Kestrel: Single bird hovering, Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)

27th October 2022

  • Marsh Harrier: Single bird over reed beds, Loch na Claise (Claire Belshaw)
  • Starling: A flock of 150-200 on the beach, Balchladich (Cheryl Smith)

26th October 2022

  • Harbour Porpoise: Single animal, Bay of Culkein (Paul Burnett)
  • Kestrel: Single bird, Culkein Stoer (Paul Burnett)
  • Great Northern Diver: Two birds, Culkein Stoer (Paul Burnett)

25th October 2022

  • Whooper Swan: 22 birds (adult and juvenile) Loch Drumbeg (Calum Miller)
  • Mixed flock of Thrushes: c. 60 Redwing and Fieldfare, Stoer (DAH)
  • Red-breasted Merganser: Seven female and two male birds, Loch Nedd (Erica and Steve Ivey)
  • Barn Owl: Single bird seen in evening in garden, Culkein Drumbeg (Steve Langford)

24th October 2022

  • Fieldfare: Two birds in garden, Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)
  • Whooper Swan: Single first winter juvenile, Loch an Aigeil (Dorell Pirie). This youngster will have arrived from Iceland, and SHOULD be with a family group.

23rd October 2022

  • Jackdaw: Single bird again on garden peanut feeder, Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)

22nd October 2022

  • Barn Owl: Single bird in flight at approx 9pm, Drumbeg (Gwen Richards)

21st October 2022

  • Iceland Gull: Single juvenile/1st-winter bird Loch Inver (DAH). Photo Gallery - Birds
  • Jackdaw: Single bird reported - Drumbeg 19-10 (Ian Evans); Stoer 20-10 (Val and Bill Badger); on peanut feeder Culkein Drumbeg 21-10 (DAH). This is unusual as our only Jackdaw colony is in Elphin.

20th October 2022

  • Fieldfare: Single bird, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone).  This is the first recorded sighting for autumn 2022.  Previous first recorded sightings are 17/10 (2021), 20/10 (2020), 16/10 (2019), 9/10 (2018)

18th October 2022

  • Red Admiral: Single butterfly in garden, Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)
  • Common Dolphin: Five individual groups of dolphins off Stoer Head Lighthouse (DAH)
  • Dipper: Single bird flying along Lochan an lasgaich, opposite Little Assynt Tree Nursery (DAH)
  • Goldcrest: At least four birds in one tree beyond the end of fishing weirs on River Inver (DAH)

16th October 2022

  • Treecreeper: Three birds in garden, Nedd (GP Rothero & Ian Evans).  It is unusual to see three together. 

15th October 2022

  • Palmate Newt: Single animal, disturbed in garden wall, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)
  • Common Toad: Single animal disturbed in garden wall, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)

14th October 2022

  • Kestrel: Single bird near the viewpoint, Drumbeg (Beccy Garvey)

12th October 2022

  • Otter: Single animal feeding in River Inver, just out from the filling station, Lochinver (DAH)
  • Whooper Swan: Five birds, Loch an Aigeil, Clachtoll; 12 birds over breakwater, Lochinver; and 6 birds Loch Fasg an t-Seana Chlaidh, Achmelvich (DAH). Also 38 birds, Loch na Claise (Claire Belshaw)
  • Common Darter: Three male dragonflies sunning themselves on wooden pallet, Achmelvich road (DAH)
  • Red Deer: One stag, three hinds, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)
  • Little Grebe: Single bird, Loch Fasg an t-Seana Chlaidh, Achmelvich (DAH)
  • Twite: 14 birds on croft land and garden, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)

11th October 2022

  • Barnacle Goose: 25 birds over Culkein Stoer (DAH)
  • Sanderling: Single bird, Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Turnstone: Single bird, Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Otter: Single animal foraging, Bay of Culkein (DAH)
  • Red-breasted Merganser: Six birds, adult female and juveniles, Loch Dhrombaig (DAH)

10th October 2022

  • Whooper Swan: 13 birds flying over Ardvar garden (Beccy Garvey)
  • Whooper Swan: Three birds flying inland past Quinag but over Nedd from the north-west early evening, 6pm (DAH. Also Calum Millar & Beccy Garvey). Photo Gallery - Birds
  • Barnacle Goose: 40 birds flying inland over Loch Dhrombaig late afternoon (DAH)
  • Gannet: c100 birds feeding and sheltering, Loch Dhrombaig (DAH). Nothing like the numbers from a few days ago, but still a spectacular sight.
  • Black-headed Gull: 20 birds feeding and sheltering, Loch Dhrombaig (DAH)
  • Razorbill: 60+ birds feeding and sheltering, Loch Dhrombaig (DAH)

9th October 2022

  • Whooper Swan: 17 birds, Loch na Claise (Eachan Mackenzie)
  • Tawny Owl: Single bird perched on an overhead wire in very early morning, Lochinver (Fraser Lang)

8th October 2022

  • Barnacle Goose: Two skeins, one with eight, the other 16+ birds, flying over Culkein Stoer (SOC)
  • Wheatear: Single juvenile on north shore, Culkein Stoer (Mary Galloway)

7th October 2022

  • Dunlin: Six birds on rocks, Sgeir na Traghad, Clachtoll (Charlie Leeson)
  • Gannet: 50+ birds, both adults and juveniles, fishing close in, Bay of Stoer (Charlie Leeson)
  • Sparrowhawk: Single male which caught a goldfinch, Torbreck (Gwen Richards), and single bird hunting, Clachtoll (Charlie Leeson) 
  • Barnacle Goose: Eight birds flying over Clashmore towards Balchladich Bay (Jane Livingstone)
  • Gannet: Many reports received of several large aggregations ranging from 200 to 500 birds feeding at various locations around the coast - Balchladich, Stoer, Clachtoll, Culkein Stoer, and Culkein Drumbeg. This amazing feeding activity seemed to go on most of the day. Photos on our Facebook page along with a link to a video on our YouTube channel.
  • ‘Fly Agaric’ (Amanita muscaria): Four fruiting bodies of this fungus, Rhicarn (DAH)
  • Goldeneye: Single male bird, Loch Fasg an t-Seana Chlaidh, Achmelvich (DAH)
  • Moorhen: Single adult bird, Loch an Aigeil, Clachtoll (DAH)
  • Little Grebe: Single bird, Loch an Aigeil, Clachtoll (DAH)

6th October 2022

  • Whooper Swan: Seven birds flying low over Loch Dhrombaig (DAH)

5th October 2022

  • Gannet: At least 12 birds, adults and juveniles,  fishing close inshore, Bay of Stoer (Charlie Leeson)
  • Black-headed Gull: Six birds dip-feeding out from Clashnessie Bay (DAH)

4th October 2022

  • Sparrowhawk: Single female standing on a car in garden, Strathan (Clarinda Chant)

3rd October 2022

  • Scarlet Waxcap (Hygrocybe coccinea): Two fruiting bodies in garden, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)
  • Common Dolphin: c10 animals off Culkein Drumbeg in Eddrachillis Bay (DAH)

1st October 2022

  • Red-breasted Merganser: Five female birds by jetty, Culkein Drumbeg (Peter Reynolds)

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