April 2023 Sightings

30th April 2023

  • Milkwort: Eight + plants in flower, some pink and others purple, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)
  • Cuckoo: Single bird heard near old primary school, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)

29th April 2023

  • Common Lizard: Single lizard, Drumbeg (Calum Millar)

27th April 2023

  • Heath-spotted Orchid: Single flower near cliff edge, Point of Stoer (Mike Waring)
  • Cuckoo: Two birds heard at Stoer/Balchladdich (Teresa Pike), and a single bird heard at Torbreck (Cheryl Smith)
  • Green-veined White Butterfly: Single butterfly in garden, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)
  • Common Lizard: Single lizard in garden, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)

26th April 2023

  • Orca: Two adults (one definite bull due to large dorsal fin) and two juveniles, Clashnessie Bay off Port Achnacarnin (Chris Hearn)
  • Whimbrel: A flock of 21 birds feeding on grassland by Clachtoll Broch (Charlie Leeson)
  • Red-breasted Merganser: A pair feeding, Bay of Stoer (Charlie Leeson)

25th April 2023

  • Cuckoo: Single bird heard, Glencanisp Lodge gardens (Carol Langford) and also in Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)
  • Violet Oil Beetle (Meloe violaceus): Single beetle in garden, Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)
  • Brambling: Single male, Glendarroch wood, Lochinver (Chris & Fran Barley)

24th April 2023

  • Common Crane: Three birds flying low over Loch Assynt heading in a north west direction (Carol Langford)

22nd April 2023

  • Snipe: Single bird heard at night, Clachtoll (Charlie Leeson)

21st April 2023

  • Harbour Porpoise: Two animals off Stoerhead lighthouse (Charlie Leeson)
  • Grey Seal: Single animal off Stoerhead lighthouse (Charlie Leeson)
  • Harbour Seal: 48 animals hauled out at Loch Roe (AS)
  • Hawfinch: Single bird in garden at Raffin, possible the same bird as seen in Lochinver a few days previous  (Stewart Hill)

20th April 2023

  • Great Skua: Single bird, Bay of Stoer (Charlie Leeson)
  • Chiffchaff: Single bird, Culag wood (Jane Young)
  • Red Admiral: Single butterfly in garden, Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)
  • Swallow: Two birds flying over Drumbeg (Beccy Garvey)
  • Blackcap: Single male in song, Nedd (Ian Evans)
  • Cuckoo: Single bird in flight over Church Road, Clachtoll (Helen & Stevan Lockhart).  This is the first recorded sighting for 2023.  Previous first dates – 2022  19th April; 2021 23rd April; 2020 17th April; 2019, 9th April and 2018 18th April 
  • Speckled Wood: Single butterfly, Torbreck (Gwen Richards)

19th April 2023

  • White-tailed Eagle: Two adults & single juvenile.  One adult and the juvenile brought down a gull (Linda Whittington).  Three birds also seen by Carol Champion

18th April 2023

  • Otter: Three animals (adult, presumably female, plus two juveniles) between Bay of Culkein and Point of Stoer (Jerry Watts)
  • Hen Harrier: Single ring-tail bird, Loch na Bruthiach (Steve Langford)
  • Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly: Two butterflies, Balchladdich (Jane Livingstone)
  • Peacock Butterfly: Single butterfly in garden, Culkein Drumbeg (Carol Langford)

17th April 2023

  • Whimbrel: Five birds at Clachtoll (AS)
  • Hawfinch: Single female in garden, Glendarroch, Lochinver (Chris and Fran Barley).  A rare sighting for Assynt
  • Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia): Single female in garden, Culkein Drumbeg (Carol Langford)
  • Guillemot: Single bird fishing, Clashnessie Bay off Achnacarnin (Murray Anderson)

16th April 2023

  • Tufted Duck: Single male bird on Loch an Aigeil, Clachtoll (AS)
  • Otter: Single animal, Clashnessie Bay (Jane Livingstone)
  • Pink-footed Goose: c200 flying north over Clachtoll (Charlie Leeson)

15th April 2023

  • Peacock Butterfly: Single butterfly beside Loch Crocach (AS)
  • Common Carder Bee: Single queen bee feeding on flowers in garden, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)
  • Kingfisher: Single bird, saltmarsh area at head of Loch Nedd (AnnaB McTaggart). An exciting and rare record for Assynt.
  • Harbour Porpoise: Single animal off Bay of Clachtoll (DAH)
  • Common Lizard: Three + lizards on clifftops and single by Sidhean Mor, Point of Stoer (Chris and Carol Puddephatt)
  • Red Admiral: Single butterfly, Sidhean Mor, Point of Stoer (Chris and Carol Puddephatt)
  • Carrion Crow: Single bird flying with hooded crows,  Culkein Stoer (Ian Evans & Gwen Richards)
  • Pink-footed Goose: Skeins of c30 (Liz Burns) and c150 (DAH, Charlie Leeson) heading north over Maiden Loch and Clachtoll

14th April 2023

  • Sand Martin: At least four birds examining sand bank on the Ledmore river near Ledmore junction (AS)
  • Harbour Porpoise: Three animals, Clashnessie Bay (DAH)
  • Willow Warbler: Two birds singing, The Glac, Lochinver (DAH)
  • Great Northern Diver: Three birds, Bay of Stoer and single bird, Bay of Clachtoll (Charlie Leeson)

13th April 2023

  • Swallow: Single birds at Culkein Drumbeg and Drumbeg (DAH)
  • Willow Warbler: Single bird singing in garden, Nedd (Ian Evans).  Also a single bird in Lochinver (Jane Young). Previous first sightings 2022 - 15/4, 2021 - 14/4, 2020 - 10/4
  • White-tailed Eagle: Single immature bird (Liz Burns)

11th April 2023

  • Chiffchaff: Male singing at Glencanisp Lodge (AS)
  • Goldeneye: Single immature male, Lochan Sgeireach (Liz Burns)
  • Teal: Two birds (a pair), Loch Neil Bhain (Liz Burns)
  • Greenshank: Single bird, Loch Neil Bhain (Liz Burns)
  • Lapwing: Five + birds, Loch Neil Bhain (Liz Burns)
  • Redshank: Single bird, Loch Neil Bhain (Liz Burns)
  • Wheatear: Two birds (a pair), by Loch Neil Bhain (Liz Burns)
  • Common Toad: Many tadpoles feeding on algae in boggy area, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)
  • Wigeon: Two birds (a pair), Lochan na Leobaig (Jane Livingstone)

10th April 2023

  • Great Northern Diver: Three birds, Loch Dhrombaig (DAH)
  • Whooper Swan: Two adults on Loch Awe (AS)
  • Goldfinch: Two birds in garden of 'Aros nan Aisling', Clashmore (Holly Cordwell)

9th April 2023

  • Chiffchaff: Single bird heard calling, Inverkirkaig (DAH)
  • Meadow Pipit: 150+ birds on Stoer Green (DAH)
  • Black Guillemot: Single bird, Clashnessie Bay (Liz Burns)
  • Great Northern Diver: Single bird, Bay of Stoer (Mhairi Leeson & Sam Stibbs)
  • Black Guillemot: Single bird, Bay of Stoer (Mhairi Leeson & Sam Stibbs)
  • Guillemot: Three birds, Bay of Stoer (Mhairi Leeson & Sam Stibbs)
  • Goosander: Single male, Lochan na Leobaig (Mhairi Leeson & Sam Stibbs)
  • Greenshank: Two birds, Lochan na Leobaig (Mhairi Leeson & Sam Stibbs)
  • Heron: Three birds, Lochan na Leobaig (Mhairi Leeson & Sam Stibbs)
  • Violet Oil Beetle (Meloe violaceus): Single male, Lochinver quarry (Gwen Richards)
  • Eider: Three male and two female, Lochan na Leobaig (Mhairi Leeson & Sam Stibbs)
  • Fulmar: cEight birds, Stoer Head lighthouse (Jane Livingstone)
  • Heron: Single bird flying over Loch na Claise (Jane Livingstone)
  • Pied Wagtail: Two birds in garden of 'Aros nan Aisling', Clashmore (Holly Cordwell)

8th April 2023

  • Lapwing: Four birds, Lochan Sgeireach (Liz Burns)
  • Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly: Single butterfly sunbathing on rock, Clachtoll peat road above Maiden Loch (Jane Livingstone)
  • Linnet: Two females and single male at bird table, Clashmore (Jane Livingstone)
  • Great Northern Diver: Single bird, Bay of Clachtoll (Liz Burns)
  • Red-throated Diver: Two birds, Bay of Clachtoll (Liz Burns)
  • Peacock Butterfly: Single butterfly in garden, Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)
  • Buzzard: Single bird over Culag Woods (Holly Cordwell)

7th April 2023

  • Pink-footed Goose: c40 birds flying north over Clachtoll at dusk (Liz Burns)
  • Greenshank: Two birds, Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Lapwing: Four birds, Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Redshank: Single bird, Loch Neil Bhain (DAH)
  • Pink-footed Goose: c140 birds high over Balchladich (DAH)
  • Red-throated Diver: Single bird, Loch Assynt (Andrew Mackenzie)

6th April 2023

  • Palmate Newt: Single animal in garden, by Maiden Loch (Robert Burns)

5th April 2023

  • Tawny Owl: Single bird calling, 10.30pm near Culkein Drumbeg (DAH)

4th April 2023

  • Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum): Single queen feeding on newly planted violas, Torbreck (Gwen Richards)
  • Greenshank: Single bird, Lochan an Tairbh, Torbreck (Gwen Richards).  This bird had been seen here regularly over the previous 3 days

3rd April 2023

  • Snow Bunting: c20 birds on east shoulder of Spidean Coinich (Mike Dawber)
  • Pink-footed Goose: Skein heard but not seen, Culkein Drumbeg (DAH). Previous dates for first reported skeins heading back to breeding grounds in Iceland: 10 April 2022; 1 April 2021; 28 March 2020
  • Palmate Newt: Single animal seen in bog pool by the peat road, Clachtoll (Jane Livingstone)

2nd April 2023

  • Harbour Porpoise: Single animal off Bay of Clachtoll (DAH)
  • Goosander: Single adult female Lochan Sgeireach, Stoer (DAH)
  • Goldeneye: Single 1st-winter male, Lochan Sgeireach, Stoer (DAH)
  • Reed Bunting: Single male in garden, Glendarroch Lochinver (Chris and Fran Barley)

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