October 2025 Sightings

31st October 2025

  • Sparrowhawk: One female or juvenile from colouring, Lochside, Loch Culag/School Loch (Fiona Carter)
  • Bean Goose: One, probably Taiga species, with 14 Barnacle and six Pink-foot geese, at Culkein Stoer (Derek Coleman)

30th October 2025

  • Badger: One at Lochside, Loch Culag/School Loch (Fiona Carter)
  • Crossbill: Two in Culag Woods (Ella C)
  • Whooper Swan: 14 birds on Loch Assynt east end ( Helen Morrison)

29th October 2025

  • Kestrel: Hovering in search of prey at Culkein Drumbeg (Fiona Carter)
  • Long-tailed Duck: Two at Clashnessie (Chris Puddephatt)

28th October 2025

  • Golden Plover: One bird above arch at Rubh an Dunain (Peter Reynolds)
  • Guillemot: Two birds in Culkein Stoer bay, plus four dead birds on beach (Avian flu?) (Peter Reynolds)
  • Red-throated Diver: Two birds at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Grey Heron: One bird at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)

27th October 2025

  • Golden Plover: Single bird near Clachtoll Broch (Alan Blakemore)
  • Barn Owl: Sitting on fence post at Stoer, along the road from The Cruachan B&B towards Clashnessie (Carol Langford)
  • Guillemot: More than six dead birds at Clashnessie Bay, fairly fresh; victims of bird flu? (Ian Evans)
  • Weasel: One small animal, probably female, running across road, Achloist, Drumbeg (Ian Evans) 

26th October 2025

  • Golden Plover: Single bird with curlews on croft at Clachtoll (AS)
  • Blackcap: Female bird in the garden at Clachtoll (AS)

25th October 2025

  • Barn Owl: One on roadside post at Glen Ardbhair (Tom Sykes)

23rd October 2025

  • Brown Rat: One adult ran across Main Street in Lochinver towards Village Hall, 1400 hrs (Ian Evans)
  • Water Rail: Inside house at Glenleraig (Benjamin McTaggart)

22nd October 2025

  • Redwing: Approximately 20, flying around and sheltering in gorse, Blairstarn, Clashmore/Stoer (Jane Livingstone)

21st October 2025

  • Redshank: One at  Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Dunlin: Two at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Knot: One at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Fieldfare: 50+ heading south, Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Whooper Swan: Seven flying over garden at Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)
  • Dipper: Three near Lochan an Iasgaich on the River Inver, feeding in fast flowing currents and off the rocks (Fiona Carter)
  • Brambling: Two on bird feeder in garden, Nedd (Stefan Taylor)

20th October 2025

  • Brambling: One female in Glendarroch garden (Chris and Fran Barley)

19th October 2025

  • Meadow Pipit: Six on overhead wires, Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Canada Goose: Seven flying south, Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Greylag Goose: Eight flying west, Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Sparrowhawk: Female attacking large flock of starlings (in flight), Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Red-throated Diver: One bird at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Great Northern Diver: One bird at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Pine Marten: One animal foraging at Loch Culag/School Loch, then travelling back towards Culag Woods (Fiona Carter)
  • Hen Harrier: One female; failed to take a small bird from the ground, Loch Culag/School Loch (Fiona Carter)

18th October 2025

  • Woodcock: First sighting this Autumn, at Croft 85 Torbreck (Gwen Richards)

17th October 2025

  • Curlew: Twenty birds at Stoer beach (Stefan Taylor)

14th October 2025

  • Swallow: One individual at Nedd (Stefan Taylor)
  • Sand Martin: One individual at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Great Northern Diver: One individual at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Grey Heron: One individual at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)

13th October 2025

  • Glossy Ibis: One individual feeding at Clachtoll (John Town)
  • Kestrel: One individual at Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)
  • Guillemot: One individual at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Barnacle Goose: Twenty-four birds flying south-west over Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Red-throated Diver: One individual at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Great Northern Diver: Two birds at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)

12th October 2025

  • Barn Owl: Single male bird found dead at Inchnadamph (Jess Dennis)
  • Great Skua: Two birds near Clachtoll beach (AS)
  • Barnacle Goose: Approximately 100 flying south-west over Clashnessie Bay (Chris Puddephatt)

11th October 2025

  • Sparrowhawk: One male at Balchladich (Peter Reynolds)
  • Glossy Ibis: Flew into Culkein Stoer bay from fields to west (Peter Reynolds)
  • Whooper Swan: Two birds flying west, Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Dunlin: Two birds at Culkein Stoer Bay (Peter Reynolds)

9th October 2025

  • Ringed Plover: 20+ at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • First-winter Dunlin: One at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Sanderling: One juvenile at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Turnstone: Six birds at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Red Admiral butterfly: One individual in the garden at Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)
  • White-tailed Eagle: Two birds wheeling over Loch Nedd (Alan Blakemore)
  • White-tailed Eagle: At roadside in Knockan village, flying at telegraph pole height for at least 5 minutes, mobbed by a buzzard (Chris Puddephatt)

7th October 2025

  • First-winter Dunlin: One at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Hen Harrier: One juvenile (indicated by colouring) flying low, actively hunting over reedbed on croftland near Clashmore/Stoer (Jane Livingstone)

6th October 2025

  • Little Grebe: One individual at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Red-throated Diver: One juvenile at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)
  • Cormorant: Raft of 26 individuals at Culkein Stoer bay (Peter Reynolds)

5th October 2025

  • Treecreeper: Single bird next to Lochinver Village hall (Jorine Van Delft)
  • By-the-wind-sailor Velella velella: Lot's washed up on Achmelvich beach after storm Amy (Jorine Van Delft)
  • Redwing: Flying over Nedd, calling (Stefan Taylor)
  • Whooper Swan: Fourteen flying east to west over Loch Nedd, calling (Stefan Taylor)

4th October 2025

  • Ringed Plover: Twenty two birds on the beach at Culkein Stoer (AS)
  • Teal: Six birds among seaweed at Culkein Stoer (AS)
  • Turnstone: Six birds among seaweed at Culkein Stoer (AS)
  • Purple Sandpiper: Single immature bird sheltering at Culkein Stoer (AS)
  • Great Skua (Bonxie): Single bird seen at Clachtoll (very late in the year for this bird) (AS)
  • Storm Petrel: At least six birds flittering over the large waves at Clachtoll (AS)

3rd October 2025

  • Great Spotted Woodpecker: One individual at Inverkirkaig (Mike Dawber)

2nd October 2025

  • Goldcrest: Four very vocal individuals, garden at Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)

1st October 2025

  • Slow Worm: In garden at Ardvar (Beccy Garvey)

Report a Sighting - Assynt only

Sightings outwith Assynt cannot be used