Please send your sightings to Jim Dickson (Argyll Bird Recorder) to:
Posts on this page are for scarce & rare sightings. Descriptions will be required for species listed by the Argyll, Scottish & British rare bird committees prior to their acceptance. Rare bird forms are available from Jim.
The Argyll Bird Club has a Facebook group if you wish to post your own sightings and photographs for all other reports. In addition, please submit any relevant records to BTO BirdTrack or the Argyll bird recording system. Contact Malcolm Chattwood email:
The 2024 ARGYLL BIRD REPORT Volume 36 with Systematic List for 2024 is now published as a PDF – (available to ABC members only by an emailed link)
SPRING MIGRANTS TABLE 2025 : SPRING MIGRANTS 2025 to 10 May
Recent Reports of Scarce & Rare Sightings 2025
14th September
TIREE: A juv BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was found at Loch a’ Phuill where 3 CURLEW SANDPIPERS and 2 GLOSSY IBIS remain.
13th September
MULL: Two juv CURLEW SANDPIPERS were on the golf course beanch on Iona (Theo de Clermont).
ISLAY: A 3.5 hr sea-watch from Frenchman’s Rocks produced highlights of a SABINE’S GULL, a MEDITERRANEAN GULL, 2 LITTLE GULLS and 7 LEACH’S PETRELS (Clive McKay).
TIREE: At Loch a’ Phuill 2 GLOSSY IBIS, 1 Juv PECTORAL SANDPIPER, 1 juv LITTLE STINT, 9 juv CURLEW SANDPIPERS, 12 juv Ruff, also 1 LESSER WHITETHROAT new in at Balephuil (John Bowler). An adult POMARINE SKUA headed west between Tiree and Coll (Keith Gillon).
12th September
TIREE: An adult AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was found at Balevullin today.
ISLAY: Three CURLEW SANDPIPERS and a LITTLE STINT at Carnain and the juv GLOSSY IBIS still at Craigens (Jim Dickson).
MULL: a juv LITTLE STINT was at Fidden (Theo de Clermont).
11th September
TIREE: Juv BLACK TERN still at Hynish this am – also a CURLEW SANDPIPER there, 5 at Loch a’ Phuill and 18 at Vaul (Keith Gillon). The 1cy MEDITERRANEAN GULL again at Scarinish (since 6th Sep) and now 2 GLOSSY IBIS at Loch a’ Phuill (John Bowler).
ISLAY: A juv LITTLE STINT, juv RUFF and a CURLEW SANDPIPER at Carnain, 18 juv CURLEW SANDPIPERS, 4 RUFF, 205 KNOT, 3 GOLDEN PLOVER, also 189 BRENT GEESE arrived together with smaller arrivals later at head of Loch Gruinart and only 1 GLOSSY IBIS today at Craigens, also an adult fem MARSH HARRIER hunting over Gruinart RSPB reserve (Jim Dickson).
10th September
TIREE: A juv BLACK TERN lingering off Hynish at 1430hrs (Keith Gillon) and still at Hynish at 5pm (John Bowler), a GLOSSY IBIS at Loch a’ Phuill (John Bowler), a juv PECTORAL SANDPIPER again at Balinoe this pm (Tony O’Connor).
ISLAY: Two GLOSSY IBIS still present at Craigens, also 7 LITTLE EGRETS, 5 RUFF, 6 GREENSHANK at head of Loch Gruinart and a min of 19 juv CURLEW SANDPIPERS. At Blackrocks 1 juv LITTLE STINT, 1 CURLEW SANDPIPER and another 2 juv LITTLE STINT at Carnain. 13 PINTAIL arrived at Loch Gruinart and 87 WIGEON off Bowmore (Jim Dickson).
9th September
TIREE: A record Tiree flock count of 33 juv CURLEW SANDPIPERS at Vaul Bay this am (Keith Gillon). Ajuv Little Stint again at Vaul Bay this am – but no sign of the Pied Flycatcher there. A PIED FLYCATCHER at Carnan Mor this am – was also there last night. A 1cy GREY PHALAROPE was at Balephetrish Bay (John Bowler).
ISLAY: Two GLOSSY IBIS still present at Craigens, also a juv LITTLE STINT and min 12 juv CURLEW SANDPIPERS at head of Loch Gruinart and 6 RUFF & 1 CURLEW SANDPIPER at Carnain (Jim Dickson).
COLONSAY: A juv CURLEW SANDPIPER was at Traigh nam barc (David Jardine).
8th September
ISLAY: A report of two 1cy GLOSSY IBIS yesterday on the east side of Loch Gruinart in a field on the road towards Killinallan (Bruce Taylor) & still present there today (Peter Roberts).
7th September
TIREE: A flurry of sightings today; 1 LEACH’S PETREL, 1 SOOTY SHEARWATER, 4 Storm Petrel and 3 Arctic Terns SW off Hynish in SSE7-8 1230-1400hrs (John Bowler). 1 juv PECTORAL SANDPIPER again at Balinoe, 1 juv SPOTTED REDSHANK at Gott Bay, 1 juv MEDITERRANEAN GULL at Scarinish, 1 CURLEW SANDPIPER at Hynish and 5 CURLEW SANDPIPERS at Clachan (Keith Gillon). 7 CURLEW SANDPPERS at Balephetrish Bay (Tony O’Connor / Ewen Forbes).
4th September
TIREE: A juv BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was found at Clachan and flew towards Cornaigmore this afternoon (Keith Gillon), also 5 CURLEW SANDPIPER at Clachan (per John Bowler).
AT SEA: Two CORY’S SHEARWATERS were reported seen from a cruise ship some 40 km NW of Islay (per ebird).
3rd September
TIREE: A TURTLE DOVE was reported between Ruaig and Caoles (per John Bowler).
MULL: An adult LONG-TAILED SKUA was seen and photographed on the shore at Lochbuie campsite (Harvey Reid).
2nd September
TIREE: The MELODIOUS WARBLER at Meningie/Balephuil was seen again this morning and the juv PECTORAL SANDPPER is still present at Balinoe (John Bowler).
1st September
TIREE: A juv PECTORAL SANDPIPER was seen in a cut silage field at Balinoe (John Bowler). Also lots of waders about just now: c30 Ruff, 10+ Knot, 170+ Blackwits, 60+ Barwits and 100s of Snipe (JB).
31st August
TIREE: A WILSON’S PETREL was seen off Hynish this afternoon which showed really nicely for ca 4 mins (from 1550hrs) in SSE7-9 with squalls as it worked its way around the point in great light with Stormies. Also a SABINE’S GULL seen during the seawatch (John Bowler). Will be only the third Argyll record if accepted by the SBRC.
MULL: Four + Juvenile LITTLE GULLS were seen on a seawatch off Cailiach point this morning (Theo de Clermont).
29th August
ISLAY: A SABINE’S GULL was seen during a 3 hr seawatch from Frenchman’s Rocks (Clive McKay).
TIREE: The MELODIOUS WARBLER as seen again at Meningie (John Bowler).
MULL: A BALEARIC SHEARWATER was reported off Ardmore Point – entrance to Sound of Mull from the Sea Life Mull vessel (Tim Marshall).
27th August
TIREE: A MELODIOUS WARBLER was found in a patch of Rosa rugosa at Meningie, nr Loch a’ Phuill – second record for Tiree and third for Argyll (John Bowler).
24th August
ISLAY: A CURLEW SANDPIPER was at the head of Loch Indaal (Roger Broad, Peter Roberts et al).
TIREE: A juvenile LITTLE STINT was Loch a’ Phuill at midday (John Bowler).
15th August
MID-ARGYLL: The adult BONAPARTE’S GULL was seen again this morning – now on Loch Crinan (Jim Dickson) and the juv MARSH HARRIER is still around – from Crinan Ferry road (John Boyd).
14th August
MID-ARGYLL: A juvenile MARSH HARRIER was hunting over the Add Estuary / Moine Mhor (Jim Dickson).
11th August
MID-ARGYLL: An adult BONAPARTE’S GULL was at the Add Estuary – found at 10.45hrs (Jim Dickson).
8th August
MID-ARGYLL: An adult LITTLE GULL – still with a full black hood, was on the mud at Loch Crinan mid-morning before flying out to sea and south (Jim Dickson).
ISLAY: A female MARSH HARRIER was seen from the Gruinart to Loch Gorm road (Clive McKay).
7th August
MID-ARGYLL / COWAL: A sea-watch from the Tarbert to Portavadie ferry produced: c350-400 MANX SHEARWATER with 1 & probably 2 BALEARIC SHEARWATERS, 70 + GANNETS, 3 COMMON TERNS & several Common Dolphins (Jim Dickson).
5th August
ISLAY: A sea-watch from Frenchman’s Rocks 0815 for 3 hours until 1115 produced: c.1,000-1,200 MANX SHEARWATERS, 6 STORM PETRELS and 3 ARCTIC SKUAS (Peter Roberts).
ISLAY FERRY: A sea-watch from Calmac MV Isle of Arran, Kennacraig to Port Askaig & return produced highlights of: single ad POMARINE, juv ARCTIC & a GREAT SKUA, also 5 STORM PETRELS & 2 PUFFINS (Jim Dickson).
MID-ARGYLL: A LEACH’S PETREL was reported from Ganavan Bay, N Oban (per Birdguides).
4th August
MID-ARGYLL: An adult LITTLE GULL was reported in Oban Bay this morning (per Birdguides).
TIREE: A SOOTY SHEARWATER and 14 STORM PETRELS headed SW off Hynish in 1 hr from 0755hrs in SSW7-8, also 220 Manx Shearwater. Later, 1 BALEARIC SHEARWATER and 3 STORM PETRELS headed W off Aird in 1hr from 1145am in W9 (gusting to 11/12!), also 400 Manx Shearwater (John Bowler).
ISLAY: A sea-watch off Frenchman’s Rocks for 5 hours this morning from 11.15am produced: 2 adult SABINE’S GULL, 68 STORM PETREL, a SOOTY SHEARWATER and 13 ARCTIC TERN (Clive McKay).
24th July
TIREE: A male North American WOOD DUCK of unknown origin (un-ringed) was found in a sensitive undisclosed location (John Bowler). This species is not yet on Category A of the British list and John says: “…many recent Azores Wood Duck records and also some from Iceland have now been accepted as genuine vagrants. BOURC have recently switched Wood Duck from Category E to Category D citing four recent records from locations such as Shetland and Uist, allowing the status of the species to be reviewed more regularly. However, suspect it would still take an American ringed bird or isotope studies to warrant a switch to Category A. ” There is one previous Argyll record of a female present at Balgie Burn & West Bay Dunoon, Cowal Oct 2000 – May 2001. Update: bird was seen again at same location on 24 July – previous sighting on 9 May.
20th June
KINTYRE: A 2cy MEDITERRANEAN GULL was with other gulls at the SW corner of Machrihanish beach (Roger Broad).
13th June
MULL: A first-summer male COMMON ROSEFINCH was seen and in song in a private garden along the road towards Duart Castle (Alex Bayly).
12th June
TIREE: A first summer LITTLE GULL and female SCAUP both still at Loch a’ Phuill, Tiree this evening (John Bowler).
10th June
MULL: Following on from the tantalising report of a probable BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER on Iona yesterday a small group of birders from mainland Britain, some having travelled through the night, arrived for the first ferry to the island in hope of finding this bird. The wait wasn’t long and Dan Pointon and his group located the bird and confirmed the ID as BLUE-CHEEKED. It was at the south outskirt of the village – seen perched and feeding from wires and fence line down to 10-20 metres. Shortly after Jim Dickson & Bob Grove arrived by which time the bird was in a grass field sat for about 10 minutes and brought up a pellet from the bees it had been feeding on. Views were pretty amazing – all happy to see what is only the fourth record for Scotland – previously in Shetland on Bressay in 1997, Highland in 2019 and on Foula, Shetland in 2023.
9th June
MULL: A report of a Bee-eater submitted to Ebird as a probable BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER seen on Iona at Baile Mor and near the Abbey in heavy rain this evening by Rob Lidstone-Scott. The brief description given most likely points towards that species!
6th June
TIREE: The SNOW GOOSE – last seen on 22 May was noted again at Loch a’ Phuill (John Bowler).
3rd June
COLL/TIREE: An adult LONG-TAILED SKUA was seen from the ferry off Coll – it flew right over the ferry and then continued high NE up the sound between Coll and Mull and an adult POMARINE SKUA was at Gunna Sound (John Bowler).
26th May
COLL: POMARINE SKUAS were recorded in waters off Coll with 1 east of the island and 3 off Arinagour (Andy Robinson).
24th May
MULL: A BLACK REDSTART was reported at Dervaig (per Birdguides) – no further information received.
22nd May
TIREE: A singing MARSH WARBLER this morning at Mannal around 6am but it has not sung since / gone to ground (Nick Wall). A white-phase SNOW GOOSE was a surprise find at Loch na Gile (John Bowler).
21st May
COWAL: The COMMON CRANE reappeared around 7pm in the same field it had been in at Dalinlongart, Holy Loch (David Gilmour).
TIREE: A very brightly coloured male COMMON ROSEFINCH was seen and also in song at Mannal around 9am (Nick Wall) and relocated around 10am at Hynish (John Bowler).
20th May
TIREE: A female GREY-HEADED WAGTAIL was at Loch a’ Phuill, also two red adult CURLEW SANDPIPERS there, and a male GARGANEY was noted on the island (John Bowler).
19th May
TIREE: A REED WARBLER, TREE SPARROW, GARDEN WARBLER & LESSER WHITETHROAT were in /near a garden at Balephuil, (John Bowler).
17th May
MID-ARGYLL: A QUAIL was seen and heard at Keillbeg, nr Danna (Terry Girling, John Aitchison).