Category: Sightings

ISLAY: A first-summer LITTLE GULL was seen at Craigens, Loch Gruinart (Peter Roberts).

MULL: A first-summer male COMMON ROSEFINCH was seen and in song in a private garden along the road towards Duart Castle (Alex Bayly).

TIREE: A first summer LITTLE GULL and female SCAUP both still at Loch a’ Phuill, Tiree this evening (John Bowler).

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.

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!

TIREE: The SNOW GOOSE – last seen on 22 May was noted again at Loch a’ Phuill (John Bowler).

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).

COLL: POMARINE SKUAS were recorded in waters off Coll with 1 east of the island and 3 off Arinagour (Andy Robinson).

MULL: A BLACK REDSTART was reported at Dervaig (per Birdguides) – no further information received.

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).