Blackbirds can be seen pretty much anywhere in the UK. They are often one of the first species to start singing in the morning and one of the last to stop singing in the evenings in The Western Isles

The blue tit is now starting to frequent the Stornoway Castle Grounds & indeed the surrounding areas near Stornoway.. It has a small, rounded head without an obvious neck.The crown is blue on a white head.

Chaffinches lives in groups during the winter time, whereas the rest time of the year it behaves rather territorial. The males Have particulaly stunning colours, oranges, ble greys and white. Chaffinches are uncommon breeders in the Western Isles

Hooded Crows are very common birds here in The Western Isles. These birds are light-grey with black wings and tail, a black head and untidy black bib down to its breast. The bill and legs are black; the iris dark brown.

Cuckoos - its said that when you hear the call of a cuckoo spring has arrived. These dove like birds, look similar to kestrels. THey are parasites taht lay their egss in other birds nests.

Curlews - the plumage is buffish brown in tone with delicate and intricate markings,, streaked underparts and a plain pale area under the tail. Curlews can be seen in many places on The Western Isles.

These birds, the collared doves have fared extraordinarily well since they first colonised Britain in the mid 1950s. They are white with pinkish-buff plumage and a distinctive black collar edged with white.

These birds the eiders are seen in several areas of the Western Isles, they have large heads and massive bills. The Common Eider is characterised by its bulky shape and large wedge-shaped bill.

These diving ducks - the tufted ducks - medium sized birds - are the most widespread duck in Britain. The distinctive male bird - is jet black - flanks and belly white -yellow eyes and a long head tuft

These birds, the collared doves have fared extraordinarily well since they first colonised Britain in the mid 1950s. They are white with pinkish-buff plumage and a distinctive black collar edged with white.

The golden eagle, a very large bird of prey with a wingspan of more than 2 metres. This bird really does look magnificent in flight. We are fortunate here in the Western Isles to see them breeding again here.

The White tailed sea eagle is Britain's largest bird of prey. Its beak is nearly as long as its head. Immature birds have dark bills which gradually turn the yellow colour as the birds gets older.

Fieldfare - a lovely thrush, the fieldfares are usually just passing through, they breed in places like Iceland. These thrushes are much like the mistle thrushes & stand very upright, spending the winter in flocks.

Fulmars, hese birds are shaped like a gull, this bird glides like a shearwater. It has moderately long rounded wings - a short, stout pale bill - resembles a herring gull, but the head and neck are thicker.

The gannet's capacity for eating large quantities of fish has led to "gannet" becoming a description of somebody who eats excessively, a glutton! At sea the gannets flap and glide low over the water,

The Canada Goose - rarely seen in The Western Isles and indeed in Scotland.The Canada Goose is a large goose, with a distinctive black head and neck and large white throat patch or "chin strap".

The Greylag Geese can be seen wandering all over The Isle of Harris and Lewis and Western Isles. With their large size and ungainly gait and loud honking call - you cant miss it.

The

Western Isles Birds Sightings - The goldcrest is the Uk's smallest bird.

Really pretty birds that love pine needles as their beak is ideally suited for picking out the insects between the needles..

The first succesful breeding here in The Outer Hebrides is recorded as being in 2000. Double-figure flocks now appear regularly here in The Western Isles - so not unusual but still nice to see them.

These birds, the goldeneyes are lovely chunk sized ducks can be seen in the Western Isles.The males have a dark green almost black head and a bright yellow eye - hence their name the goldeneye.

These lovely birds, the goosanders seen in The Western Isles and throughout Scotland & the Uk . The males lovely black and white plumage is really smart. Lovely looking birds that have great diving skills

Great Northern Divers - spectacular birds, which occasionally breed here in Northern Scotland, though mainly breed in Iceland. These divers can dive to a depth of 200 feet (60metres)

The greenfinch is a rather thickset finch - olive green with prominent yellow wing flashes. These pretty birds are regulars in the western isles. They love sunflower seeds and can often been seen in flocks

Greenshank - These birds some of which breed in the Western Isles are of great national importance being an uncommon resident or migrant breeder and low numbers of passage visitors.

The grey heron - a large bird with heavy bill, long legs and neck.The black and white patterning on its head and neck contrasts with the grey body. These birds often seen in the Western Isles

The red grouse - seen in the Western Isles - a russet, hen-sized bird with a longish neck and short beak. Males in full breeding finery have hot-red wattles above each eye.
Very shy, lovely birds.

These gulls are actually dark chocolate rather than black - is a most elegant bird - with its slender wings with sharp points - red legs and red bill. The Western Isles has an abundance of these pretty birds.

Great Black-backed Gulls, the largest gull in Britain and has a powerful bill. Adult gulls scavenge like other gulls, it poses a real threat to seabird chicks and also attacks, kill and eat adult birds as big Puffins or Coots.

The lesser black backed gull, sometimes mistaken for the great black backed gull - but really it is much more graceful and elegant. It is also similar to the herring gull .though it has yellow legs

The guillemot, is striking black and white plumage - with black legs. It has a long slender unmarked bill. When resting it stands upright and can look somewhat like a "penguin".

Black Guillemots, striking black and white plumaged birds have red feet..In the summer these birds are truly black except for bright red highlights on the legs, feet and inside the mouth.

Kittiwakes - lovely gentle birds - although on face value - these birds look like gulls, they are an altogether more gentle bird than the gulls. They spend no time harassing other birds (as the gulls do)

The Lapwing from a distance appears black and white below, but closer observation revealsl the upperparts as a beautiful iridescent dark green and purple. It gives great acrobatic displays and loud calls

Mallards - large heavy looking ducks.Seen throughout The Western isles as indeed they are in Scotland and the UK. The male is unmistakable with its bottle green head, yellow bill, white collar and magenta breast.

Red Breasted Mergansers - These lovely diving ducks - belong to the sawbill family with their long serrated bills which they use to catch fish. The female has a brown head and neck, the male black

The Hebrides has an extraordinary diversity of birds, including the lovely oyster catchers. The oyster catchers have black and white plumage, orange - red bill and red legs, Pretty birds seen in the Western Isles

Pheasants - You cant mistake the male Pheasants with their iridescent copper colour plumage.The head and small ear tufts and neck are green. Females are mottled with paler brown and black.

Birds often seen here in The Western Isles , thrushlike birds. Meadow Pipits resemble rock pipits, except that they have pinkish legs and are more olive coloured and are more dainty that the rock pipits.

A small streaky bird, long legs, have a habit of running or walking rather than hopping. Differs from the similar meadow pipit as it has dark legs - rather broad streaks down its breast and its overall dark plumage..

The ringed plover's pied head and breast and white neck distinguish the bird from other common small waders. These delightful birds can be seen all over The Western Islea, really pretty birds.

Although there are some resident birds in The Western isles - in winter these golden plovers are joined by immigrants from the North and East with flocks of several thousand not being uncommon

Ravens - Huge black birds - members of the crow family, similar size as buzzards. Ravens are becoming quite common now and can be seen throughout The Western Isles. Their bills look really evil.

Razorbills, medium sized seabirds, black plumage above and really white below. The razorbills have a really chunky thick black / dark grey blunt beak with a white band around it.

Redshanks have long bright orange-red legs, bills with red base - a medium sized wader. They fly fast, tilting from side to side, holding their wings upraised after landing. Really graceful birds

The Red-Throated Diver is a plain looking bird in winter, greyish above fading to white below. During the breeding season, it acquires the distinctive reddish throat which gives rise to its common name.

The robin, about the size of a sparrow. It has of course the magnificent red breast. Both the males and females have the red breasts., s feed on insects and their larvae, spiders, worms and berries.

In The Western Isles - rooks arent at all that common - they are an uncommon resident breeder - only up to around 100 pairs in Stornoway Castle Grounds. There are recorded low numbers of winter visitors

Sanderlings - mainly seen in their non breeding plumage, these lovely little wading birds are just passing through the Western Isles. They breed much further north. The Arctic is their breeding area

A small short legged, short billed wading bird - bill with a pale base and dark tip - often seen in The Western Isles. Its upper parts are olive brown, finely spotted - the neck and sides of breast are grey-brown.

Shags breed on all exposed rocky coasts usually nesting on low ledges. Many can be seen at The Butt of Lewis. These primeval looking birds are prolific in the Western isles. They look similar to cormorants

Often seen here in The Western Isles, Scotland, the shelduck has a particularly large prominent red bill, an elongated head, black-green, and chestnut and white upperparts. These ducks are really striking birds

Siskins - small yellow green finches - the male has a black cap, chin & throat - yellow wing flashes & a yellowish rump. It also has a notched tail which you can clearly see in flight. The female is much greyer

The Arctic Skua really is powerful, a Parasitic Jaeger which preys on other seabirds, though scarce. these majestic birds are seen here in The Western Isles as they soar to the skies, really graceful birds

Great Skuas - very powerful majestic seabirds - in and around The Western Isles. In poor light you could mistake them for large gulls, but at close range there really is no mistaking them.

The Common Snipes, often seen in The Western Isles. These birds are medium sized, skulking wading birds, short legs and long straight bills.They are one of the few birds using non vocal sound during display

The Hebridean Song Thrush Turdus philomelos hebridensis is the thrush that resides the islands.

This breed has a dark-brown back, greyish rump pale buff base colour to underparts & grey-tinged flanks.

The House Sparrow - small birds, though common in the Western Isles, still striking birds. Both male house sparrows and females have brown backs, with dark streaks, and grey underparts.

Sparrowhawks - seen now a little more often in The Western Isles. The females are as with all birds of prey larger than the males. These birds take tits, pigeons and female thrushes, swooping down to startle the birds.

The whooper swans are a winter visitor to The Western Isles and are actually a little more scarce in the summer. As large as a Mute Swan the Whooper swan is bigger than a Bewick Swan

Coal tits are an uncommon resident breeder - mainly appearing on The Isle of Lewis around the Castle Grounds. The coal tit has a distinctive grey back, black cap, and white patch at the back of its neck.

Common Terns - greyish plumage - smart black cap and long dagger shaped red bill. It has a long, strongly forked tail and supremely angular wings with the sharp tips that distinguish them from other gulls.

Turnstone - A small colourful wading shore bird - smaller than a redshank, turnstones have a characteristic tortoiseshell mottled appearance with brown or chestnut and black upper parts.

Finch like birds. seen in The Western Isles & Northern Scotland, elsewhere in Southern England & Ireland were in severe decline. Twite eat seeds, are ground feeders, unusual in that twites also feed their young seeds

Pied Wagtails, small black & white - pied bird with a long tail that can sometimes be mistaken as being a young Magpie - however this bird is much smaller than a Magpie. This little bird is only a little bigger than a great tit.

Waxwings, cockatoo like birds with a crest and lovely waxy wing tips with yellow and red. Winter visitors to Britain, however odd years there can be an "irruption" of them & they can be seen in hundreds in The Western Isles

Wheatears are a small mainly ground-dwelling bird. Wheatears hop or run on the ground. They are blue-grey above with black wings and white below with an orange flush to the breast.

Whimbrel - These birds seen in the Western Isles are usually "passage" birds - birds who breed in Greenland and Siberia.There are a few that do breed in the UK - but these are down south or in Shetland and Orkney.