EIGG BIRD REPORT 2005 - SPECIES LIST - Page 8

Jackdaw
Usual 12-15 prs bred in the cliffs above Cleadale & a successful breeding season with a good number of fledged juvs seen. Present throughout.

Carrion Crow
Lone bird at Cleadale throughout where it again raised hybrid chicks with its ‘Hoodie’ mate. Migrant at Galmisdale on Oct 21 st.

Hooded Crow
Very common resident & breeder & a very successful breeding season. First fledged juvs seen on June 15 th. Extremely common throughout, group of 55 at Cleadale on Dec 27 th (D Robertson).

Raven
5 prs bred & succeeded in raising a total of 14 young between them. One pair failed at egg stage whilst a second pair fledged only two of the four young hatched. The other two young were almost certainly predated by nearby Golden Eagles which built a nest within 500m of the ravens. Adult birds present throughout but juvs seemingly left soon after becoming independent as no autumn flocks seen.

Starling
Fairly common resident & seemingly a successful breeding season with good numbers of young reared. First fledged juvs seen on May 21 st but one very late pair still feeding young in the nest on July 12 th. Present throughout with 50-70 regular around Kildonan & the croftland out with the breeding season.

House Sparrow
Group of eight birds present from Oct 15 th, initially at Kildonan & the pier area before moving to Cleadale where six remained until the years end (JC, K & S Kean, Mairi McKinnon, N Robertson). The first long staying birds since the 1970s raising hopes that they may be about to re-colonise the island as a breeding species.

Chaffinch
Extremely common resident & breeder with figures from the CBC plots almost exactly as last year. Seemingly a pretty successful breeding season. Very common throughout with flocks of 30-40 regular at the various feeding stations during the winter months but no particularly big flocks recorded. Some passage in late Oct with a flock of 10 coming in from the sea at Kildonan & two in the heather near Loch nam Ban Mora. on 27 th.

Brambling
Autumn records only with 3 (2M, 1F) at Laig on Oct 25 th, a F at the Lodge on Oct 28 th, a M at Cleadale on Nov 4 th (all JC) & a M at Cleadale on Dec 2 nd (Mairi McKinnon).

Greenfinch
A reasonably common breeder & seemingly a moderately successful breeding season with fair numbers of young seen. Fairly common throughout though perhaps less numerous in the winter months.

Goldfinch
One pair bred near the pier where two adults with new fledged juvs seen on Aug 2 nd (B & S Gardner) – only the 3 rd proven breeding for the island. Up to 12 present in the early part of the year. Influx in mid Oct & regular sightings from then until the years end, max of 22 on Oct 28 th.

Siskin
Fairly common breeder throughout the woodland areas but probably an at best moderate breeding season. Birds present from Apr 5 th but remained scarce until mid May when main arrival occurred. Small numbers remained into Oct when also some passage, 22 south over Kildonan on 29 th. Last record on Nov 3 rd.

Twite
Fairly common breeder & apparently a reasonably successful breeding season with fairly good numbers of young seen. Birds present from Apr 5 th with the main arrival at the end of that month. Flocking occurred from early Aug with counts of 90 at Kildonan in early Sept (JC) & 150 in Cleadale in late Sept/ early Oct (N Robertson, R Youngman) Departure from late Oct & last record on Nov 9 th.

Linnet
One spring record of a M&F on Apr 23 r d - 24 th. Four autumn records of 1-2 birds between Aug 4 th & Oct 27 th.

Lesser Redpoll
Fairly common breeder around the wooded areas, 8+ displaying birds over the SE woods on June 27 th. Seemingly a reasonably successful breeding season with fair numbers of juvs seen in late summer. Birds present March 26 th until mid Sept with max count of 30 at Sandavore on Aug 15 th. Small numbers on passage between Oct 5 th & 25 th with a bird showing characteristics suggesting a northern ‘Mealy’ Redpoll at Cleadale on Oct 19 th (JC).

Bullfinch
Resident in small numbers but a major decline on last years high population with CBC figures showing a drop of 40% on 2004, a decline also suggested by casual observations. Apparently a poor breeding season with very few juvs seen. Present throughout though distinctly scarce in mid winter & no sign of any autumn influx.

Common Crossbill
One record only, a flock of 10 feeding in the forestry plantation on Aug 8 th (JC).

Reed Bunting
Four pairs present in the croftland between March 31 st & early July with at least I pr breeding successfully. Migrant birds present at Laig on Sept 6 th & Nov 15 th-17 th (JC, L Lyons)

Snow Bunting
Four late year records. One over the school on Nov 28 th, two at Laig on Nov 29 th, five at Kildonan on Nov 30 th & one over Kildonan on Dec 3 rd (JC, J Leck)

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