Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year

21st December 2013

As the year draws to a close I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and the best of birding in the New Year. There were a number of new records in 2013 with Marsh Warbler and Wilson's Phalarope perhaps being the pick, and a Green Woodpecker sneaking into Skye from Lochalsh to give us another first. Add to that a 2nd Black Kite and Great Shearwater, it has altogether been a good year for the unexpected. Sometimes we get a bit pre-occupied with the rarites and the unusual can be equally interesting, with 50 Collared Doves at Edinbane today probably being a record count. The BTO published their new Atlas a few weeks ago and those of you who contributed in the intensive 4 years of survey effort, can get the satisfaction of seeing your dots on the map, well worth using up any uncashed Amazon vouchers if you did not pre-order. During the 4 winters of survey effort I cannot remember it being as wet and windy as this. I learned today that the Elgol fishing boats have been out once since the start of December so the weather can be tough not just on the birds, but those who have to try and make a living in such awful conditions. We can only look forward to the New Year and a chance to get out on some crisp winter days, and the nights will start getting shorter from tomorrow! On that optimistic note I wish you and yours all the best.

Bob

THE BOOK

"A glorious little gem"

AMAZON

"A book such as this has to look backwards and the author does so succinctly, looking at the work of several of the pioneering naturalists before picking out the publications of JA Harvie-Brown and the Rev. Hugh Macpherson. I know this book fills a real gap in the information available for the Isle of Skye and it will surely sell well at local bookshops."

Andrew Currie Miscellany West Highland Free Press

"A total of 238 species have been recorded, with 14 of those 'red listed' as of high conservation concern ... another innovation has been the inclusion of Gaelic names for some birds. While this is not uncommon in a few other books, the addition of some regional Gaelic names is very unusual and very welcome."

Ray Collier Country Diary 'Up in the Skye' The Guardian

"Illustrated with beautiful photographs of current birdlife on the island, the publication also features sketches by Jean Thomas of The Little Gallery, Portnalong, stimulating the reader's interest further and allowing them to identify species they encounter on Skye."

The Hebridean