United Kingdom Ramsar wetland
Loch Eye
162 bird species recorded; the most in January and from September to November.
Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data), CC BY 4.0, with relief shading from Copernicus WorldDEM-30
This month here
109 species in January.101 species in February.95 species in March.101 species in April.83 species in May.86 species in June.83 species in July.104 species in August.113 species in September.108 species in October.105 species in November.85 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
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VU
NT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
162 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 162Speciesrecorded more than once
- 75Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 8ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 10,559Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 9Raptors
- 3Owls
- 24Waders
- 18Gulls & seabirds
- 30Ducks & geese
- 7Herons, ibises & grebes
- 55Songbirds
- 16Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 162 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors9 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
Owls3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
Waders24 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- RedshankTringa totanus
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Long-billed dowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusNT
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
Gulls & seabirds18 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Common MurreUria aalge
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaVU
- FulmarFulmarus glacialis
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
Ducks & geese30 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- SmewMergellus albellus
- Snow gooseAnser caerulescens
- Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
- Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillata
- Black swanCygnus atratus
Herons, ibises & grebes7 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
Songbirds55 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Great titParus major
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- European Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- TwiteLinaria flavirostris
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
Other birds16 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- CootFulica atra
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
- European SwiftApus apus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Western CapercaillieTetrao urogallus
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in January and from September to November.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan6°/3°94 mm
- Feb6°/3°78 mm
- Mar7°/3°74 mm
- Apr9°/5°63 mm
- May11°/7°78 mm
- Jun14°/10°85 mm
- Jul16°/12°96 mm
- Aug15°/12°111 mm
- Sep14°/10°89 mm
- Oct11°/8°122 mm
- Nov8°/6°101 mm
- Dec6°/4°92 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Loch Eye.
Lake in Highland, Scotland, UK, outflows via The Canal to Nigg Bay
Loch Eye is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in United Kingdom.
162 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 10,559 open records.
The most recorded are the Eurasian Chaffinch, the European Herring Gull and the Common Wood Pigeon.
29 species come for the summer, 46 for the winter and 0 only pass through.
8 are threatened worldwide, including Long-tailed duck, Horned Grebe and Grey Plover.
The most species are recorded in January and from September to November.
Get there and watch
- Portmahomack Caravan Sitecampsite · 9.3 km · 4 within 10 km
- Fearn Hotelplace to stay · 2.1 km · 28 within 10 km
- Balintorenearest town · 5.3 km in a straight line
- Inverness Airport (INV)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 28 km in a straight lineCar hire at INV airport (Inverness)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1observation towers within 6 km
- 2car parks within 3 km
- 4campsites within 10 kmPortmahomack Caravan Site, Dornoch Firth Caravan Park, Dornoch Caravan & Camping Park and 1 more
- 28places to stay within 10 kmFearn Hotel, Shore, The Old Schoolhouse and 25 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- viewpoints within 5 km
- restaurants and cafés within 3 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Loch Eye.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas11 mountains within 25 kmStruie373 m · 18 kmBen Bhraggie · 21 kmCnoc Dubh Mòr340 m · 22 kmTorr Leathann · 22 kmBeinn Tharsuinn692 m · 22 kmSìdhean a' Choin Bhàin · 23 kmCnoc an t-Sìthein Mòr · 24 kmCnoc Fyrish · 24 km
Coastya1 beaches within 10 kmShandwick Bay · 5.9 km
Lakeyas2 lakes within 15 kmLoch Eye1.4 km² · 0.1 kmLoch Evelix0.7 km² · 13 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.
Loch Eye
United Kingdom
- 75Birdyas Score
- 162Species
- 75Migrants
- 8Threatened
Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands
United Kingdom · 62 km
- 35Birdyas Score
- 36Species
- 15Migrants
- 0Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q24646064) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 10,559 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Islandyas, Coastya, Lakeyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
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dark skies
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viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
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