birding...

European Dipper Cinclus cinclus ©Nigel Blake http://www.nigelblake.co.uk/

Birds & Birding Argyll & Bute

This is a sprawling county comprising a very irregular piece of western Scotland deeply cut by fjord-like sea-lochs, plus the many islands of the Inner Hebrides (the larger of which include Coll, Tiree, Mull, Colonsay, Jura, Islay and Gigha); together with the island of Bute and its satellites in the Clyde. It extends roughly 150 km from Lismore in the north to the Mull of Kintyre in the south and the same from Loch Lomond in the east to Tiree in the west, with a reputed coastline of well over 1500 km.

Within this large area are ranges of hills, the lower ones especially in Cowal and Kintyre, blanketed with forestry, to the detriment of the few remaining mainland-nesting pairs of Golden Eagle, but to the overall benefit of, e.g., Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl. Much of the extensive hill land is little visited by birdwatchers, but some of the many large and small inland lochs are not without interest, with increasing numbers of breeding Osprey as well as small numbers of Black-throated Diver.

The mainland coast and sea-lochs hold small numbers of wintering ducks and waders, while the many islets and skerries are important nesting places for Arctic and Common Tern, though much reduced in some areas by the depredations of Mink. Wintering Greenland White-fronted Geese, often with Greylags, can be found in several places, especially around Machrihanish and Tayinloan on the Mull of Kintyre, as well as Moine Mhor near Lochgilphead. Small numbers of Whitefronts, among much larger numbers of Greylags, also winter on Bute.

Sea-watchers make for Uisead Point, on the west side of the Mull of Kintyre, where the Machrihanish Seabird Observatory has a small hide from which a long list of passage seabirds and other species have been seen, especially between August and October.

The Inner Hebrides are very varied in character, with the stony hills of Jura, the lush farmland of Islay, the much more mountainous Mull and the almost entirely flat Tiree. Islay is famous for its wintering geese, with up to 35,000 Barnacles and 13,000 Greenland Whitefronts in recent years, but is also home to over 100 other wintering species, including a flock of over 1000 Scaup, and over 100 breeding species, among which nearly 50 pairs of Chough are the most notable.

A few thousand geese also winter on both Coll and Tiree, which also have breeding Greylags. Tiree hosts over 100 calling Corncrakes every summer making it the most important site in the country. Mull is now famous for its nesting White-tailed Eagles - a viewing hide with a video-link to a nest proved very successful in 2000 and will be repeated in the future if a suitable nest is available. Mull is an excellent place to see Golden Eagles, too, and to be able to compare these two giants of the raptor world.

The island of Mull

Mull has a variety of habitats. Mountains and moorlands, sea lochs and hill lochans, damp boggy marshes and sandy beaches. It supports a good range of resident and migrant birds, many passage birds call in to re-fuel en-route. Raptors to be found on Mull include two eagles, Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Kestrel, Merlin, Sparrow Hawk and. Buzzard. Resident owls are, Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl and Tawny Owl and Short-eared Owls visit to breed. Ravens and Hooded Crow are plentiful and there are two pair of Chough at only one site. The coastline of Mulls is 300 miles long and the tidal lochs are very attractive to breeding waders and birds of passage which feed whilst en-route to their summer and winter grounds. Whooper Swan, Bar-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, Redshank, Snipe and Wimbrel are just a few.

Large flocks of Teal and Widgeon over winter with Shelduck, Goldeneye and Merganser. All three Divers can be seen at different times of the year. Slavonian Grebe can be seen on the sea lochs in the winter months. Corncrake have made a remarkable recovery due to sensitive and friendly farming on Iona, and whilst not easy to see, Iona in May is the best time to see this elusive bird. There are many good and safe vantage points from which to watch sea birds, including, Guillemot and Black Guillemot, Shag, Cormorant and occasional Gannet and Great Skua. Boat trips are available to take you to the Treshnish isles during the summer where you can get close to nesting birds, Puffin, Shag, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Guillemot and Razorbill.

Mull has lots of red deer and a small herd of fallow deer, hedgehogs, polecats, mink, rabbits, and Mountain Hare. There is a good population of otters which can now be seen regularly around the coast and sea lochs. There are no badgers, foxes or squirrels on the island and we do not have any Magpies resident on Mull. Don't forget that Islay's Rock Doves Columba Livia are considered by most observers to be the genuine article - all with white rumps and uniform markings - Fatbirder.