Birdwatching

Birdwatchers find it difficult to resist the rareties and Islay has a remarkable record for unusual birds.

The RSPB Visitor Centre at Loch Gruinart has closed circuit television providing live coverage of action from the famous bird reserve. At various times during 1993 (a typical year), the island produced:

Cory's, Mediterranean and Sooty Shearwaters, Storm and Leach's Petrel, Red-Necked Grebe, Snow Goose, Ring-Necked Duck, Garganey, King Eider , White-Tailed Eagle , Red Kite , Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Spotted Crake, Ring-Billed Gull, Gull-Billed Tern , Pomerine Skua, Little Auk, Icterine Warbler and Lapland and Black-Headed Buntings

Spring

You can expect about 25,000 Barnacle and 10,000 Whitefronted Geese to still be on the island in March with a scattering of other species. The thousands of wildfowl on Loch Indaal will include Slavonian Grebes and there are likely to be Whooper Swans at Loch Gruinart. Golden Eagles will be displaying and there will be over 50 Great-Northern and Red-Throated Divers around the island. The mass of summer migrants arrive in Aril/May. Hen Harriers and Merlins will have returned to their nest sites. There will be Twite all over the island with Wood Warblers singing and Woodcock roding all over the woods at dusk.

Summer

Nine calling Corncrakes were heard in 1993. The Guillemot, Razerbill, Black Guillemot, Arctic Tern and Kittiwake colonies will be in full swing. Sea watching will produce Gannets, Manx Shearwaters, Puffins and Arctic Skuas, with a reasonable chance of Great Skua. Hopefully, several pairs of Peregrine Falcons will have fledged young as well as some of the 12 - 15 pairs of Barn Owls on the island.

Autum

Almost anything can turn up in Autumn. The Geese arrive in mid-October. Some 90 pairs of Choughs will be gathering in their winter flocks and the small breeding populations of Shoveler and Common Scoter will be supplemented by migrants from the North. Black Grouse may be visible in forestry.

Winter

Winter birdwatching on Islay is truly spectacular. There will be Long-Tailed Duck and abou 1000 Scaup on Loch Indaal together with good numbers of Eider, Common Scoter, Red-Beasted Merganser, Divers and Slavonian Grebe. There are Geese and Raptors everywhere. Purple Sand-Pipers feed on the rocky shores and the chances of both Glaucous and Iceland Gulls are excellent. Check the shoreline for Snow Buntings and watch the Choughs and Ravens tumble in celebration of the New Year.

RSPB Visitor Centre at Loch Gruinart contact .... 01496 850 505

Text from Islay.Co.Uk

Agent for ISLAY.COM

Linda McArthur
26 Stanalane
Bowmore, Isle of Islay
Argyll PA43 7LA
Fax & Phone: ++44 (0)1496 810629
Email: lindaislay-26@tiscali.co.uk

Impressum / Copyright

01.04.08 14:28