LONG NAB
A superb seawatching site with lots of great surprises
LONG NAB HAS been brought to the forefront in modern birdwatching by local ‘patch workers’ spending hours searching the sea for movement and even catching rare migrants down the Crook Ness. It is a wonderful walk full of surprises, especially when you think you can travel back several million years with the chance of finding fossils on the stony beach and cliffs. The birding starts as soon as you drive along the narrow track to the small car park with hedgerows to check. Tree Sparrows and Yellowhammers are a good bet, while Redstart and Pied Flycatcher are autumn favourites. Walking along Crook Ness is a great way to look for migrants in spring and autumn with goodies like Redbreasted Flycatcher, Barred and Yellow-browed Warblers, Siberian Chiffchaff and Firecrest in recent years, and Ortolan Bunting in 2015. Autumn thrushes love this scrub. Look out for Ring Ouzel, the fields have produced both Snow and Lapland Buntings, but also Quail, Desert Wheatear, Richard’s Pipit and even a Short-toed Lark. Several birds of prey use the cliffs for passage with Osprey, Rough-legged Buzzard and even a Pallid Harrier in 2016.