Birding Scotland
THE TIDE WAS COMING IN AND I WAS IN THE RIGHT POSITION TO WATCH A GREAT NORTHERN COMING IN
the rocks to offer sand eels to their mates.
Inland, were Wheatears, Pied Wagtails and Twite, but a rumpus high inland led me to two Golden Eagles which suddenly started talon-grappling and spinning away, with one finally chasing the other away. Amazing!
Gairloch was busy as usual, so I focused on yet another single-track road, passing a campsite with more motor homes than you could imagine! I scanned the loch for the Puffins using Longa Island, but they were tiny dots from the road. I carried on towards Melvaig, finding a quarry to pull into for the night. I made my way to the beach via some grassy cliffs, and found a Sand Martin colony and yet more migrant waders.
Back on the road! I first went to say thanks to the couple who let me phone the AA from their house, and there was a bonus as I was told there was no problem driving to the Rubha Reidh lighthouse, famous for its seawatching potential, despite a guide book saying there was no access due to locals! But the weather was flat calm, so instead of seeing seabird passage, even the Gannets were a long way out. I had to make do with Wheatear trying to blend into the rock. No Whitetailed Eagles, which were turning out to be a bogey bird on this trip.
Inverewe Garden was next. The hide here seems a long way from the action at low tide, so I sat in the sun on a nearby seat to eat my lunch. I soon found Greenshank and a mating pair of Dunlin. There were plenty of Oystercatchers and a few Common Sandpipers, but the low tide found few birds enjoying the mud and seaweed.
Heronry delight
It was soon time to flash my membership card and enter the gardens themselves. A mixed collection of garden birds were seen en route, with the addition of several
Crossbills (sometimes thought to be Scottish in this part of the country). I am not a believer in this species, as the Americans have a staggering 32 regional crossbills, with nine mentioned in the North American Bird Guide and only White-winged Crossbill mentioned as a separate species. They have no Parrot Crossbill mentioned, only different tree types creating the need for varying sized bills. And hybridisation certainly occurs, making things even more complicated.
The big plus in these gardens is a heronry near the jetty. Around six nests are found here, with easy views from a set of seats above the jetty. In May, small young were visible in at least one nest and adults were toing and froing from the estuary. A walk has been created in the pine wood next door, where you do not have to pay the £10-plus to enter the gardens. The road carries on around Loch Ewe, and comes to Loch Gruinard, with its famous island contaminated with anthrax!
I soon found a parking place and decided this was going to be my nightly stop. Fortunately, the bay was ideal for viewing from the van. At least four Great Northern Divers were here, as well as a pair of Red-throateds and several waders.
The tide was coming in and I was in the right position to watch a Great Northern coming in to what had been exposed rocks, to hunt fish and crabs below me! As I have seen from Harris and Mull, these adult Great Northerns hold winter territories to keep their food stocks safe, so this bird certainly knew the area.
I was parked up around 150 yards from
three crofts, and from the one in view, a man came down and we had a great chat, as he used to be a journalist in London and Inverness. He had no complaints of me staying there, and even gave me the walk
I would do in the early morning. So, after a peaceful eaceful night, I was up at 5am ready for another adventure!
My journalist friend had told me about an abandoned settlement down the road with an amazing beach and a heronry. This was a six-mile round trip, so I started looking at the track I was walking on.
“I could drive down here,” I thought, with tarmac and few ruts, but there seemed few turning places, so I played safe and kept walking. It started with a Hazel/Birch woodland on the steep side, with Willow Warblers singing and plenty of Cuckoos. The first loch I found had Mallard and a few willows around its edge, but moorland was the main habitat, with occasional trees with plenty of Meadow Pipits and Sky Larks.
Many areas of heather looked good enough for breeding Merlins and Hen Harriers, but I didn’t see any. The same went for eagles, but they don’t like an early start, preferring thermals, to save energy from flapping those big wings. A Stonechat had young in a nest and alarmed at me on the way in and back again.
Loch Slaggan was the largest of the two lochs on this walk, and a pair of Red-throated Divers were flying around calling, having just come off the sea. Willow carr was dense on my side of the loch, with Reed Bunting, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler present.
Eagles taking young herons
There was no sign of the heronry or even the Grey Herons that were supposed to be here, but perhaps they had failed, especially as White-tailed Eagles have been reported taking young herons! With so much coastal and loch fishing available, they would have to nest somewhere in the area, and some have been noted nesting in reeds if trees are not available.
What seemed to be a large newlyplanted plantation was visible, with mainly broadleaved trees, but also Scots Pine planted. This would help improve the area, with Short-eared Owl enjoying the many voles here. A Raven flew over calling, so I called back, keeping him around for a few minutes.
The first of the ruins came into view, and better grazing is always found around these areas, with Twite, Pied Wagtail and Wheatear the classics. The beach opened out into the mouth of Loch Ewe, with its Great Northern Diver, Red-breasted Merganser and a few Eider. Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper were breeding around here, with Dunlin and more passage Ringed Plovers on the beach.
The return journey was completed in record time, then I was back on the road, passing Little Loch Broom and finding a real gem on the roadside!
But that’s for next time…
● Find out next month the gem discovered by John Miles as he explores even more of beautiful Scotland.