Scottish birding
John Miles continues his birding adventures across north-west Scotland
The walk into the trees was very steep, but the path excellent. This was around midday, so birdsong was not at its peak, but Willow Warblers kept me company, along with Tree Pipits, Chaffinches and Goldcrests. A Common Lizard was basking on the path and I was hoping for an Adder. The views were great from the track and the height of the heather amazing, and a Tree Pipit posed for a shot. Pine Marten scat showed me they were around.
I checked several small car parks along
Loch Maree for better views, but it was not until I found the track off the main A832, that I found the Forestry Commission car park. Here were open views across to the 30-plus pine-covered islands. A walk along the ‘Tollie Trail’ showed a clear fell of Sitka Spruce. Plant life was trying to come back, with Bilberry in flower, along with Gorse and Primroses. Hopefully, planting will never put deep spruce back along this shore!
Before hitting the metropolis of Gairloch (!) I drove along the south side of the bay. There are both small sea lochs and freshwater lochs along the road. On Loch Bad a’ Chròta were a group of waders – Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper and Dunlin – feeding. Another stop for a bird with what looked like it had a red breast: in fact a ‘Greenland’ Wheatear, looking so bright in the sun and so much bigger than our regular Wheatears!
The other main habitat here is the glorious beaches at Opinan and Red Point. I wandered around the dunes at Opinan, scanning the beach and finding mixed waders. Breeding Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers were present as well as migrants such as Sanderling, Dunlin, Turnstone and two Whimbrel. Arctic Terns were fishing offshore and coming to