A superb sea loch with a great mix of Islay’s birds
Islay’s known for its great birds at any time of year (and its whisky, of course), and whenever you visit, this large sea loch is a must, offering huge variety and easy viewing. JOHN MILES
WHERE TO WATCH
1 A great place to start is Kintra, offering you six miles of sandy beach and straight into deep water. Look out for Chough feeding here and out in the bay, a mixture of divers. My best birds here have been the Long-tailed Ducks diving through the waves with the sun making them sparkle! 2 Bowmore has a small harbour and it’s worth checking for close-in birds here with sometimes both Black Guillemot and a wintering Slavonian Grebe. Moving out of Bowmore is a layby on the loch side which is worth checking for pale-bellied Brent Geese, Shelduck and waders. We have had Whooper Swans here along with a flock of Wigeon and diving ducks.
3 Just before Bridgend is a muddy pull-in on the loch side. It’s a great place to watch the Barnacle Geese drop in to wash, preen and roost, and now a great place to watch White-tailed Eagles watching the geese! But you can also find a wide variety of ducks and waders which attract a number of other birds of prey.
4 Black Rock sticks out in the loch and is well known for its viewpoint. You can start with Rock Pipit and finish with Great Northern Diver, with the mixture including Scaup, Common Scoter, Shag, Red-breasted Merganser, Slavonian Grebe, Long-tailed Duck and even eagles.
5 The rocky edge to the Bruichladdich shore is ideal for wintering Purple Sandpipers, Redshanks and Turnstones. Look out for more Brent Geese, Shelduck and of course divers.
6 The deeper areas of this great loch can attract seabirds, so don’t be surprised to see Gannets, Kittiwakes and of course terns moving into this area by Port Charlotte. A roosting flock of Great Northern Divers can be found at this end, often numbering more than 50 birds.