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Islay birding
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Islay birding

A week in the caravan, meeting friends for occasional birdwatching outings. Maybe some fine whisky too. Read more
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  • Trip start
    March 14, 2024
    Big TortoisesIslay birdingTraveler

    Queuing at Kennacraig

    March 14, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    A drive with the caravan from near Stirling. Pretty wet and pelting with rain as we wait for the ferry, the timing of which has been put back and put back several times. Due to land on Islay around 8pm and then a bit of a drive to the booked site. Will be no fun setting up in the dark and the rain and then eating probably as late as 10:30.
    Footnote: I was quite right about setting up in the dark and the rain. Absolutely black and we’d forgotten head torches. Using the light on the phones meant we did jobs one handed. Hey ho, tomorrow may provide us with a Red-breasted Goose amongst all the Barnacle Geese at Loch Gruinart.    Read more

  • Big TortoisesIslay birdingTraveler
    View from the caravan
    Whitefront - these will have overflown the Greenland icecapBarnacle Grese - from GreenlandWatching Pintail ducks.

    Loch Gruinart

    March 15, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    A windy but sunny day in the Loch Gruinart area. Barnacle Geese in their hundreds and also many lovely Greater White-fronted Geese of the Greenland subspecies feeding in the rougher grasslands. A not too thorough search along the roadsides for the Red-breasted Goose amongst the Barbie’s but it was not found. Maybe tomorrow. A female Hen Harrier was nice to see and some of the party saw a White-tailed Eagle and a dozen Choughs at Ardnave Point.
    Lunch at the Oyster Shed on the east side of the loch was a nice break from the windy birding.    Read more

  • Big TortoisesIslay birdingTraveler
    The American Monument on the Oa
    The words.Foggy on the Oa.A story of heroism.Watching Twite.Some ancient culture on the drive north.O e of four carved lions that had had their heads removed. Why?

    A day on the Oa

    March 18, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    A party of five drove to the Oa - a cliffs bulbous peninsular, good for raptor species. Fog was a problem for much of the time and no eagles performed for us. We did see a female Hen Harrier and had a very brief view of a probable Merlin from the vehicle on the way. The fog cleared occasionally to give glimpses of impressive cliffs.
    Birdy highlight was about 20 Twite, some males sporting lovely pink rumps and several birds also sporting a mixture of colour rings on their tarsi. Good, distinctive calls as well.
    More Cullen skink in Port Ellen followed and then a scenic drive north checking bays for divers etc. Must have seen a total of 15 Great Northerns and some views of very smart foraging Red-breasted Mergansers. Rock Doves gave good views - really lovely birds in comparison with their feral relatives and we watched a relaxed foraging otter diving amongst the rocks and seaweed.    Read more

  • Big TortoisesIslay birdingTraveler
    Thise are Choughs - I promise!
    Good visitor centre and lunch.

    Ardnave Point for Choughs

    March 18, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    After a fine walk to the west on Machir beach and a highly recommended visit for coffee, lunch and the purchase of some very fine whisky at the Kilchoman distillery for an upcoming ‘brothers long weekend’ on Skye, three of us drove to Ardnave Point in the hope of finding Choughs - those crow relatives with red feet and red downcurved bills. A wonderful male Hen Harrier performed for us on the way.
    A longish walk in heavier and heavier rain and increasing wind did not reduce the pleasure of seeing 24 Choughs probing the soil for invertebrates and showing off their glossy blue-black plumage. Many sported multiple colour rings - no doubt for valuable research reasons but it made them look a bit ‘manhandled’. I took a phone photo but not worth it really.
    Huge numbers of Grey Seals hauled out on Nave Island opposite the headland. Then back to the caravan and snug warmth.    Read more

  • Big TortoisesIslay birdingTraveler
    The place.
    The stills - everyone too busy to waste time shining them.Only about 600 barrels of the original pre-1994 stuff.A rather nice original padlock.The still for producing The Botanist gin.Octomore 14.4. - very heavily peated but excellent with a drop of water.Last evening on site.

    Too much whisky

    March 19, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Not a birding day in spite of the best weather yet. A tour of the Bruichladdich distillery was much more engaging than I expected and at daughter’s long-distance insistence I spent more on a bottle of whisky than I ever had before - probably because my judgement was clouded by the tasting session. Anyway, nice to have a full unopened bottle to look forward to.
    Two more leg-ringed Choughs seen feeding in a cattle field were the Birdy highlight of the day. I’ve gone the whole week without seeing an eagle, which is a bit frustrating.    Read more

  • Big TortoisesIslay birdingTraveler
    The ferry arrives in Port Ellen
    The Kennacraig - Islay direction.Distant Paps of Jura.On board.

    Homeward bound

    March 20, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    A two hour “navigation”, as they’d call it in Galapagos, from Port Ellen to Kennacraig. Flat calm and parties of auks feeding all over the place relatively close to Islay. Also more divers than I’ve ever seen, with probably tens of Great Northerns and Red-throateds, and a handful of Black-throateds. Most of them in Loch Tarbert. Watched a Hen Harrier making its way to Islay some time after we left harbour but still no White-tailed Eagles in spite of perfect eagle conditions.Read more

    Trip end
    March 20, 2024
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