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The Argyll Bird Club Spring Meeting on Islay, which was a combination of Spring Meeting and Field Trip, was a great success. 46 members made their way to Islay on the Friday for the weekend which provided an interesting mix of bird watching sessions on the island and indoor talks in the Islay Natural History Centre (INHC).
This report focuses on the bird watching sessions of the weekend. Those interested in the indoor talks can read a full report in the June 2009 Eider.
John Armitage and Malcolm Ogilvie planned two birding trips plus "additional suggestions for the Sunday. The suggested routes took into account the fact that there were several cars travelling together and, therefore, "stop points" were chosen to reflect the needs of parking. On Saturday morning 9 am, we all gathered in front of the Islay Natural History Centre at Port Charlotte to start the first bird watching session. Although it had rained on and off on the Friday and really heavy during the night, it was dry and it looked as if the sun was trying to break through. The party split in two, with each party doing one of the suggested routes. As the morning progressed the sun and wind chased the last of the rain clouds away and by the time we returned to the Islay Natural History for lunch, it was even warm for the time of the year. Our luck continued on the Sunday morning when we again gathered for the second bird watching route. Only later on Sunday afternoon did the weather deteriorate again, but by that time many people were on their way to the mainland again.
The bird watching routes proved very successful. For the purposes of the species list, the weekend was deemed to start on the Friday and finish on the Sunday at the Kennacraig ferry terminal, Kintyre. An amazing total of 119 species and races were reported including birds seen during the ferry crossings to and from Islay. Members who extended their stay on Islay beyond Sunday afternoon reported 9 additional species.
BTO |
Species |
|
BTO |
Species |
MS |
Mute Swan |
CM |
Common Gull |
|
WS |
Whooper Swan |
LB |
Lesser Black-backed Gull |
|
PG |
Pink-footed Goose |
HG |
Herring Gull |
|
NW |
Greenland White-fronted Goose |
IG |
Iceland Gull |
|
GJ |
Greylag Goose |
GB |
Great Black-backed Gull |
|
BY |
Barnacle Goose |
KI |
Kittiwake |
|
PB |
Brent Goose (Pale-bellied) |
AF |
Little Tern |
|
SU |
Common Shelduck |
TE |
Sandwich Tern |
|
WN |
Eurasian Wigeon |
CN |
Common Tern |
|
GA |
Gadwall |
GU |
Common Guillemot |
|
T. |
Eurasian Teal |
RA |
Razorbill |
|
TA |
Green-winged Teal |
TY |
Black Guillemot |
|
MA |
Mallard |
PU |
Puffin |
|
PT |
Pintail |
DV |
Rock Dove |
|
SV |
Shoveler |
FP |
Feral Pigeon |
|
TU |
Tufted Duck |
WP |
Wood Pigeon |
|
SP |
Greater Scaup |
CD |
Collared Dove |
|
E. |
Common Eider |
CK |
Common Cuckoo |
|
LN |
Long-tailed Duck |
S. |
Sky Lark |
|
GN |
Common Goldeneye |
SM |
Sand Martin |
|
RM |
Red-breasted Merganser |
SL |
Barn Swallow |
|
RL |
Red-legged Partridge |
HM |
House Martin |
|
PH |
Common Pheasant |
MP |
Meadow Pipit |
|
RH |
Red-throated Diver |
RC |
Rock Pipit |
|
BV |
Black-throated Diver |
GL |
Grey Wagtail |
|
ND |
Great Northern Diver |
PW |
Pied Wagtail |
|
F. |
Fulmar |
WZ |
White Wagtail |
|
MX |
Manx Shearwater |
WR |
Wren |
|
GX |
Northern Gannet |
D. |
Dunnock |
|
CA |
Great Cormorant |
R. |
Robin |
|
SA |
Shag |
SC |
Common Stonechat |
|
H. |
Grey Heron |
W. |
Northern Wheatear |
|
MR |
Marsh Harrier |
W. |
Greenland Wheatear |
|
HH |
Hen Harrier |
B. |
Blackbird |
|
SH |
Eurasian Sparrowhawk |
ST |
Song Thrush |
|
BZ |
Common Buzzard |
M. |
Mistle Thrush |
|
EA |
Golden Eagle |
GH |
Grasshopper Warbler |
|
PE |
Peregrine Falcon |
SW |
Sedge Warbler |
|
WA |
Water Rail |
WO |
Wood Warbler |
|
CE |
Corn Crake |
WW |
Willow Warbler |
|
MH |
Moorhen |
GC |
Goldcrest |
|
CO |
Common Coot |
BT |
Blue Tit |
|
OC |
Oystercatcher |
GT |
Great Tit |
|
RP |
Ringed Plover |
CT |
Coal Tit |
|
DO |
Dotterel |
CF |
Red-billed Chough |
|
GP |
European Golden Plover |
JD |
Western Jackdaw |
|
L. |
Northern Lapwing |
RO |
Rook |
|
SS |
Sanderling |
C. |
Carrion Crow |
|
DN |
Dunlin |
HC |
Hooded Crow |
|
SN |
Common Snipe |
RN |
Common Raven |
|
LD |
Long-billed Dowitcher |
SG |
Common Starling |
|
BW |
Black-tailed Godwit |
HS |
House Sparrow |
|
WM |
Whimbrel |
CH |
Common Chaffinch |
|
CU |
Eurasian Curlew |
GR |
Greenfinch |
|
RK |
Common Redshank |
GO |
Goldfinch |
|
LY |
Lesser Yellowlegs |
SK |
Siskin |
|
CS |
Common Sandpiper |
LI |
Linnet |
|
TT |
Turnstone |
TW |
Twite |
|
BH |
Black-headed Gull |
LR |
Lesser Redpoll |
|
RB |
Reed Bunting |
The nine additional species from seen by thoe who stayed on beyond Sunday afternoon.
BTO |
Species |
CG |
Greater Canada Goose |
K. |
Common Kestrel |
RU |
Ruff |
BA |
Bar-tailed Godwit |
LK |
Little Auk |
SE |
Short-eared Owl |
DI |
Dipper |
WH |
Common Whitethroat |
Y. |
Yellowhammer |
Bird watching Routes
Route One
Travel north from Port Charlotte until the War Memorial is reached on the right. Ample parking is on the left immediately previous to the telephone exchange. Enter the gate to the War Memorial and follow the path to the right which then opens up and affords a good vantage point over Loch Indaal for species like Great Northern Diver, Red throated Diver, Common Scoter and Eider.
Continue north and view the whole area off Bruichladdich north of the pier. In addition to the species above waders are often seen and terns may be present on the exposed rocks to the north. Various parking opportunities are available.
Continue north until you can see the road in the distance beginning to head east. Previous to then a fairly extensive area for parking is available opposite a coal yard. This provides another viewing point over Loch Indaal.
Take the first left turn (B8018) and bird watch along that road with Loch Gorm becoming apparent on the right. Various lochans are on your right and worth looking at as ample space is available for parking. At the right angle bend at the end of the road carry straight forward on the rough track to Machir Bay for a brief look for Chough along the cliffs, the fields to the right or up towards the ruined church. If time allows look over the beach as Chough often feed off to the extreme right at the very end of the beach!
Return to the road junction and turn left, continue around this “circuit”, bird watching all the way (keep a look out for Hen Harrier and what may be some of the remaining geese), ignore the left turn where the red telephone box is, but take the left turn to Gruinart. The RSPB reserve is marked and obvious, has plenty of parking, toilets, even coffee!! One of the wardens, Rory Crawford, will be around to advise people. The directions to the hide and alternative parking are set out and a hide and a woodland trail are available.
To return to Port Charlotte travel across Gruinart Flats, remain on the “main” road until you reach Loch Indaal where you simply turn right back to the Centre.
Route Two
Essentially this first centres on Loch Indaal. Travel northwards towards Bowmore, turning right at Bridgend, and follow this main road until you see the parking area opposite the electricity generating station on your left. This provides a useful vantage point over the Inner Loch even if the tide is partially out.
After an ample time spent here retrace your steps back towards Bridgend but take advantage of the parking and viewing opportunities at Gartmain 1.5km “south” of Bridgend to oversee the head of the loch again.
At Bridgend continue north towards Port Askaig (A846) and in 0.5km you will see a car park on the left opposite the woodlands. Entrance into the latter is across the road, take care with traffic (!!) and continue on the obvious main path for whatever period you choose BUT please keep an eye on the time!!
Retrace your steps to Bridgend and turn right to Port Charlotte, the only alternative on offer!! Continue around the head of the loch, stopping at various intervals as lots of opportunities are available to park. Continue on to Port Charlotte but picking up on the viewing suggestions in Alternative One.
Both the above are chosen for simplicity but to take into account the fact that there are only three hours available on the Saturday morning. Sunday obviously has no such restrictions and the routes can more fully explored.
"SUNDAY SUGGESTIONS"
Besides the opportunity of covering the route you were forced to omit on the Saturday other areas can be explored as well and Steve has distributed details of other sites on Islay worthy of visiting. One of these is the Oa.
Do please calculate your travelling times carefully as your overnight location in most cases, the journey/times to the Oa and location of your departure ferry aren’t convenient bedfellows!!! It can be done but a little planning is required so that your birding time isn’t eroded away to a minimum.
If you do go to the Oa you might consider the following route up to Port Askaig. It’s probably worth consulting an OS map so you’re happy with the route. Take the B8016 north of Port Ellen and then take the only minor road available on your right after a few kilometers. This takes you over our most accessible high ground (look out for eagles!) to Ballygrant with plenty of opportunities to stop and bird watch along the way. You might even consider stopping at Loch Ballygrant and surrounding woodlands before reaching the village, where you simply turn right on the A846 and head for Port Askaig.
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