HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS
11-17 March 2001
Leader: Ian Rowlands
Guests: Maureen & Howard Walker, Ian &
Julie Webster, Michael Baker
We are all meet at Kennacraig
for the journey across to the island on a rather grey misty day but
fortunately it is calm not like the forecast of gales. Soon we are
heading out from the sheltered waters of West Loch Tarbert seeing our
first birds. It’s cold up on deck but there are Goldeneye to see, some
lovely Eider, very large numbers of Red-throated Diver in flocks – some
of them already in breeding plumage – and plenty of Great Northern Divers.
As we head out into more open water, the Great Northern Divers peter
out, a little bit of light drizzle begins and we retreat to the observation
lounge where a combination of the Sunday papers and viewing for birds
out of the windows keeps us occupied for the journey. As we pass
the Isle of Jura and head in towards Islay, it’s still calm and out
at sea there are odd Kittiwakes and Gannets and still a few Great
Northern Divers. Gradually Islay looms into view and we pass the
three distilleries along the southern shore – first Ardbeg, then Lagavulin
and finally Laphroig. The water is liberally sprinkled with sea birds.
There are plenty of Guillemot and Razorbill, nice Black Guillemots
just coming into their breeding plumage and a lot of Shags out on
the water.
We embark at Port Ellen where there are a few precautions because
of foot and mouth. The spitting rain carries us on our journey to
Bowmore and we cross the rather bleak moorland and bogs where people
are cutting peats. There is mile upon mile of rough grassland and
deep dark areas of heather. Hills loom up in the mist beyond but
we cannot see a great deal until we get our way through the busy ‘urban’
capital of Bowmore and down to the shore of Bridgend Bay. Working
our way along the shoreline, there is a little flock of fifteen Pale-bellied
Brent Geese and we take a short diversion up beyond Foreland House.
As the weather begins to clear, there is a wonderful panorama looking
north to Loch Gruinart to the farmland and the moorland and south
back down Loch Indaal where the deeper waters hold lots of duck. Howard
picks out a ring-tail Hen Harrier and a Grey Heron flaps by. We proceed
on our way to Port Charlotte and along the shoreline to the delightful
hotel where we check in and are grateful for a warming pot of tea.
We have a little stroll along the shore where, right
by the hotel, the waters of Loch Indaal lap up on the weed-strewn rocks.
There is a Great Northern Diver offshore and a few Shag but otherwise
it is rather quite and there are none of the gulls that we would regularly
expect here and nothing on the rocks. We take a little drive up to
St Kiaran's Church where it is cold and around the church we are hoping
that we might see Barn Owl. There is a bit of cool breeze but the waters
of Loch Indaal are calm. It’s quite a pleasant evening but there is
nothing doing (and we aren’t ready or indeed warm enough to wait until
it gets really dark) so we head back for the hotel and a nice warming
bath. Everybody meets down in the bar for a few beers and we have the
first of what are destined to be a number of delightful meals at the
hotel before we head for bed and ready for the joys of tomorrow.
A couple of stalwarts, Ian R and Howard, are up early
making a pre-breakfast foray along the shoreline below the hotel. There
is a flock of fifteen Purple Sandpipers roosting up on the rocks very
close by and Great Northern Diver again. These are going to become
familiar birds. Looking out over the water towards the other side of
the island, it is a beautiful sunny day. It’s cold but clear with a
bit of a northerly breeze and we are ready for breakfast.
After a good breakfast, we check out the Purple Sandpipers
– Michael’s bird of the trip – before we work our way up to the viewpoint
at Foreland House again. In the fields, Hares are everywhere and Roe
Deer too. There are big flocks of geese as we drive by Sunderland Farm
and the bright sunlight gleams off the Barnacle Geese. There are a
few Woodpigeon in the fields and we follow the road along until it overlooks
the vast inland freshwater loch, Loch Gorm. In bright sunshine the
moorland all around looks dramatic and it is a beautiful scene whilst
out on the water Ian W is able to pick out Goldeneye and Greylag Geese.
We work our way up to the Church at Kilchoman. The church is all boarded
up now but there is a wonderful 9th century Celtic cross carved in blue
stone. We admire that, whilst looking through the flocks of Ravens,
Crows, Rooks and Jackdaws until Ian W picks out two pairs of Chough.
The Choughs work their way from the cliffs to the dunes and we can see
their red legs and red bill as they probe in the turf – a reward for
our endeavours. Flocks of Common Gull sail in the wind and the Ravens
are being mobbed by parties of Jackdaw. Fulmars are already up on nesting
ledges on the cliffs above, cackling away, and sailing out to sea.
But we are more distracted by a couple of sparring bulls going head
to head in the field nearby, much to the interest of all the cows in
the field with them!
We work our way down to the splendid gleaming sand of Machir Bay.
The Atlantic breakers offshore roll in creating a lovely mist in the
air and we are able to walk down the beach checking the shore line
in search of any small birds. It’s not as bracing as we quite feared
and it is lovely to stroll along to the far end of the beach on the
sand and in the sun – it’s both Howard and Julie’s favourite place
of the holiday. Lots of Common Gulls are roosting but a scrupulous
check fails to reveal anything rare amongst them. There are Oystercatcher
on the beach and parties of Barnacle Geese sailing around the whole
time. They seem restless as if they want to make their way back towards
Greenland. Buzzards are on the wing, there are Pied Wagtails and
Choughs are carrying nest material past us and off to the little ruined
crofts nearby. The hotel had filled our big pump action flasks and
we are ready for a coffee in the sunshine here and a flock of Twite
are around. Alongside the west and the north side Loch Gorm the flat
farmland fields here are usually good for birds. The gorse, as expected,
has quite a few Stonechat which perch up nicely for us to admire.
Parties of geese are everywhere and we are soon getting blasé about
Barnacle and Greenland White-fronted Geese. Nothing unusual can be
picked out amongst them but the sunlight really shows off all their
features. Groups of Rock Dove – real pure Rock Doves here – with
their white rumps, scatter hither and thither as we go and in the
fields there are quite a few Lapwing disturbed by the odd Buzzard
which flaps lazily overhead. It is nice to see a few winter thrushes
and we get some good looks at Fieldfare and Redwing.
We work our way in a complete circuit of the loch,
back over the moorland and down once more to the shores of Loch Indaal
at Bruchladdich. The war memorial here is on a slightly elevated point
and below it some sheltered picnic tables in the sun provide a great
spot to have lunch. There is still a bit of a cool breeze but we enjoy
our sandwiches and fruit and Maureen picks out a couple of wintering
Robins in the shelter of one of the gullies. There are a few primroses
in flower at this slightly warmer spot and Rock Pipits pick amongst
the weed on the shoreline. Offshore there are the familiar Great Northern
Divers.
With lunch over, we head southwards so, passing Port
Charlotte, we have a quick comfort stop at the hotel before we take
the road that winds up and over the Rhinns. This is a rolling landscape
of rocks and coniferous plantation, farm fields and moorland. Roe Deer
dot a number of the fields and Buzzards are on the wing but we make
our way on to one of the farms nearby. We are well away from the livestock
but with the foot and mouth, the local farmer is a bit concerned as
to what we are exactly doing nearby. With his Geordie accent we soon
know he is not local and he stands there looking brawny with nothing
but a t-shirt on in the cold weather. He is anxious but friendly and
we talk him round and soon are able to pick out an adult Golden Eagle
with good sunlight on it on top of a nearby hill. It sits there not
doing very much but shows well in the 60x lens of the Leica telescope.
A fabulous party of Choughs suddenly break out nearby. In fact there
is a group of 23, which call above our heads and swirl in the blue looking
for all the world as if they were high in the Pyrenees – a wonderful
end to our special moment there and Julie’s Magic Moment!
Pursuing the road down to Portnahaven, we are at the southern tip
of the Rhinns and Atlantic breakers roll in offshore. There is a
rocky island with a lighthouse just beyond us and in the more sheltered
inlet Common Seals are hauled up basking nearby. There is a Shag
diving in the water and quite a group of Purple Sandpipers, maybe
twenty or more, scurry around on the rocks showing their down-curved
bill with faded orange base and little faded orange legs. We work
our way back via Easter Elister Farm where the loch nearby has a Tufted
Duck on it. The Port Charlotte hotel is our haven once more in this
cold clear weather and a welcome pot of tea warms us up. For the
enthusiasts, we head out to see whether the geese are coming in to
roost round at the head of Loch Indaal at Bridgend Bay. We have a
stroll along the shore where we get good views of a flock of Scaup
and also see Pintail, Teal and Shelduck in one of the weedy inlets.
As the light fades we arrive, walking through the gorse, out to the
hide that overlooks the bay. There are quite a few Barnacle Geese
on the shore and a few parties drift in but plainly it is not going
to be till much later, maybe gone seven o'clock, before they come
in. Perhaps tonight we are not quite so determined to wait and see
them! We have a very welcome dinner at the hotel and luxuriate in
the lounge. We run through our first bird checklist and all sleep
well tonight to the winking of the nearby lighthouse and the sound
of the waves. Maybe the glass of Ardbeg and 17-year-old Bowmore helped
too.
We are getting used to this glorious sunny weather
and today we are determined to head to the southern parts of the island.
There is a cool northerly breeze blowing and maybe we can get out of
the wind down there. We should not complain though as the visibility
is stunning and we can see the Paps of Jura very clearly.
We work our way round to Bowmore itself where offshore
from our first viewpoint, it is rather breezy but we do see some female
Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Eider and Great Northern Diver again.
We are getting familiar with these. Then into Bowmore itself where,
a postcard stop soon turns into a Bowmore distillery shop buying spree
and at one stage we are all in there stocking up on whisky and glasses
– not so surprising after all perhaps! We take the road out along south
from Bowmore where on the moorland Howard and Ian W are spotting Buzzards
are on the wing, out of the window, and just as we reach the edge of
Port Ellen we walk down the side of some woodland to Kilnaughton Bay.
It’s out of the wind here and quite a tempting place to loiter on the
edge of the sand. A Buzzard perches up very nicely in a tree nearby
and out of the wind on the beach here, there are Pied Wagtail and Rock
Pipit and offshore quite a group of Eider, Goldeneye and a few Shag.
In fact there is quite a lot of Buzzards on the wing, maybe six or more
busy displaying over the nearby moorland slopes. They really think
it is spring. Relentless taskmaster that our leader is, we get back
into the van and take the road up over the Oa moorland and see parties
of Rooks and Crows as we go and the farmland nearby dotted with geese.
In fact one of the farms that the road weaves around has quite a few
Peacocks. They must feel very out of place.
We are on the look out for Golden Eagle at a favourite spot and as
soon as we draw up Howard immediately spots one soaring over the hills!
We get great views as it soars with Ravens but soon it sweeps away
and off into the moorland after about 10 minutes of us watching it.
Michael and Maureen follow it on the telescopes but lose it as it
disappears into the heather. So we decide to opt for a cup of coffee
(but it’s disappointing to discover that we haven't got quite enough
coffee – we must go to the Co-op later and buy some!). We are soon
distracted by yet another close Golden Eagle being mobbed by a Buzzard,
allowing a tremendous size comparison. We all learn how to separate
the two raptors on their shape and jizz, which is not
tough when you get this sort of view! This too sweeps away into the
moorland and disappears into the same place as the first one so perhaps
there is some interesting pair behaviour going on.
To our south and west we can clearly see the outline
of Northern Ireland because it is so clear. We then turn around and
head back to Port Ellen where after a loo stop, yes, we do visit the
Co-op and stock up on tea and coffee so we won't be caught short again!
We take the rather sheltered coast road through the south east of
the island. The hills and hollows take us by the distilleries of
Laphroig, Lagavullin and Ardbeg and everywhere Buzzards are on the
wing, until we reach the roadside shelter of Loch an t Sailein. Here
the warm sun beaming down on us enhances the sheltered atmosphere
of the sea loch. It’s a very quiet road, in fact it is a completely
quiet road, there is no traffic and the offshore rocky skerries have
moaning Common Seals hauled out on them. It’s calm still and sunny
and soon Ian picks out an Otter on the far shore. We get it in the
telescope and it is busy eating something and everybody gets great
views of it – what a bonus! Along with the Otter, we are able to
watch Buzzard and Red-breasted Merganser and it’s a very enjoyable
spot, even for Julie who inadvertently manages to test the waterproofness
of her boots in a nearby puddle – twice! Michael picks out Curlew,
Grey Heron and some more Seals in the water and we decide to opt for
a walk along this quiet road through the hazel, silver and downy birch
woodland. There are a few small birds to be seen in the sun. There
are Coal Tits singing away nicely. We see Blue Tit and Great Tit
and a nice party of Long-tailed Tits. Bullfinch dash for cover and
do not show well – although later Maureen and Ian R see some from
the front seats of the van – and while the leader retrieves the minibus
everybody else manages to see Treecreeper.
All collected together again, we follow the road and
down to Claggain Bay past parties of Fallow and Red Deer. Soon we are
out of the wind and in the sun right down on the shoreline. It’s a
lovely place to have our lunch and nice to be away from any livestock
and enjoy feeling free. Off on the water there are Guillemot, Razorbill,
Great Northern Diver and Black Guillemot and we have a little photo
session of the group especially when Ian R braves the water and goes
paddling. "It’s not cold" he claims but even he gets
a wet foot too as he misjudges putting his shoes back on. We work back
to the loch where we have seen the Otter and watch as a white Seal watches
another go under as the water rises above it. There is no sign of any
Otters so we reward ourselves with a visit to the Ardbeg distillery.
The beautiful white buildings, painted green around the edges are very
attractive and the former malt house with its high vaulted ceiling makes
the perfect place for a little more shopping.
We work our way back along the road to Port Ellen and then take the
back road that goes north towards Bowmore. This covers an area of
very bleak moorland and wide open grassy fields where there are parties
of rather nervous looking Greenland White-fronted Geese. Suddenly
Ian W spots what might be causing the nervousness as a Golden Eagle
swoops by incredibly close over the van and over the goose fields.
We get out and admire the Eagle as it swoops and disappears behind
a house, andwe decide to retrace our steps to get better views. We
get there and follow the Eagle in the telescope when a second drifts
into view. They are both, three or four-year-old birds and have obviously
been feeding recently. They drift lazily in the wind up and down
the hill slopes being mobbed by a couple of Peregrines no less. What
a fantastic sight, gorgeous sunlight, wonderful backdrop and tremendous
views – a firm favourite at the end of the week for Ian, Maureen and
Michael!
We follow the road north and it brings us to Loch
Tallant where the sun gleams off the reeds all around. It is out of
the cold north west wind but it is kind of quiet with not many birds
to be seen although Howard does pick out a Little Grebe on the water.
After a warming cup of tea, we make our way back to the hotel along
the calm sunny shore of Loch Indaal. There are Pale-bellied Brent Geese
on the way and from the hotel, as we have a brief pause on the balcony
atthe car park, we pick out a Red-throated Diver. We are back earlier
than last night and there is a good chance to relax and enjoy the evening
sunshine before another wonderful evening meal. We are intrigued by
one of the waitresses at the hotel and Michael guesses correctly that
she is from Ontario.
Pre-breakfast Ian W knocks on the leader’s door to
say that he had been for a walk and found a Snow Goose – good job somebody
is looking! So we phone around everybody and, before going in to eat,
we get in the minibus and just a little to the north of Port Charlotte
there it is gleaming close in the bright sunshine – a pure white, wild
Snow Goose from North America! As we study it, it potters amongst the
other geese and then it alone flies a short way to another field – great
to see it in flight just as we were discussing the black wing tips and
no surprise that it’s Magic Moment for Ian W, who found it!
We are just delighted to discover yet more glorious weather in fact
the forecast looks astonishingly good for all week. Islay is notorious
for being a slightly damp destination of ours but we are certainly
catching some fine weather albeit that it is rather cold. The sea
this morning is calm and silky, scattered with bird silhouettes –
mostly Red-throated Diver but there are also Common Scoter and plenty
of gulls.
After breakfast we drive north
to Traigh an Luig to scan out over the water of the bay. Slavonian
Grebes can be seen quite easily albeit distant and there are maybe ten
of them amidst a very large flock of Scaup. Many of the Grebes are
actually in their breeding plumage and they look wonderful in this weather.
We follow the road out along to Bowmore where it is still calm but very
quiet. There are fewer birds in this part of Loch Indaal than in previous
years but on the shoreline there are a few odds and ends. There is
a party of twelve Turnstone with one Purple Sandpiper and some more
Great Northern Diver but sadly no Scoter can be seen from here.
We decide to take the road across country through
Kilinallen and in the farmland it feels like spring with Lapwing skydiving,
Buzzards sailing overhead, Raven nearby and plenty of geese in the
fields. There are some unwelcoming signs posted by farmers, obviously
nervous about foot and mouth. We keep to the road and work our way
along stopping and scanning but the tide is still very high. Way
in the distance out on Loch Gruinart, there are lots of distant Dunlin
and Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank and Shelduck but nothing close
in. So we turn around and head back on the road on the western shore
of Loch Gruinart out towards Ardnave. Again we are obliged to keep
in the car, even when we get out to the loch at the end but we have
been told we can come here and it is nice to see twelve Icelandic
Whooper Swans sitting out on the water. There are Tufted Duck and
Wigeon and a pair of Choughs show very well as they bound along the
road towards us overhead.
We leave this farmland area and take the road back
out of the moors alongside Loch Gorm where we feel more welcome and
again there are geese and Ravens, very few raptors but the Fieldfares
are there again with the Redwing and Lapwing. We seek the sanctuary
of Machir Bay. It is beautiful again as we arrive. There is the usual
gull flock on the beach and we have a little bit of a stroll just in
hope that there might be some Twite around. High and distant over the
cliffs, we see a Golden Eagle and a few Buzzards and we get some exercise
on our stroll along the beach and it is beautiful to be out in the sunshine.
We get back to the vehicle and it is time for lunch. Lunch is very
welcome although we are distracted by fantastic views of Choughs feeding
on the grassland very close to us – great views in the telescope.
A party of Twite bound around and there are Pied Wagtails.
We are reluctant to leave but we go back along the road to the rocky
foreshore at Bruichladdich where we have sought shelter before and
we do so again below the war memorial. Everybody – especially Julie
and Maureen! – are keen to do some more Cormorant and Shag identification
and along the rocky foreshore we have some practice. At the war memorial
a Cormorant flies by – confidently identified by all. Ian and Howard
scan out to sea and there are some Great Northern and Red-throated
Diver with an elusive Black-throated Diver.
We tootle along back to the hotel for our now traditional
reviving pot of tea after which Julie and Maureen opt for some down
time as the rest of us go back out. Julie is keen to catch up with
Blue Peter but the rest of us want to get down to look for some Hen
Harriers! We break the journey first at Bridgend Bay where it is warm
and sunny and the low tide exposes lots of mud. In the good light we
see about 40 Knot and quite a lot of Bar-tailed Godwit as well as Curlew
and Redshank. On the smelly, weedy pool close to us there are Teal,
Wigeon, Pintail and Rock Pipit and with the light beginning to drop,
we work our way past Lyrabus Farm and out to Gruinart Flats. It’s kind
of quiet as we scan around hoping for Hen Harriers but in the evening
light, in the distance, a male Hen Harrier drifts in and settles on
a fence post. It’s a fair distance away and perhaps as the weather
has been so good the feeding has been easy since it does not seem to
need to hunt. Over the course of the next half an hour, two female
Harriers drift in and roost in roughly the same place. Eventually the
male Hen Harrier goes out hunting and in the telescope we get some pretty
good views albeit it at the back of the flat area of moorland. A few
Buzzards drift around and we head back for the hotel. We experience
a fantastic sunset on the way home – gorgeous sunshine and glowing hills
over on the east side of the island. A little patch of firey rainbow
appears in a hilltop burst over the moors and the calm water picks up
much of the sunlight as it fades.
It is another glorious sunny day and we set off a
little apprehensive as we have mixed reports about the possibilities
of going to Jura. The ferry shows no warnings about lack of access and
the crossing is in fabulous weather. There are Black Guillemots, auks
and Eider on the narrow stretch of water with the fast tidal race between
the two islands. When we land however there are very unfriendly signs
that reveal the siege mentality of the islanders during Foot and Mouth!
Sticking to the vehicle we follow the shore along seeing Red Deer
on the hillside and work our way around to the Jura House gardens.
It’s a little bit difficult as we can find no where to go walking
and we work our way around to the shelter of the small community of
Craighouse. We stop on the shore beyond the houses where there are
where there are lots of small birds busying along here in the shelter
out of the wind. There are Wren, Grey Wagtail, Song Thrush, Dunnock,
Blackbird and then offshore, Great Northern Diver, Red-throated Diver
and Shag but we are at a bit of a loss what to do because many of
our usual walks perhaps are not open to us. Keen to get a great view
of the Paps we follow the road along. It’s a rugged island with more
moorland and deer then Islay and we can see the steep scree slopes
of the high peaks of the Paps clearly – though even with the scopes
we can’t pick out a Ptarmigan! More surprising however is the fact
that we see a dead Woodcock on the road nearby – Howard would have
preferred to see a live one but the intricate plumage is still very
interesting to see. We work our way back down to the same jetty where
we saw the small birds and grab a coffee. Ian W picks out an incredibly
close female Sparrowhawk on the rocks here.
Having exhausted the possibilities, but had a sample
of Jura, we opt to get back into the van and drive back over moorland
to the ferry point. We arrive fortuitously close to a ferry coming
over and we are soon back on the mainland perhaps a little relieved
not to be on Jura anymore but interested to have seen it. We take the
road along to the north close to the ferry point, which goes out to
Bunnahabhain where we weave our way along the humps and hollows along
the east coast of Islay looking over towards Jura. Looking north in
the clear weather, it is astonishing to be able to see the snow on Ben
More on Mull and we can even see the Garvellach islands in the Sound,
all very sharp in this cool northerly wind.
Stopping at the viewpoint and looking over towards Jura we see a
high and distant Golden Eagle displaying, an immature bird perhaps
not on territory, before we follow the road down to Bunnahabhain itself.
We park and scan out along the shore but it is unusual to have the
wind blowing into the bay here normally it is quite a sheltered spot.
We deserve a little bit of a walk and soon the path takes us through
the highly aromatic casks and warehouses of the old distillery, past
the holiday cottages and on a little grassy path to the rocky headland.
The tide is already high but we get a great view of the rusty shipwreck
around the corner and it is nice to stretch our legs.
We passed some sheltered spots way back, so we opt
not to have lunch here and instead go back to Ardnahoe Loch. There
is a bit of a fish farm out on the loch but it is a quiet, still and
sunny spot and we can park right down on the gravel on the shoreline.
There is a Grey Heron, Buzzard and Kestrel but otherwise it is very
peaceful and we sit by the lapping water enjoying our sandwiches. Well,
we sit peacefully until a lorry arrives to deliver fish food for the
fish farm – our one spot of peace and quiet! The delivery men are very
friendly so we move the van a little while they deliver the fish food
and then decide to move ourselves!
We return to Port Askaig for a comfort stop, admire the Black Guillemots
offshore and then drive to Redhouses Woollen Mill, a very ancient
woollen mill just close to Bridgend itself and the prime spot on the
island for Dipper. In fact when we get there the tumbling burn immediately
reveals a Dipper to us plus some Grey Wagtails. We coax everybody
into the mill itself, where the entertaining owner and his endearing
little dogs gives us a tour. It is such a ramshackle place and seemingly
chaotic, you wouldn't think they produce some of the finest tweeds
for Scotland, including fabric for the Scottish parliament but it’s
fascinating to have a look around, if a bit noisy.
We drive down to the beach again at Traigh An Luig.
We park in the dunes and in the rather biting wind stroll the length
of the beach. It’s great to be out in the sun and we walk hoping to
find some Snow Bunting which fellow birdwatchers at the hotel had spotted
earlier. We do pick out a Sanderling and there are plenty of Ringed
Plover and Oystercatcher but no sign of the Snow Bunting. After a good
walk we are ready for another little bit of shelter along at the war
memorial where the soothing lapping waves and afternoon tea have us
very reluctant to leave – especially as it’s both Ian W and Maureen’s
Place of the Trip! There are Shag, Red-throated and Great Northern
Diver out on the waters of Loch Indaal in the sun.
Howard and the two Ians opt to head up over the fields to scan for
raptors at the back of Port Charlotte. Gazing out over the plantations,
where we have regularly seen Hen Harrier and Merlin, we brave the
cold icy north wind and see … absolutely nothing! We warm up at the
hotel with a hot bath – remembered by Howard as his Place of the
Trip! – and warm up even more at the bar before dinner with an
interesting glass of their elderberry beer followed by a great meal.
After dinner and the bird checklist, we find ourselves back in the
bar playing dominoes – well playing dominoes very badly in the case
of some of us. Howard seems to have the canny knack of getting the
double six every time and winning. More interestingly Maureen and
Howard demonstrate their unusual "Guess the title of the book
game" with books and a fishing rod – really it’s beyond a
complete explanation here and it would spoil the surprise on a future
tour!
Our last full day and Ian W spends a spell in the
conservatory reading his book – it seems like a nice thing to do for
the day! We’re a hardy bunch though and although it’s there’s a very
cold north east wind, we set out after a slightly later than usual breakfast
to see the waves of Barnacle Geese flying in to Bridgend Bay.
We have a full band of takers for a distillery tour at Bowmore –
perhaps we want to get out of the cold weather! Here we have a fascinating
tour around the distillery with a very entertaining host, new to the
job – she certainly gives us the full tour experience. We savour
even more of the experience in the bar at the end where even Maureen
samples a glass of the 12-year-old malt. It’s her Magic Moment
but pity the poor abstemious driver!
There is a pleasant aroma in the minibus as we head
south after our distillery tour and everyone is very mellow as we watch
the Eider from the car park before driving the car-free moorland road
down to Port Ellen. We take a brief look along the back road for our
Eagles again but there is no sign and boy is it cold. At the coast
where the wind still finds us, we drive checking various bays hopingto
find a sheltered spot. We wind our way back to Loch an t Sailein and
finally find a spot where we can sit on the grassy shore and out of
the wind it is very tranquil too. The offshore skerries have Curlew
and Red-breasted Merganser swimming by and Ian has got a feeling there
is an Otter nearby. Sure enough after a while we manage to pick one
out on one of the nearer skerries. It is a great view of a dog Otter
as it rolls and grooms in the weed and we all interrupt our lunch to
have a look through the telescope at it. Also on the shore there is
a Buzzard sitting amongst the weed being mobbed by gulls. That too
gives quite a bit of entertainment before it flaps away. There is Oystercatcher
and Mallard and Grey Heron and a lovely flock of 30 Curlew drift in.
It’s a good spot but we leave and drive up on to the Oa for a final
look for some Golden Eagles and yet again as soon as we arrive, we
pick out a Golden Eagle soaring along one of the banks. It lands
and we discover there is another one next to it – a pair sat out on
a grassy patch by the moorland above the lochs. We get a little bit
of display flighting from one of them in the biting wind and watch
a Stonechat on the wire nearby. It’s a tremendous sight and then
suddenly a third bird flies in from the right. There is no aggression
between them and the first pair fly off south east and this new bird
cruises along the ridge and lands. We then discover it has landed
next to yet another Golden Eagle. We have unbelievably seen four
adults altogether! This pair mates and sits out in the heather, what
an incredible sight. It’s not surprising that at the end of the week
a number of us vote this as both our Place of the Trip and
Bird of the Trip!
Our Eagle spectacle over, we drive back down the road
and head to the Machrie Hotel out on the golf course in the dunes where
we coincide with our friends from the hotel. This is an area where
we can walk down through the dunes and out along the beach. We cross
the wind-swept dunes and immaculate golf course to the deserted unspoilt
beach of the Big Strand. It is a fantastic sight to see such a large
beach with no people on it! We walk our way north which is a little
out of the wind, seeing Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Wigeon and Raven.
It is a little quiet with no Twite or Snow Bunting but the sun is setting
and it is a lovely atmosphere. Back through the dunes, it seems like
a bit of a long slog but we are soon revived in the warmth of the lounge
bar at the hotel. Surrounded by golfing trophies we enjoy our tea by
a roaring fire before suitably warmed up, we remind ourselves how cold
it is outside and drive all the way around to our hotel which is a fair
way from one end of the island to the other.
It is a fine evening and in the sunshine Howard, Maureen and the
two Ians work their way back for a last look at the geese flighting
into roost. We see a Sparrowhawk on route and at Bridgend Bay it is
not too cold. Leaning against the hide we are out of the wind and
there are fabulous groups of cackling Barnacle Geese streaming across
the sky like something out of a Peter Scott painting. Like cream
in a cup of fiery orange-coloured coffee, the sunset seems as if it
has been swirled around with a spoon – it makes a tremendous backdrop
as these raucous cackling flocks wiffle in, side-slipping through
the wind and dropping down on to the beach to roost. There is one
Pink-footed Goose nearby with the Barnacles and we also see Buzzard,
Raven, Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit and make a check through the thousands
of gulls that are there but pick out nothing unusual. It’s not a
good winter for rare gulls in Scotland this year. It’s a nice end
to our last day on the island and we make our way homeward and though
it is getting dark we manage to pick out Moorhen on one of the boggy
lochans nearby another new bird for the list. By the time we get
back to the hotel we are tired and hungry and ready for a lovely meal
and soon to bed.
Day 7
Our final day and there is still a good stiff cold
strong north easterly wind blowing and after breakfast we pack and are
waved off by Janey at the hotel. We stop at Bridgend where Ian R has
to buy a present for someone’s birthday. I’m sure he always wanted
a plastic Eagle Owl – well, he’s going to get one now. All good fun
and Maureen nurses the owl as we make our way past flocks of Barnacle
Geese down to the ferry. With this foot and mouth outbreak will they
allow a plastic owl to break quarantine off the island? We certainly
get some strange looks as we drive on the ferry and it is sunny and
breezy but very pleasant and we slip out of the harbour past Shags,
Cormorants and Eider. We are all confident on our Shag identification
now and head past the distilleries once more along the south coast and
off towards Kennacraig.
We warm up regularly in the observation lounge and
a few brave souls venture outside to enjoy the last of the sunshine
and the stunning views of Islay and Jura as we leave. Yes, foot and
mouth has made it a little more difficult than usual but we have managed
to explore much of the island and enjoyed some stunning birds. We are
a bit reluctant to leave this wonderful Hebridean scenery and there
are fantastic views of North Ireland as we sail – we can see Rathlin
Island offshore and all the way along the coast of Donegal. Soon we
are entering the waters of West Loch Tarbert and docking at Kennacraig
once more. We make our sad farewells, board our cars and head for journeys
homeward.
SPECIES LIST
Red-throated Diver
Black-throated Diver
Great Northern Diver
Little Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Fulmar
Gannet
Cormorant
Shag
Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
Pink-footed Goose
Greenland White-fronted Goose
Greylag Goose
Snow Goose
Pale-bellied Brent Goose
Barnacle Goose
Shelduck
Wigeon
Teal
Mallard
Pintail
Shoveler
Tufted Duck
Scaup
Eider
Common Scoter
Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Hen Harrier
Sparrowhawk
Common Buzzard
Golden Eagle
Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine
Pheasant
Moorhen
Oystercatcher
Ringed Plover
Lapwing
Knot
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Woodcock (dead!)
Bar-tailed Godwit
Curlew
Redshank
Turnstone
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Kittiwake
Guillemot
Razorbill
Black Guillemot
Rock Dove
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Rock Pipit
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Dipper
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Stonechat
Blackbird
Fieldfare
Song Thrush
Redwing
Mistle Thrush (heard only)
Goldcrest (heard only)
Long-tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Treecreeper
Chough
Jackdaw
Rook
Hooded Crow
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Siskin
Linnet (heard only)
Twite
Redpoll
Bullfinch
Reed Bunting
MAMMALS
Otter
Red Deer
Roe Deer
Fallow Deer
Brown Hare
Rabbit
Grey Seal
Common Seal
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