Visit Wester Ross - Birds and birdwatching in the North West Highlands of Scotland

Air

The introduction to this site hints at the magnificent and varied scenery to be found in the Wester Ross area. Not surprisingly, this diversity of habitat is directly linked to the nature and numbers of birds to be found here. More than 130 species of birds are routinely recorded in the area in an “average” year, and what you see depends both on where and when you look. For our convenience the habitats can be considered under four major headings, although it must be emphasised that nature is rather less keen on hard boundaries than we are. These habitats are:

The water bodies – lochs, rivers and the sea,
The shorelines of, and air over, the water bodies
The open country – hillsides, moors, bogs and fields
The woodlands – natural, planted, coniferous and mixed

As elsewhere in Europe, the birds of Wester Ross can (more or less) be classified as residents, summer visitors and winter visitors. The following sections give some (hopefully) useful comments on seasonality and sites. However, almost anywhere, anytime, can produce “good” birds and other animals, and this is one of the real joys of a holiday here. It is assumed that most visitors will be in the Gairloch area between March and September, and the seasonal descriptions and identification guide sections do not include the winter months. It is also assumed that most people will be very familiar with the common garden birds such as Chaffinches, Blue Tits etc, and the photographs favour those species that are perhaps more characteristic of this Highland environment. Obviously there are no hard and fast rules, and many of the species occur throughout the UK, but happen to be particularly common here (e.g. Eiders and Red-breasted Mergansers).

MARCH

This is a month of changeover between winter and summer. Fieldfares and Redwings may still be found along with Whooper Swans and possibly other winter guests, but as the month reaches its end they are joined by the first of the summer visitors, the earliest usually being the Chiffchaffs in the woods and the Wheatears on the moors. Woodlands are rich in bird song, the drumming of woodpeckers and, in the evening, the hoots of Tawny Owls. On the sea lochs the Great Northern Diver has at times been the commonest diver over the winter, but as the breeding season approaches, the regular numbers of Red-throated and Black-throated Divers have been increasing. During January-March it is not unusual to see groups of 20 or even 30 Black-throated Divers in some sea lochs. Red-throated and Great Northern Divers are present at the same time, although normally in smaller numbers (e.g. groups of up to 6 or 7). The Red-breasted Mergansers and Eiders have been displaying for some time, the former with manic head dipping chases, and the latter with unmistakeable choruses of "oooooooh, oooooooh". Slavonian Grebes parade their finery before disappearing to their breeding sites.

APRIL

By the end of the month, most winter visitors have gone, and most of the summer visitors have appeared. The residents’ dawn chorus is joined by Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers (in amazing numbers), Wood Warblers, Blackcaps, Whitethroats and, towards the end of the month, Tree Pipits and Whinchats. If it is a lucky year, maybe the odd Redstart will also sing. On the moors the Skylarks and Meadow Pipits are well into their display flights, and the Cuckoo adds its distinctive voice as it searches for gullible Meadow Pipits. The Sand Martins are busy at their colonies and Swallows are building or inspecting possible nest sites. On the sea, all three species of diver are still well represented, but there tend to be less large aggregations as the serious business of breeding takes birds to the freshwater lochs. The Eiders and Mergansers are still present in good numbers, with groups of 30 or more Mergansers sometimes present on Gairloch and Loch Ewe. They are also well into the breeding process by the end of the month. The most obvious, and loudest change can be the return of the Common Terns, and the skuas that harass them. Arctic Terns also pass through at this time.

MAY

All species that breed in the area are well established by mid-month, and most are well into egg and chick production, but the dawn chorus is still strong in the woods, and birds are generally still easy to find, both on the water and over the land. Many birds like Robins, Stonechats, House Sparrows, and Pied and Grey Wagtails are feeding fledged young by mid-month (or even earlier for some species in some years). The area has its regular diver species, but these are in smaller numbers (perhaps resting and feeding breeders as well as non-breeding birds). This is the best time to locate the spectacular summer-plumaged Great Northern Divers before they (mostly?) disappear to more northern climes. The breeding terns are a dominant feature and this a good month for skuas. The Great Skua or Bonxie nests in the area, and Arctic and Pomarine Skuas feature each year on northward passage. There are still good numbers of Eiders and Red-breasted Mergansers although these are now rather different types of groups. In both species the males tend to take a back seat during/after incubation, and large groups tend to be pre-moult adult and young males in the case of Eiders, and males and non-breeding females for Red-breasted Mergansers.

JUNE – JULY

This is a relatively quiet, relaxed, period for terrestrial bird watching. Gardens are enlivened with “gangs” of young finches, notably Chaffinches, Siskins, Lesser Redpolls and Greenfinches, with even the odd Twite and Meadow Pipit visiting lawns. Woodlands and open moors tend to be quieter after the hectic activity of spring and early summer, but life is still busy on the sea. On some nearby islands the terns have hopefully produced a good crop of young, and these are easily seen begging for food in early July. With luck, there may be the odd sighting of a juvenile diver in July, and more certainly, there will be Guillemots and Razorbills with youngsters, and rapid comings and goings of Black Guillemots (or Tysties) as they feed their young. The numbers of adult divers on the lochs increase as the breeding season concludes, although Great Northern Divers are scarce at this time. The auks (Guillemots, Razorbills, Puffins and Tysties), divers and ducks enter their various moulting patterns, and some are, for a period, limited in their ability to fly.

AUGUST

The summer migrants are leaving, following in the tracks of the Cuckoo, but there are still plenty of young Willow Warblers and other warblers in the gardens and woodlands. The most noticeable terrestrial feature of this period is the large mixed flocks of finches, buntings and pipits roaming around the open areas, and sometimes venturing into gardens. This is a good time to see the Twite and Linnets that may be less noticeable during the main breeding season. Depending on the year, some woodland/garden birds are rearing a second (or even third?) brood. On the sea, the terns have finished breeding, and there can be quite large congregations of Black-throated Divers (40+), along with the returning Great Northern Divers, some still in mainly summer plumage. Greylag Geese once again gather after breeding in safer island sites, and on the shore the Turnstones also return to add to indications of summer’s impending end.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER

In September, there is still a mix of summer and autumn in the bird populations, as Wheatears, Swallows, Terns and Gannets hang on, and Whooper Swans and Pink-footed Geese fly over towards the end of the month. The Greylags become more and more evident and, on the sea, diver numbers fluctuate, with periods of good numbers interspersed with lesser abundance. As October begins, invaders from mainland Europe, notably Chaffinches and thrushes, may bring with them the odd interesting scarcity like the Brambling. It is always worth a look at any large Chaffinch flocks. By mid-month large flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares are widespread, and autumn has truly arrived.

These seasonal comments are intended as a general guide, but it should be emphasised that there have already been sightings of warblers in winter (Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs), and the convenient seasonal classification may not always hold true. Who can say what the relatively mild climate of the west coast, combined with warming on a global scale, might lead to in the future?