Capercaillie71
Well-known member
I've just returned from a very enjoyable long weekend on Islay, off the west coast of Scotland. I'd been once before many years ago in the summer, but had always wanted to visit during the winter months when the island supports so many wintering wildfowl. It was a big family trip, with 9 of us in total aged from 1 to 73. I was the only real birder in the group, but still managed some decent birding.
To avoid an early start, we had driven down to Argyll the night before the ferry and stayed at Ardfern, about an hour north of the ferry terminal at Kennacraig. Leaving Ardfern the following morning there were two Iceland Gulls in fields at the edge of the village and two more further south near Kilmartin. The ferry crossing was quite misty but calm and the first part of the journey down West Loch Tarbert was filled with Great Northern Divers and more distant Red Throated Divers, as well as a couple of Black Guillemots (one in winter plumage and one in summer plumage).
The rest of the ferry journey was fairly devoid of birds, but soon after arriving at Port Askaig on Islay, we passed the first few flocks of the 40,000 Greenland Barnacle Geese that spend the winter on the island. Most of the rest of the day was spent settling into our holiday house, part of the Bowmore distillery complex. The accomodation was very good, centrally located and quite good value for a large group (not much more than £20 per person per night). A bottle of 12 year old Bowmore and a complementary tour of the distillery were also included! A shared garden at the back of the house led down to the shore of Loch Indaal, where there was a good view of the water and the birds on it. A Great Northern Diver was usually quite close by and more distantly were rafts of Common Scoter, Scaup and a couple of Slavonian Grebes.
To avoid an early start, we had driven down to Argyll the night before the ferry and stayed at Ardfern, about an hour north of the ferry terminal at Kennacraig. Leaving Ardfern the following morning there were two Iceland Gulls in fields at the edge of the village and two more further south near Kilmartin. The ferry crossing was quite misty but calm and the first part of the journey down West Loch Tarbert was filled with Great Northern Divers and more distant Red Throated Divers, as well as a couple of Black Guillemots (one in winter plumage and one in summer plumage).
The rest of the ferry journey was fairly devoid of birds, but soon after arriving at Port Askaig on Islay, we passed the first few flocks of the 40,000 Greenland Barnacle Geese that spend the winter on the island. Most of the rest of the day was spent settling into our holiday house, part of the Bowmore distillery complex. The accomodation was very good, centrally located and quite good value for a large group (not much more than £20 per person per night). A bottle of 12 year old Bowmore and a complementary tour of the distillery were also included! A shared garden at the back of the house led down to the shore of Loch Indaal, where there was a good view of the water and the birds on it. A Great Northern Diver was usually quite close by and more distantly were rafts of Common Scoter, Scaup and a couple of Slavonian Grebes.