North/South Uist (1 Viewer)

Hi,
Visiting Uist for a couple of days first week of Feb.
Any tips on how to get the most from my visit and birds I'm likely to see and where?
Cheers

Try the website http://www.western-isles-wildlife.com

It's run by local birder and wildife guide Steve Duffield and gives information on sightings of ineterest.

I've not been up there in winter, so I can't give any specific sight information. Both eagles are quite widespread and resident, I'm not sure about Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owl. White-winged gulls are quite regular, again I'd recommend keeping an eye on the website for any sightings. There's been a Gyr around there recently, so you may drop lucky if it stays around. The area around Balranald can be good for seawatching.

Sorry I can't be of much more help, I've previously visited in Spring and Autumn when there's a bit more breeding activity and migration. Let's hope the weather is reasonable for you and enjoy your visit.

Cheers

Cliff1002 said:

Hi,
Visiting Uist for a couple of days first week of Feb.
Any tips on how to get the most from my visit and birds I'm likely to see and where?
Cheers

Click to expand...

Wowser Cliff, you really in for a treat.

Google Loch Druidibeg. STUNNER, sit here, car and scope. The Hen Harriers cruise the lower slopes and loch sides, Golden Eagles and White Tailed cruise the area just to the northwith amazing regularity.

Coastal birds, all four Diver species are a definate, large numbers of White Billed and GND over winter on the more sheltered eastern side.

Ratal said:

Wowser Cliff, you really in for a treat.

Google Loch Druidibeg. STUNNER, sit here, car and scope. The Hen Harriers cruise the lower slopes and loch sides, Golden Eagles and White Tailed cruise the area just to the northwith amazing regularity.

Coastal birds, all four Diver species are a definate, large numbers of White Billed and GND over winter on the more sheltered eastern side.

Click to expand...

Not sure White-billed would be a definite, only Great Northern winter in significant numbers out of those two species, the odd White-billed a possibility. As mentioned below Steve Duffield's website an excellent resource as to what's about.

Thanks Guys,
I did find Steve's web site and will keep checking the sightings, hoping the Gyr might over winter? And any Eagle would be a life bird for me, as would red/black grouse!
Cheers
Cliff

It's the sort of place where just about anything can turn up and there's a good chance of finding something good for yourself. If the weather stays reasonable, you should get both eagles. Depending on where you're arriving, there's a pair of White-tailed Eagle around Lochmaddy, often seen from the ferry. Red Grouse are pretty abundant, but I don't think Black Grouse are found on the islands. If you're sailing, it's worth keeping an eye from the ferry. Black Guillemot are regular in Uig and Oban harbours and it's well worth keeping an eye out for divers etc.

Cheers

Am staying at the Lochmaddy Hotel for a couple of nights, so fingers crossed for the white-tailed. I'm imagining that the only thing that may spoil things would be deepish snow! Are there any reliable birds enroute from Glasgow airport to the ferry at Uig that may be worth a small detour? we might have an hour or so spare.

I don't think heavy snow will e an issue on the islands, more likely heavy rain and strong winds in the winter. I can't guarantee what it'll be like on the mainland, though. I don't know of any stake-outs for notable species that are on that route. (I assume you're taking the A82 to Fort William and going that way). There may be chances for Crested Tit, but I think they're more regular around Speyside. There are a couple of sites for eagles on Skye, but you've got a much better chance on the Uists. Any of the sheltered bays on the west coast may hols divers and it's always worth keeping an eye out over the moors. Loch Lomond may be worth a quick visit, there's a "Loch Lomond / Galloway" thread here on BF, it may be worth asking folks on there for up-to-date info.

I'm sure you'll have a great time up there. It's very undisturbed, any birders you bump into are likely to be friendly and helpful and it's very easy to get around.

Cheers

As others have said wet and windy weather is the thing most likely to affect your visit.....snow on the islands is relatively rare but can be worse on the west coast mainland & Skye.

If the weather is good i.e. dry and calm (ish) you should have a good trip. No black grouse on the islands and red grouse aren't that common/easy to see though widespread on the hills. Most short-eared owls are nocturnal at this time of year and usually only come out during the day if there's been rough weather and they've not been able to hunt.

Both eagles easily possible - try the C83 'committee road' that runs across the moor on North Uist. Hen harriers are around as are merlin etc. Short days make raptor more conspicuous as they have to hunt more, same applies to otters which are more easily seen in winter. Lochmaddy & Langass on North Uist and Loch Eynort on South Uist are all good spots for otter but you can bump into one almost anywhere.

Loads of wintering waders on the west coast beaches - lots of turnstone, purple sands as well a ringed plover, bar-wits and grey plover. Lots of barnacle geese on North Uist and a few pale bellied brents (mostly in the North Ford between North Uist and Benbecula). Lots of GN divers on west coast ( white-billed very unlikely in Feb), a few red-throats and black-throats too ( best for latter is from the Eriskay ferry terminal looking into the Sound of Barra). Also long-tailed ducks pretty widespread and Slav grebe is the only other common grebe apart from little.

Most west coast lochs have a range of wintering duck ( mallard, teal, wigeon & tufted duck) including small nos of gadwall, shoveler, pintail etc. with a chance of rare stuff.

Passerine wise it's fairly quiet but lots of twite flocks on the machair ( west coast agricultural land) with some snow buntings likely. Balranald the best bet for the declining corn buntings. Remember many common mainland garden and woodland birds are pretty rare out here. Redwings that winter are darker Icelandic subspecies.

White-winged gulls have been is short supply lately but can be seen on almost any beach and sometimes in fields with other gulls. There's a fish disposal site 9 from fish farms) at Kyles Paible in SW of North Uist which has a good recent track record even when they are scarcer elsewhere.

Besides Steve's website some other info gets posted on the local Natural History society's forum....google curracag forum.

With only a couple of days you'll not be able to fit it all in.

cheers, Adrew

Corvus cornix said:

I don't think heavy snow will e an issue on the islands, more likely heavy rain and strong winds in the winter. I can't guarantee what it'll be like on the mainland, though. I don't know of any stake-outs for notable species that are on that route. (I assume you're taking the A82 to Fort William and going that way). There may be chances for Crested Tit, but I think they're more regular around Speyside. There are a couple of sites for eagles on Skye, but you've got a much better chance on the Uists. Any of the sheltered bays on the west coast may hols divers and it's always worth keeping an eye out over the moors. Loch Lomond may be worth a quick visit, there's a "Loch Lomond / Galloway" thread here on BF, it may be worth asking folks on there for up-to-date info.

I'm sure you'll have a great time up there. It's very undisturbed, any birders you bump into are likely to be friendly and helpful and it's very easy to get around.
Cheers

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I think Crested Tit just about stretch their range to the forests around Glen Garry which is between Fort William and Fort Augustus, though can't say I've birded for them recently there. Could be a tough one without knowing an exact site. As stated I think you'd ideally need to get further east in to Inverness-shire for a better chance.

Cliff1002 said:

Am staying at the Lochmaddy Hotel for a couple of nights, so fingers crossed for the white-tailed. I'm imagining that the only thing that may spoil things would be deepish snow! Are there any reliable birds enroute from Glasgow airport to the ferry at Uig that may be worth a small detour? we might have an hour or so spare.

Click to expand...

Someone tipped me off that the WT eagles at Lochmaddy are suspicious of the ferry, and often come out and fly around over the hills to the left of Lochmaddy (as you face it from the ferry) to check on it as it leaves Lochmaddy. I don't know if they do that in winter, though.

There's currently a ring-billed gull at Strathclyde Loch, which is in the centre of Motherwell and really close to the A74(M). It's coming to bread off the Watersports Centre, apparently. That might qualify as near Galasgow Airport?

Don't forget to stand on the deck and look out for seabirds such as black guillemots (especially nearer the mainland end)

Thanks for the updates.....hoping the Gyr will stick around for another two weeks!!!

Gyr still around today but it is ranging over a large area ranging between West Loch Ollay/Ormiclate, Bornish and Kildonan mostly hunting the machair and freshwater lochs) and likely to require some time to catch up with it.....oh and reasonable weather....which is in short supply currently.

At least 2 different imm white-tails knocking about the same areas today.

cheers, Andrew

Thanks for the update, its the Gyr I'm after most of all so will spend a full day Saturday (the long range weather looks ok for Saturday currently!) looking for it and pick up any other birds if we strike lucky, don't get there until its dark on Friday and will only have a few hours on Sunday morning. Any easy gulls about?

In theory (weather dependent) I'm off to the mainland this week and heading back on the Fri ferry from Uig - I assume you're on that boat.

Bit blustery today hitting 90mph a few times.

Should be a few more white-winged gulls around after this storm goes through. had 3 glaucs and an ad Iceland on Sat on South Uist - Rubha Ardvule , Ardivachar and Peninerine/Stoneybridge areas regularly have lots of feeding/loafing gulls but worth checking any gull flock.

cheers, Andrew

I can imagine its been a bit draughty with you these past few weeks Andrew (not much better here I suspect). Have you managed to catch up with the gyr since it appers to have relocated to the Bornish area?

Alan

P.S. Good luck with your travel plans.

Hi Andrew
Looks like the Gyr may have done a bunk to Lewis....unless you now have two up there???
Yep on the Friday ferry from Uig, you'll recognise us, both six foot plus old blokes looking like we haven't washed for a few days! Will try and get to Skye from Glasgow as fast as we can to try and do a little birding before getting on the ferry!

Thanks to all for the information. Andrew it was good to meet you briefly out on the machair!
I had a very enjoyable trip up north!
I managed a brief flight view of the Gyr on Saturday morning (was great to get a message on the pager Friday to say it had been seen then!) Also saw eagles, whooper swan and hooded crow which were all lifers for me (I'm a low lister!) great views of long tailed duck as well, missed the gulls I had hoped for and also dipped the green winged teal but the Gyr more than made up for that. Thanks again for your input including Steve Duffield who confirmed I was in the right place for the Gyr and encouraged me to wait around for a sighting!
Regards Cliff