For somewhat obscure reasons I have now booked a week at Ayr (the third week of June) for a birdwatching holiday. I will be staying at a B&B in central Ayr and will have my car foor transport.
I have a fairly extensive guide to Birdwatching in Ayrshire and Arran frrom the web, but I am hoping for some more specific advice about mid-June.
I will definitely include a trip to Arran and this is likely to be my only real chance this year to spot sea birds like Gannet, Guillemot, Puffin etc. I'm also hoping to see at least one type of Grouse, preferably both Red and Black.
So, how can I make best use of my five days at Ayr?
Alan
A trip to Arran is worthwhile, although it may be costly to take the car. During the crossing you have a good chance of spotting Guillemot, Razorbill, Kittiwake, gannet, maybe Manx Shearwater, and if you're really lucky, maybe a whizzing puffin. Note that Arran is divided into two by the Highland Boundary Fault which more or less follows the String road linking Brodick with Blackwaterfoot on Arran's west coast. This divides the island neatly into two habitats as well, with the ground north of the String being essentially Highland, with mountains, moors, rocky outcrops etc, and the south essentially Lowland with gentle topography, farmland, wooded valleys, and so on.
Walking on moorland is one of the best ways to find red grouse. You can hear the "go-back, go-back!" calls and sometimes they will rise from the heather almost under your feet. Note that in Machrie Burn on Arran I have seen Dipper.
Your closest puffins are probably on Sanda Isle, just south of the Mull of Kintyre, a long way by road unless you go by ferry Ardrossan-Brodick and then Lochranza-Claonaig, which is in Kintyre. I fear the return ferry cost for that trip would be expensive. Check Caledonian MacBrayne's website for timetables and fares.
For puffins, and indeed other seabirds, you might find it less difficult to drive to the Forth Estuary on the east coast, and try to visit the Isle of May (good for puffins) or the Bass Rock off North Berwick. Aberlady Bay can be good for waders at the right state of the tide. St Abbs has a great reputation for birding. Red Grouse occur on the Lammermuirs, south of Edinburgh.
Unfortunately I have yet to see a black grouse, although they are supposed to occur in the hills around Gareloch and Loch Long.
South of Ayr Culzean Castle, which is open to the public, has good woodland, and birding can be excellent there. I have seen chiffchaff and blackcap there, among others.
A boat trip to Ailsa Craig should yield breeding seabirds. I think you can get there from Girvan, but you must check that out.
For water and other birds there is the RSPB reserve at Lochwinnoch. Take the Beith road north from Ayr to get there.
I hope this helps - the birds you are seeking will require a bit of effort, so good luck!
Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy
