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The 304 miles from Leigh to Oban is approx a 5hour drive
The sailing from Oban to Lochboisdale is another 5 hours 15 minutes
On arrival at Oban you will without doubt see a variety of common gull species, but the bird to look for in the harbour is Black Guillemot if you have a wait for the ferry it will be worthwhile setting up you scope to scan the harbour and sea, you will be unlucky if you don’t see a least Shag and Gannet as well.
After boarding the ferry take with you all you will need to endure the 5 hour + journey to Lochboisdale, South Uist, because returning to your car is not permitted. So wet weather / warm clothing is essential, so are your camera, various lenses and binocs.
First of for me is up on deck to decide where to perch for most of the way but of course this position will no doubt change with the direction of the wind as the ferry moves up through the sound of Mull and out into the open sea.
Birds usually encountered would be Black & common Guillemots, Shags, Cormorants, Eider ducks and drakes. Gannet, Fulmar and again gulls are definite and Razorbills, Puffins and Shearwaters are about especially Manx but I have seen Sooty shearwater.
For those that like to travel in comfort or need to rest then get a move on in fact send some of your party ahead to bag your seats, communicate by mobile phone and find them later. Having said that there is plenty of comfortable seating but some people don’t half like to spread out. The food on board is quite good and also reasonably priced; we have found the staff to be very friendly as well.
There are lots to see as you sail, the sound of Mull is only a couple of miles wide so good views of birds and scenes are all around, a camera is a must but do make a note of the shots you take on the way out because you will probably want to take the same ones again coming back. Grab the shots while you can if the weathers good, because it sure wont be the same coming back.
The sailing from Oban to Lochboisdale is another 5 hours 15 minutes
On arrival at Oban you will without doubt see a variety of common gull species, but the bird to look for in the harbour is Black Guillemot if you have a wait for the ferry it will be worthwhile setting up you scope to scan the harbour and sea, you will be unlucky if you don’t see a least Shag and Gannet as well.
After boarding the ferry take with you all you will need to endure the 5 hour + journey to Lochboisdale, South Uist, because returning to your car is not permitted. So wet weather / warm clothing is essential, so are your camera, various lenses and binocs.
First of for me is up on deck to decide where to perch for most of the way but of course this position will no doubt change with the direction of the wind as the ferry moves up through the sound of Mull and out into the open sea.
Birds usually encountered would be Black & common Guillemots, Shags, Cormorants, Eider ducks and drakes. Gannet, Fulmar and again gulls are definite and Razorbills, Puffins and Shearwaters are about especially Manx but I have seen Sooty shearwater.
For those that like to travel in comfort or need to rest then get a move on in fact send some of your party ahead to bag your seats, communicate by mobile phone and find them later. Having said that there is plenty of comfortable seating but some people don’t half like to spread out. The food on board is quite good and also reasonably priced; we have found the staff to be very friendly as well.
There are lots to see as you sail, the sound of Mull is only a couple of miles wide so good views of birds and scenes are all around, a camera is a must but do make a note of the shots you take on the way out because you will probably want to take the same ones again coming back. Grab the shots while you can if the weathers good, because it sure wont be the same coming back.
Ruddy Ducks
Posted 21-08-2008 at 07:13 PM by Davy Crockett
Dear readers what are your feelings on the Ruddy Duck Situation: the Government has instructed Defra, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to carry out the destruction and total eradication of one of Britain’s breeding wildfowl it is the species, Oxyura jamaicensis, common name Ruddy Duck.
Studies on the species show that these birds causes no problems at all to any other British ducks either by inter-breeding, depriving them of their food source or habitat.
Back ground:
The species originates from North America and they were introduced in the 1940’s into wildfowl collections; some birds escaped and have bred in the wild since about that time, eventually spreading throughout Britain and into parts of Europe.
The problem:
Ruddy Ducks can breed with their close relative the White-headed Duck and create a fertile Hybrid. Numbers of W-H-D had declined to double figures, possibly only 22 by 1977, due entirely to hunting and habitat degradation. Do you think its right to carry out the eradication and if so why.
Regards Crockett
Studies on the species show that these birds causes no problems at all to any other British ducks either by inter-breeding, depriving them of their food source or habitat.
Back ground:
The species originates from North America and they were introduced in the 1940’s into wildfowl collections; some birds escaped and have bred in the wild since about that time, eventually spreading throughout Britain and into parts of Europe.
The problem:
Ruddy Ducks can breed with their close relative the White-headed Duck and create a fertile Hybrid. Numbers of W-H-D had declined to double figures, possibly only 22 by 1977, due entirely to hunting and habitat degradation. Do you think its right to carry out the eradication and if so why.
Regards Crockett
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Recent Blog Entries by Davy Crockett
- Another foray into the fields of Norfolk (28-02-2010)
- Scotland’s Solway coats (26-02-2009)
- Just an abbreviation? (24-02-2009)
- Ruddy Ducks (21-08-2008)
- Bird List (10-08-2008)
