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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.
Scotland’s Solway coats
Posted 26-02-2009 at 08:46 PM by Davy Crockett
The club i'm a member of has an annual Winter Trip, thought i'd share this info with you.
A long weekend away in the south east corner of Scotland’s Solway coats is a worthwhile winter break for anyone whose passion is wildfowl & waders. The following is a résumé of what can be achieved with careful planning which was ably done by our organiser Phil Tosh. The group enjoyed good weather, good birding and good company, On behalf of everyone, Phil, thank you.
The Solway coast is a haven for birds, especially in winter, and a good place to start is Caerlaverock Wildfowl Reserve. The reserve is a winter refuge for geese, swans and ducks; Barnacle, Pinkfoot, Canada & Greylag geese, Mute, Whooper & Bewick swans, Wigeon, Mallard, Tufted, Goldeneye, Teal & Gadwall all show off in front of the comfortable main hide.
Out along the bundied pathways large flocks of wildfowl can be viewed from screens and individual hides. The large meterage of hedgerows are full of Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Sparrows and many other common species.
Views from tower hides allow sightings of waders and the geese grazing the fields and saltings, and one or two raptors can be picked up from these vantage points. Good facilities and café are available, and entrance will cost about £4-50 for non-member adults.
Mereshead RSBP Reserve is a similar affair but some new species can be logged e.g. Pintail which seem to love the pools which have been created here. It’s good for passerines that frequent the hedges and woodland trails. Checking the tide timetable is a must if you intend to take the shore-line paths, not that it’s dangerous just that the birds will be out of range even with a scope if the tide’s out.
As you journey the lanes from place to place you should pick up a good number of different birds, crows, rooks and ravens, buzzard and flocks of geese etc.
A visit to Threave Castle, national trust site is good if you like to walk; again passerines, geese, and raptors are about. On this visit a Peregrine was resting at the top of the castle ruin having lifted the resident flock of Jackdaws, and a Goldeneye and a Goosander were present on the river. Roe deer can also be seen.
Loch Ken is worth circumnavigating in either direction as it holds many interesting stopping places where birds and deer can be viewed. A must is the Red Kite centre at Bellymack Farm we saw up to 60 kites on the day during the 2pm feed that takes place daily and the RSPB reserve at Ken-Dee Marshes will produce again, views of Kite, Buzzard and geese including White-fronted, a walk to the hide include sightings of Wood-pecker, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and at this time of year Fieldfare and Redwing flocks are among other resident species.
Murray’s monument on the A712 can be worth a stop, apart from the tremendous view which is reward it’s self, for those that have the will, to take the trail to its seat. Explore the paths to the monument and, with luck, Crossbill, Goldcrest, Coal Tit and Siskin may be spotted in the pines, from here Peregrine and Raven, are very likely.
Dropping down to the coast at Wigtown bay will throw up waders such as Curlew, Godwit, and Dunlins, Oystercatchers by the hundred and many more species will be noted, there are good vantage points from lay-bys off the A75 near Creetown.
A good place to finish is Loch Ryan at Stranraer; Guillemots (Black and Common), Grebes (Slavonian and Great Crested), plus Red-throated and Great Northern Divers will be there. Eider duck are usually in good numbers and rafts of Scaup and Scoter are commonplace. Just a little further on is The Wig a spit of land just a few yards wide but quite long. This can attract flocks of Twite and Linnet, and the shingle shoreline will contain Golden, Ringed and Grey plovers, Green & Redshank, Shelduck, Brent Geese, Curlew, Godwit, Wigeon, I could go on. With luck, fair weather and favourable tides you should get hours of unmissable interest from this one spot alone. There are many other places of wildlife interest in this area but time ran out so if we go again we’ll definitely include the Hen harrier roost at West Freugh airbase were in the past we saw Harriers, Barn & Tawny Owls on the same evening, 108 species were jointly noted and a good time was had by all any suggestions for our next trip February 2010.
Regards, Davy
A long weekend away in the south east corner of Scotland’s Solway coats is a worthwhile winter break for anyone whose passion is wildfowl & waders. The following is a résumé of what can be achieved with careful planning which was ably done by our organiser Phil Tosh. The group enjoyed good weather, good birding and good company, On behalf of everyone, Phil, thank you.
The Solway coast is a haven for birds, especially in winter, and a good place to start is Caerlaverock Wildfowl Reserve. The reserve is a winter refuge for geese, swans and ducks; Barnacle, Pinkfoot, Canada & Greylag geese, Mute, Whooper & Bewick swans, Wigeon, Mallard, Tufted, Goldeneye, Teal & Gadwall all show off in front of the comfortable main hide.
Out along the bundied pathways large flocks of wildfowl can be viewed from screens and individual hides. The large meterage of hedgerows are full of Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Sparrows and many other common species.
Views from tower hides allow sightings of waders and the geese grazing the fields and saltings, and one or two raptors can be picked up from these vantage points. Good facilities and café are available, and entrance will cost about £4-50 for non-member adults.
Mereshead RSBP Reserve is a similar affair but some new species can be logged e.g. Pintail which seem to love the pools which have been created here. It’s good for passerines that frequent the hedges and woodland trails. Checking the tide timetable is a must if you intend to take the shore-line paths, not that it’s dangerous just that the birds will be out of range even with a scope if the tide’s out.
As you journey the lanes from place to place you should pick up a good number of different birds, crows, rooks and ravens, buzzard and flocks of geese etc.
A visit to Threave Castle, national trust site is good if you like to walk; again passerines, geese, and raptors are about. On this visit a Peregrine was resting at the top of the castle ruin having lifted the resident flock of Jackdaws, and a Goldeneye and a Goosander were present on the river. Roe deer can also be seen.
Loch Ken is worth circumnavigating in either direction as it holds many interesting stopping places where birds and deer can be viewed. A must is the Red Kite centre at Bellymack Farm we saw up to 60 kites on the day during the 2pm feed that takes place daily and the RSPB reserve at Ken-Dee Marshes will produce again, views of Kite, Buzzard and geese including White-fronted, a walk to the hide include sightings of Wood-pecker, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and at this time of year Fieldfare and Redwing flocks are among other resident species.
Murray’s monument on the A712 can be worth a stop, apart from the tremendous view which is reward it’s self, for those that have the will, to take the trail to its seat. Explore the paths to the monument and, with luck, Crossbill, Goldcrest, Coal Tit and Siskin may be spotted in the pines, from here Peregrine and Raven, are very likely.
Dropping down to the coast at Wigtown bay will throw up waders such as Curlew, Godwit, and Dunlins, Oystercatchers by the hundred and many more species will be noted, there are good vantage points from lay-bys off the A75 near Creetown.
A good place to finish is Loch Ryan at Stranraer; Guillemots (Black and Common), Grebes (Slavonian and Great Crested), plus Red-throated and Great Northern Divers will be there. Eider duck are usually in good numbers and rafts of Scaup and Scoter are commonplace. Just a little further on is The Wig a spit of land just a few yards wide but quite long. This can attract flocks of Twite and Linnet, and the shingle shoreline will contain Golden, Ringed and Grey plovers, Green & Redshank, Shelduck, Brent Geese, Curlew, Godwit, Wigeon, I could go on. With luck, fair weather and favourable tides you should get hours of unmissable interest from this one spot alone. There are many other places of wildlife interest in this area but time ran out so if we go again we’ll definitely include the Hen harrier roost at West Freugh airbase were in the past we saw Harriers, Barn & Tawny Owls on the same evening, 108 species were jointly noted and a good time was had by all any suggestions for our next trip February 2010.
Regards, Davy
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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)
