Tiree trip advice

[dav56]

I am going on my anual trip to the Western Isles of Scotland again for the last couple of weeks of May. I am having a week on Mull and a week on Tiree. I have been to Mull a few times before so I know the best birdwatching/wildlife watching spots there.

I have never been to Tiree before, so could any of you please advise what birds and other wildlife there is to see and where to go to see it, or any trips that are available.

Thanks
Dave

[Cuckoo Jack]

Hi Dave,

I spent a week on Tiree last June. I saw the following:

Great Northern Divers, Fulmars, Manx Shearwaters(from the ferry), Gannets, Shags, Grey Herons, Mute Swans, Greylag Geese, Shelducks, Eiders, Red-Breasted Merganser, Buzzards, Corncrakes(heard only), Oystercatchers, Ringed Plovers, Lapwings, Sanderlings, Turnstones, Dunlins, Redshanks, Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlews, Snipe, Great Skuas, Black-headed Gulls, Common Gulls, Herring Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, Little Terns, Arctic Terns, Puffins(from the ferry), Guillemots(from the ferry), Razorbills, Rock Doves, Collared Doves, Skylarks, Sand Martins, Swallows, Rock Pipits, Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails, Wrens, Wheatears, Stonechat, Blackbirds, Sedge Warblers, Hooded Crows, Ravens, Starlings, House Sparrows, Linnets, Twites, Reed Bunting, Common Blue and Meadow Brown butterflies, Brown Hares, Otter, Common and Grey Seals and finally, Basking Sharks.

Feel free to PM me. Have you sorted out accommodation yet?

Tom

[earthdragon64]

I went to Tiree in June 2009 with my Botany group, but hubby and I went a couple of days early. We spent a couple of nights camping, and there were at least 3 Corncrakes close to the campsite. Too close, we got hardly any sleep, they seemed to be right outside the tent.

When the rest of the group arrived, we moved into a private hostel with them at Hynish, we were able to see Seals from the windows and grounds, as well as Brown Hare, there are no rabbits on Tiree.

Just about anywhere around the coast is good for seabirds, we saw loads of Eider ducklings in nurseries with a few adult females, and other areas had rafts of male Eider.

Arctic Tern were plentiful, there were also a few Common Tern, and possibly Little Tern, although we weren't totally sure of those, too far away.

Plantlife was pretty good, the highlight for me being Oysterplant to the west of Balephetrish Beach. The Machair was stunning, just seas of yellow flowers.

It isn't a big island, you don't have to travel far to see wildlife, we used the car as a hide and got some good shots of various birds on fence posts.

We also saw quite a lot from the ferry going both ways, including Puffins.

It's a lovely island, one I'd like to go back to, but in July for Orchids.

Regards, Audrey.