Birds of Trotternish, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Wildlife of Trotternish, Isle of Skye

Birds - Part 1

The crofts around Uig are one of the last refuges of the Corncrake. Many a patient birdwatcher stands all day with telescope at the ready, hoping to get a sight of the elusive creature, but though it loves to make itself heard it hates to be seen. The same can be said of the Grasshopper Warbler which sometimes occupies the same patch of reeds. By contrast, the Sedge Warbler will keep the watcher entertained both vocally and visually. Other species of these croftlands are the Reed Bunting, the Whinchat, the Wheatear and the Twite. The Stonechat and the Meadow Pipit (pictured on left) are also seen in this habitat, though they prefer the heathery moorland outside the croft boundaries. The Cuckoo is heard, and frequently seen, often choosing to call from a telegraph wire if there are no tall trees nearby. The Buzzard sits hunched on a post, the Kestrel hovers almost equally motionless overhead, the Hooded Crows try to drive them away for a while, then tire of this and return to their own foraging.

Once up on the slopes above the village, the air is filled with Skylark song. You may also hear the drumming of the Snipe in spring, or put one up as you push through the heather at any time of year. The Greenshank and the Dunlin are other moorland nesters. There are a few Red Grouse about, and, on the higher ground, the beautiful Golden Plover, another bird who likes to be seen as well as heard. If you hear its plaintive whistle and can't spot it, look on the most prominent rock or tuft and there it will be. By now you should be looking out for the Golden Eagle. Trotternish with its twenty miles of inland cliffs is ideal nesting country for these great raptors, and there are several eyries dotted about the place. It was in these parts that the famous naturalist and writer Seton Gordon did much of his studies on the Golden Eagle.

Dipper Perhaps you are walking up the River Rha to its source, and you have been entertained by the many Common Sandpipers that live along its banks, as well as the occasional Dipper (left) and Grey Wagtail. But you have now reached the Trotternish Ridge and have yet to see the eagle. Your best chance is yet to come. Walking along the ridge, you often get wonderful views of birds of prey from above, looking down on them as they look down on the world below them in turn. These include not only the Golden Eagle, but the Peregrine Falcon, the Kestrel, the Buzzard, the Raven, the Hen Harrier and the Merlin, though this last is rarely sighted. You will also hear the calls of the Ring Ouzel ringing back and forth across the cliff-face. It is quite easy to find the nest of this upland blackbird, and watch the parents take turns to bring in worms for their young.

The Sea Eagle has also begun to nest again in Trotternish after an absence of 100 years. This is a result of their recent deliberate re-introduction to the Isle of Rum, from where they have found their way to Skye under their own steam. Another recently re-introduced bird of prey which can be seen in Skye is the Red Kite, and occasionally the Osprey puts in an appearance on migration; it may yet nest here one day. These three species are natives of the Highlands but were exterminated by gamekeepers and egg-collectors. But, for many other creatures, which have been driven out of the rest of the country, the Highlands have proved a refuge.

Sparrowhawk in garden of Mile End House, Glenhinnisdale There is very little deciduous woodland in Trotternish; the best of it is in Uig. These woods support the Treecreeper, the Spotted Flycatcher, the Sparrowhawk and the Tawny Owl, as well as all the common woodland species. There are probably undiscovered secrets in these woods. The roar of the rivers makes birdsong difficult to hear, which is a great handicap to investigation. Other woods in Skye have Redstart, Tree Pipit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-eared Owl, Wood Warbler and Pied Flycatcher. Some of these may be present in the Uig woods as well; let us know if you find them. There are breeding Blackcaps in the trees around the Uig Hotel. There is another good patch of woodland at Flodigarry.

There are several forestry plantations in Trotternish, consisting mostly of larch, spruce and pine. These dense monocultures are far from ideal for birds, but they support breeding Siskins and Sparrowhawks as well as several common species, and have Crossbills and Woodcock in winter. The picture above shows a cock Sparrowhawk in the garden of Mile End House, close to the Glenhinnisdale forest. Occasionally its larger relative, the Goshawk, has been seen in the same area at migration time.

Red-throated Divers Trotternish is dotted with fresh-water lochs; they are peaty and poor in nutrients, not supporting large numbers of birds. The Red-throated Diver (left) is a speciality of this habitat. It will choose a small loch to breed on, and fly to the other lochs round about for food. By contrast, the Black-throated Diver likes to have one large loch capable of supplying all the fish it needs, and it used to breed on the capacious Storr Lochs in Trotternish, but has been absent from Skye as a breeding bird for some time, though various sightings in unlikely places have been reported.
Common Gulls (below right) still breed on the Storr Loch islands. Despite its name this is not a common breeding bird in Britain. Mallard, Teal, Red-breasted Merganser and Little Grebe also breed on various lochs. Around the shores of upland lochs you may see Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Wheatear, and the ubiquitous Wren, a bird to whom no land habitat is barred. A Swallow may be flitting about overhead. Wait long enough and something more unusual will turn up; a Peregine survey the scene on its travels, or a Goosander splash down. If not, just enjoy the beauty. Some places are so still that even a bird would be an intrusion.

On to part 2

To find out about the latest bird sightings, and to report your own, visit Wild Skye

Birds part 1
Birds part 2
Birds part 3
Birds part 4

Internet guide to Scotland - Skye
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Skye Birds - Complete species list and latest sightings
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