Birds

Birds of Barra

This is a short description of some of the birds of Barra - not a comprehensive list and is written in the hope of stimulating an interest in the bird life of the area as well as contributing to the enjoyment of the visitor’s holiday.

Barra is a small island and the visitor will find that he moves from seashore to machair – the fertile hinterland – to moorland and mountain in a very short space of time and distance so meeting as he goes a wide variety of birds. As one might expect there is an emphasis on the birds of the sea and foreshore and already the traveller arriving by ferry may have met with some of the birds which spend most of their time at sea, such as the Gannet, Fulmar Petrel, Manx Shearwater and Kittiwake Gull. Other members of the gull family are well represented. Great and Lesser Black Backed – the latter being only a summer resident – Herring, Common and Black-headed are all plentiful. Iceland Gulls are regular winter visitors and may be picked out amongst other gulls in places such as Northbay pier when a fishing boat is discharging. Less common is the Glaucous Gull.

Distance from the mainland of Scotland and the lack of much shelter from trees and bushes are factors which determine the type of bird likely to be seen. The visitors to the suburban bird table such as the Chaffinch, Greenfinch or Bluetit are rarely seen and of course the season of the year will influence what is likely to be seen. During the summer many of the seabirds are at their nesting sites on the offshore islands, while in the autumn or spring there is a large influx of passage migrants. Barra is not without its rare visitors – the Hoope, the Black Tern, Kildeer and the Yellow-Browed Warbler have all been seen recently.

Striking west from Castlebay we come to Loch St. Clair or Tangasdale. A small colony of Artic Terns nest on and around the ruined MacLeod’s tower on the island in the middle of the loch. A pair of Mute Swans nest on the small Loch Dorluinn nearby, eventually bringing their Cygnets to the bigger loch. The Mute Swans of the Outer Hebrides are more shy and wilder than their mainland counterpart and are less approachable. In October they are joined by a number of Whooper Swans which stay for a time before moving south. At this time Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Pochard and Mallard may be seen here. The latter is the only resident freshwater duck and in the nesting season are found throughout the island near the many small streams.

The shores and rocky headlands on the Westside, as well as providing excellent views of Common and Atlantic Seals, are home to Artic and Common Terns, Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher. On the rocky stacks at the end of Grean Head,

Herring Gulls, Black Backed Gulls and Fulmar Petrels can be watched sitting on their nests. Amid all the clamour a few Eider Duck nest. A word of advice and warning here – many of these birds will show their distress and anger at being disturbed and will repeatedly dive-bomb and even strike one’s head, so move on quickly. From this vantage point Shags and Cormorants can be seen drying their wings while further out Gannets may be seen making their spectacular dive for food. In the autumn and winter, parties of Longtailed Duck and Eider Duck are joined by members of the Diver family. Common and Black Guillemots, Razorbill and Puffin may occasionally be seen out to sea, but to enjoy them in a proper setting and in vast numbers a boat trip to the islands south of Barra during the nesting season is essential. There too one will meet with the Great Skua which now breeds on Mingulay.

The beaches at the north end of the island are the home for many Waders. In summer Ringed Plover and Oyster-catcher predominate and there are a few Arctic and the rarer Little Tern. Shelduck may be seen on the Traigh Mhor near the island of Orosay. The pier at Eoligarry is another good vantage point from which to enjoy watching the birds in the Sound of Fuday. Terns may be seen diving for sand eels and Red-Breasted Mergansers, sometimes in a family party, and Eiderduck feeding near the rocks and reefs. The Great Northern Diver is not uncommon in winter and may be seen in spring in its striking breeding plumage. Artic Skuas are occasional passers by. It is in the late summer and autumn that the Curlew, Peewits, Dunlin, Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot and Sanderling congregate; Purple Sandpiper come later. Whimbrel are commonly seen and heard in spring and autumn, but like the Curlew they do not nest here. There is usually a large wintering flock of Gloden Plover on the machair near the Eoligarry School; the odd pair nest on the high ground in the centre of the island.

The first of the migrant Geese, the Pale-Fronted Brent can often be seen in early September at the south end of the airport beach near the road. They are followed by Barnacle Geese, some of which stay with us all winter feeding on the islands of Fiaray, Fuday and Greanamul. Greylags, some resident from Loch Druibeg in South Uist, others migrant, also graze these islands. Pinkfoot in large numbers and Whitefronted Geese are passage migrants. The croft lands of Eoligarry with their hay fields and meadows are the home to many Snipe, Peewit and Redshank, but not least to the Corncrake, a bird which has virtually disappeared from the mainland and has a precarious hold in the Outer and Inner Hebrides where in 1988 about 50% of the total UK population were found. Barra held nearly 60 pairs of Corncrakes, half of them in Eoligarry. This is due to the favourable nesting conditions, late cutting of the hay and the co-operation of the crofters in the method of cutting the hay. This normally secretive bird arrives at the end of April and can often be seen at this time before the vegetations grows. Their rasping call may be heard during the day, but it is during the night that the birds call incessantly.

Buzzards are commonly seen wheeling around the slopes of Ben Eoligarry where there is an abundance of rabbits. Merlin are probably the next most common bird of prey. Others, such as Golden Eagle and Peregrine Falcon do not nest on Barra, but are often spotted by a keen observer, likewise the Kestrel and Hen Harrier. Ravens are a common bird. They are early nesters and there is a Gaelic saying that they must lay their eggs before Lent and hatch them before Easter, otherwise the young will not survive. Hooded Crows are everywhere and are a menace to weakly sheep and lambs. Short eared and long eared owls are occasionally seen in the island.

On the east side of the island there are several sheltered bays. These attract the Herons which like to feed in the shallow water and amongst the seaweed for small fish and crab. They are not so commonly seen during the summer months as they nest on the cliffs and grassy slopes of the offshore islands. Greenshanks can be seen regularly here in spring and autumn also the Little and Slavonian Grebe. At Northbay , the small island on which stands the statue of Saint Barr, used to support a thriving colony of Common Gulls, but sadly the numbers are very small now due to frequent robbing of their nests. The Common Sandpiper frequents the edges of these bays and also the shores of the small inland lochs. Another bird frequenting these lochs is the Red-Throated Diver whose wild call may be heard as it passes overhead. The keen observer may be fortunate to spot an Otter as it swims quietly along the rocky shore. Though they spend most of their time near the sea, they travel extensively over land and so may be met with anywhere on the island.

Of the smaller land birds, the Starling surely is the most common throughout the year. Towards the end of March the flash or the white rump of the Wheatear may be seen telling us that Spring is not far off. Its close relative the Stonechat, or Heatherchat as it is sometimes called in Barra, stays with us all year round. The Twite is the commonest Finch on the island replacing the more familiar Linnet of the mainland.. In the late summer and autumn they form large flocks. Skylarks and Meadow Pipits abound, the latter being unwilling foster parent to the many Cuckoos. The Rock Pipit is found commonly around the shores and cliffs of the island. Rock Doves are quite common and that comparative newcomer to the British list, the Collared Dove, is well established and is sometimes seen in large numbers. A few Pied Wagtails nest here and many pass through in spring and autumn. The small resident population of Robins increases at these times too. The House Sparrow is not so frequently met with outside Castlebay. Willow Warbler and Sedge Warbler are present in small number and the Blackcap is a scarce but regular winter visitor. The Buntings are represented by the Reed and Corn Bunting, while in the winter there is always a flock of Snow Bunting to be found at Eoligarry feeding amongst the seaweed at high water mark.. The wood at Northbay offers food and shelter for a number of birds, notably the Goldcrest which sometimes nests there. The Wren is an unlikely bird to be found in a place where the weather can at times be so wild, but it is quite common to find it among the rocks and heather and around the houses. Its loud song may unexpectedly shatter the silence. It is a sub-species being darker and larger than those found on the mainland. This also applies to the Song Thrush which is much darker than its mainland counterpart. The number of Blackbirds increases greatly at times of migration. Their relatives, the Redwing and Fieldfare arrive in October, sometimes in large numbers and we know then that winter is not far away.