Has anyone been birding/on holiday near to Campbeltown (Argyll and Bute) as I have the opportunity to go there and would like to know if it is worth my while. Any knowledge of the area would be great (as long as it is bird related). Thanks in advance! :)
Gus
Blog Flickr and I have a youtube channel but not updated much.
I used to know Kintyre well and can confirm that there is loads of bird life though it will depend on the time of the year. I was in Southend (south of Campbeltown) for a week in late May this year and saw a Great Northern Diver, lots of gannets (they come over from Ailsa Craig to feed); breeding waders including oyster catchers and ringed plovers and nesting fulmar; also small flocks of sanderling and dunlin - and a fair number of other species too including swallows, house martins and sand martins. Also saw otters and seals. In a previous year I have seen a flock of twite. There is a Seabird Observatory near Machrihanish - this website might give you some idea of species you could see www.machrihanishbirdobservatory.org.uk
I know there are eagles around but I've never seen them - usually plenty buzzards and hooded crows.
North of Campbeltown has some fabulous shoreline with good views usually of various gulls, shags/cormorants/seals etc - there are also quite a few deer around.
Hope you manage to go there and have a great time - I'm biased but it is a beautiful area (and friendly) with a lot of bird life.
see my photos on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/maggyn/
Thank you so much! Planning a trip now! Well, not yet but will do ASAP. Sounds like a brilliant place.
It is a beautiful and undervisited area - and if you like whisky you should visit Springbank Distillery.
Hope you enjoy it when you you go.
Margaret D said:if you like whisky you should visit Springbank Distillery.
Now that is my sort of birding !! Birding in the area should be pretty good,plenty of different habitats to attract birds.Could be worth Googling Campbletown birding or something like that but you may get some oddball results as well so take care.The Machrihanish seabird and wildlife observatory may be of interest to you.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can