Scotland - Seabird Central
From the northern Shetland Islands to the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick, Scotland is packed with prime real estate for sea birds. Every spring pairs of guillemots, gannets, razorbills and puffins eagerly snap up a precarious cliff ledge perch from the thousands that line the coast.
The RSPB has five reserves in the Shetland islands. Sumburgh Head reserve is at the southern tip of the islands. "In season the place is teeming with guillemots, puffins, razorbills and fulmars," says Howard Towell, the RSPB's Shetland South Mainland ranger. Howard arrived on Shetland 15 years ago as a research assistant looking into the effects of the decline in sandeels and he decided to stay on. The Shetlands are popular with birders, Sumburgh Head receives 25,000 visitors a year. The vast colonies of seabirds are the big draw, but Shetland has also gained a reputation over the years for attracting rare migrant birds. Brown Shrike, White's Thrush and Lanceolated Warbler have all been spotted in the past and in 1989 Britain's only ever Great knot was present for around six hours. In 1998 the RSPB planted a rose bush around the lighthouse at Sumburgh to attract these migrants and it's been a great success as it offers the rarities cover which is a scarce commodity on this almost treeless group of islands.
Sumburgh Head is close to the airport and easy to walk around. 13,000 gannets, 2,000 puffins and some 1,000 fulmars, which can live for up to 40 years, nest here. Shetland is also blessed with long hours of summer daylight meaning more time for watching birds than anywhere elsewhere in Britain.
The distinctive parrot like puffins, called tammy norries locally, nest in cliff top burrows and are best seen from May. They are happy to stay within a surprisingly close range of visiting bird watchers. The RSPB operate a ranger service and a series of guided walks for visitors interested in learning more about the birds on Shetland. They're free, apart from any transport costs. Some walks are short. A stroll through the Keen of Hamar Nature Reserve takes just one hour whereas a visit to Hermaness National Nature Reserve to see Shetland's finest seabird cliffs takes up to four hours. But, beware the Bonxie. Great skuas, known on Shetland as Bonxies, are large predatory birds and occasionally divebomb any visitor who strays too deep into their territory during the nesting season. "I have a method to repel them," says Howard Towell. "You look them straight in the eye and they veer off. I still get hit now and then, but it works in 90% of cases."
Noss is a small island on Shetland's east coast. It's the only island nature reserve in the UK that is accessible only via a small motorised dinghy. As the literature in the visitor's centre says, "Noss is built for birds". Two Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) wardens are the sole human inhabitants on the island between April and September. The island is privately owned and as well as acting as a SNH nature reserve it is also part of a sheep farm. Visitors can walk the coastal path taking in the 180 metre high seabird stacked cliffs of the Noup of Noss at the eastern tip of the island in around four hours. It's a bleakly beautiful place and wonderfully calm. The coast is lined with seals hauled out on the rocks and otters at play in the sound between Noss and the island of Bressay. When you reach the Noup, it's another story.
A deafening eight thousand gannets, known as Solan geese in Shetland, populate the Noup and will greet you with a cacophony of characteristic cackling. They first populated the island in 1914 and numbers have continued to increase since then. Gannets are easy to spot from among the fulmars and razorbills. Their white body and black-tipped wings retract as they knife through the sea surface in search of fish.
Further south, nearly 200,000 people a year visit the award winning Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) in North Berwick. One of the main attractions are the gannets on Bass Rock. "Gannet numbers continue to do extremely well," says Centre Director Tom Brock. "The Bass has already turned white this year." Every year the Bass Rock and three others islands, Craigleith, Fidra and Lamb see some 100,000 sea birds return to nest.
Gannets and puffins are among the more romantic of Scottish sea birds in North Berwick. After spending the winter at sea they return to the same spot as the previous year and meet the same mate. The SSC has a series of five live "Big Brother" cameras trained in on the Bass, Isle of May, Fidra and the shore. The centre is only 30 minutes from Edinburgh and you can still see sea birds here as late as October. There is also an underwater camera located just off the Isle of May from which you can see a variety of seabirds and seals diving and fishing. Puffins and guillemots behave quite differently underwater, as they torpedo-like arch and dive for fish. Nocturnal birds such as Leach's petrels, storm petrels and manx shearwaters might also be picked up with the night vision capabilities of the cameras.
This June will see the millionth visitor pass through the doors of the SSC and in July a new centre linked via a "migration tunnel" will open. This will focus on the environment, alternative energy and climate change. "Our new Discovery Centre will encourage visitors to think about our impact on the environment, what the consequences could be and what we can all do to improve things," explains Brock.
The island of Handa is a Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) site and has one of North West Europe's largest seabird colonies. Nearly 200,000 birds return each year to the small island off the north west coast near Scourie. Guillemots, razorbills, and great skuas are the main draw, but kittiwakes, arctic skuas, fulmars and puffins also make an appearance. Most visitors spend up to three hours walking the 3 mile long circular path as they watch the birds. Spring and early summer sees the greatest number of guillemots, puffins and razorbills. The high cliffs of the sandstone Stack an Seabhaig (hawk's stack) are the most highly populated part of the island. 9,000 guillemots alone can be found here in a season which stretches from March to July. Puffin numbers have been on the rise since rats were eradicated from Handa in 1997.
A short ferry crossing takes you to the island from the pier at Tarbet. It's possible to see whales, dolphins and basking sharks on the way. A ranger greets you on Handa beach and gives you a short description of the island, topical things to see, and important safety guidance. There's a map and further information available if needed. At £10 for adults and £5 for children, it's good value for a day out.
"Handa is a quite amazing place to see very large numbers of successful breeding sea birds; guillemot, razorbill, kittiwake, puffin, great and arctic skua," says Mark Foxwell, SWT's Senior conservation manager for the north of Scotland. "You will see and smell all of these if you visit between May and June. At very close quarters."
Other places to see Scottish sea birds :
The cliffs of the RSPB reserve at Drummore, the most southerly point in Scotland with views over the Solway Firth, are home to thousands of razorbills, guillemots and puffins.
Tel: 01671 402861
Fowlsheugh reserve, near Crawton in Aberdeenshire sees guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes along with smaller numbers of fulmars, herring gulls, puffins and shags. Between May and July, there are evening boat trips from Stonehaven to visit the cliffs.
Tel: 01224 624824
Westray on Orkney has more than 44,500 guillemots and 12,700 pairs of kittiwakes in season. There are also razorbills and fulmars.
Tel: 01857 644240 (April to August only)
The Isle of Mousa in the Shetlands is where 6,000 pairs of storm petrels nest. Arctic terns, black guillemots, Arctic skuas, great skuas, ringed plovers, oystercatchers and some puffins are also in attendance.
Tel: 01950 460800 (Mid-April to mid-Sept)
Shetland ranger service and guided walks programme. For bookings and details:
North Isles ranger Tel : 0195 7711528
northislesranger@amenitytrust.fsnet.co.uk
South Mainland ranger Tel : 0195 0460403
southranger@amenitytrust990.fsnet.co.uk
To check if the Noss Ferry service is running freephone 0800 1077818
Links :
Scottish Seabird Centre
RSPB Scotland
SWT Handa Island
Scottish Ornithologists Club
