Broadford Bay

This is probably the best birding spot on Skye, and because of its location and feeding opportunities, regularly picks up migrants on brief stopovers as well as the occasional scarce vagrant. The Bay itself can look pretty empty at times, but there are many nooks and crannies such as Ardnish, Ashaig and Camas na Sgianadin which are well worth exploring, and which are all part of the wider Bay ecosystem. The weather here, as elsewhere on the island, plays its part, and the Bay can often be relatively sheltered when gales are belting in from the west.

LOCATION

The area lies to the north of the A87(T) public road, the main throughway from the Skye Bridge to Portree. There are a number of areas worth observing:-

Camas na Sgianadin (NG625255), easily observed from large roadside lay-by or from the forest walk which starts beside the cemetery.
Broadford Bay (NG650250), can be watched from numerous points including the New and Old Pier, and the Co-op Car Park. The east end is probably best for wildfowl and waders at high tide, especially at Harrapool and Waterloo.
Ardnish (NG670240) is best accessed from the end of the Waterloo road at NG665240 or from Lower Breakish (NG672235) – please note there is no parking at either! The walk round Ardnish is always worthwhile and affords a number of excellent observation points. The islands at the east end of Ardnish are the main roosts for waders and gulls.
Ashaig (NG688244), is easily accessed and there is ample parking near the cemetery. At low tide it is possible to wade across to Ardnish. There is an excellent coastal walk eastwards to Lusa where it is possible to do some sea watching from various vantage points.

SEASON

This site has potential all year. Though the intertidal zone is not extensive, it probably provides some of the best feeding grounds along the north west seaboard, hence it is a favoured stopover point during spring and autumn migration. Though never large concentrations of birds, the turnover can be significant, so it values regular watching. Again because of the location, birds travelling south are liable to be funnelled into the area, at any time, so the occasional vagrant is inevitable. Probably best in April/May and from July to November but also good in winter.

HIGHLIGHTS

Waders include Black Tailed and Bar Tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Knot, Grey Plover, Greenshank, Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper and Whimbrel. Curlew Sandpiper are recorded annually and Broad-billed Sandpiper was a recent first. Wildfowl recorded include Scaup, Pintail, Common and Velvet Scoter, Greenland Whitefronts and Brent Geese. There is a small wintering population of Slavonian Grebes and it is often possible to see three Diver species, with up to 25 Great Northerns. There are often huge numbers of auks and Kittiwakes offshore. During northerlies in autumn Petrels, Shearwaters and Skuas are blown into the Bay. Little Auks are probably regular in winter off Lusa. A wandering Sea Eagle will occasionally spice things up.

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THE BOOK

"A glorious little gem"

AMAZON

"A book such as this has to look backwards and the author does so succinctly, looking at the work of several of the pioneering naturalists before picking out the publications of JA Harvie-Brown and the Rev. Hugh Macpherson. I know this book fills a real gap in the information available for the Isle of Skye and it will surely sell well at local bookshops."

Andrew Currie Miscellany West Highland Free Press

"A total of 238 species have been recorded, with 14 of those 'red listed' as of high conservation concern ... another innovation has been the inclusion of Gaelic names for some birds. While this is not uncommon in a few other books, the addition of some regional Gaelic names is very unusual and very welcome."

Ray Collier Country Diary 'Up in the Skye' The Guardian

"Illustrated with beautiful photographs of current birdlife on the island, the publication also features sketches by Jean Thomas of The Little Gallery, Portnalong, stimulating the reader's interest further and allowing them to identify species they encounter on Skye."

The Hebridean