Ken Cross in Europe: The Uists - an adventure in the outer Hebrides of Scotland

Pilot Whales enroute in shallow bay off Skye

Pilot Whale

The second major part of our Scottish adventure had us driving west from the Highlands, through Inverness and onto the island of Skye, making our way across Skye to the western side before boarding a ferry for a near two hour crossing to Lochmaddy, a village on the eastern shores of North Uist. From Lochmaddy we drove for an hour south to the island of Benbecula and then to the island of South Uist, where we would stay for four nights.

The first part of the journey took us to Skye and its huge barren hills. Skye had made the news a few days or so earlier as it hosted, unintentionally, a whale beaching event and as we traveled across the island we heard that Pilot Whales again had gathered in a shallow bay - perhaps with the same intention. We saw the animals - perhaps three or four - moving slowly around in the bay - with much traffic having stopped to view the drama. On our return the whales were still there; the drama continuing unresolved. Hopefully a rescue attempt can be undertaken before the inevitable occurs.

Fulmar from Ferry Crossing

Black Guillemots

The Ferry crossing was desscribed by Russ Lamb, as the best Pelagic he had ever done. Quite a call but let's present the evidence. First it was, obviously, a huge and stable vessel. Second the weather was fine with little wind, so the seas were calm. It was, as you would expect, cool. Birds? Common Eider, Black Guillemot, Razorbill, Common Guillemot, Gannet, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Leach's Storm Petrel, plus gulls and a couple of terns. We also saw Common dolphins plus Harbour Porpoise. The return crossing added Manx Shearwaters and [probable] Risso's Dolphin.

Our arrrival also enjoyed, as we neared North Uist, a White-tailed Eagle sail past. A great bird indeed and a good omen. From the RSPB - The white-tailed eagle was fairly common throughout much of Europe until the early nineteenth century, when numbers started to decrease dramatically, mainly because of persecution that resulted in the loss of many of the western European populations.

While conservation measures allowed the species to recover in the 1970s, the impact of mercury and of organochlorine and other pesticides continued to reduce the breeding success into the 1980s.

The white-tailed eagle was widespread in Scotland and Ireland in the 18th century, and also bred in England and the Isle of Man. Over 100 eyries were known in Britain and at least 50 in Ireland in the early 19th century.

The species became extinct in the UK as a result of direct and sustained persecution by shepherds, gamekeepers, fishery owners, skin collectors and egg collectors. Habitat loss was not a factor.

By 1800 the species had disappeared from England. It survived in Ireland a little longer, but by 1900 only a handful of pairs remained on the British Isles, all in Scotland. The last breeding record in Scotland was on the Isle of Skye in 1916, and the last British white-tailed eagle was shot in Shetland two years later.

A re-introduction programme by the Nature Conservancy Council (now Scottish Natural Heritage) and the RSPB started in 1975. In the following ten years 82 young eagles from Norway were released on the Isle of Rum in the Inner Hebrides. The first successful breeding took place in 1985, and since then several pairs have nested successfully every year. Further releases in 1990s in Wester Ross ensured that the population became self-sustaining.

The white-tailed eagle is included on the Red list of UK birds of conservation concern because of the long-term population decline and since it is a rare breeder in the UK and across its European range.

Sanderlings on Uist

more Sanderlings..........

Arriving on the outer Hebrides we were greeted with a landscape unlike any i had seen before. While there are some hills, in the east of some of the islands, much of the land is flat or gently undulating dotted evrywhere by Lochs and carved or separated by long fingered bays that threaten to tear the islands apart. The islands still have not yet decided whether they are land or sea and everywhere, in every view, there is water. These islands, jutting out into the North Atlantic and being isolated, support a surprising decity of houses and perhaps people. I read though the population has been decling since the late 1800's and without government supported ferries and the like the islands would die. As they are they exist on a mix of farming, fishing and tourism. Nature tourism is especially obvious as they support a wondeful diversity of life.

The most obvious birds are the breeding waders. For Australians we see migratory waders in duller non-breeding plumage; here they are coloured [generally] and are displaying with hopes for breeding. Redshanks, Dunlin, Godwits were common - the former most abundant. Snipe were heard flying around above displaying their tail feathers held to make a particular drumming sound. All in all it was very impressive. Ruff and Rednecked Phalarope were seen, both in breeding colour,

Common snipe - a common breeder on the outer Hebrides.

breeding Redshank

Oystercatchers everywhere

take care for young waders..

Waterfowl on the Uists included Eider. Almost every bay had some birds and many had ducklings. Elsewhere Mallard and Tufted Duck dominated. Mute Swan and Greylag were common but there were a pair or two of Whooper Swan - so maybe they breed. Common Shelduck were seen in some bays and there were a few Common Teal and one lone Wigeon recorded.

The waters also had the occasional Divers - both Great Northern and Red-throated. We enjoyed seeing both eagles - White tailed and Golden and got great views of the latter as a pair were mobbed by large numbers of gulls. Arctic Tern was a lovely species to get to know; as they too bred around the many Lochs. We also enjoyed particularly great views of day hunting Short-eared Owls plus Hen Harriers.

Common eider and ducklings

one of a pair of Whooper Swans

female Wheatear near her nest hole

Deer [Reds] on the beach preparing for a swim - seriously

Sign says it all - we saw otters but they proved a little too fast to photo

Stag on a rock - obviously

more flowers for Bob and a butterfly

Sheep - apparently possessed by demons.

ubiquitous Meadow Pipit

One of the places visited on the island of North Uist was an RSPB reserve - Balranald. This reserve is described by the RSPB thus; This beautiful Hebridean reserve has sandy beaches, rocky foreshore, marshes and sand-dunes. An information centre explains the importance of traditional crofting agriculture for corncrakes and other wildlife. Many wading and farmland birds nest on the flower-rich machair and croft-land. Perhaps your best chance to hear and to even see corncrakes and corn buntings. We saw both key bird species and we heard both before viewing them. Corncrakes are a key target species when visiting these islands. Availability of increasing areas of cultivated land caused an extension of range in northern Europe and western Siberia in the past, and it is thought that most of central and western Europe used to be inhabited by the corncrake.

The species started declining in western Europe in the mid 19th century coinciding with the start of the mechanisation of the agricultural systems and earlier cutting of the hay harvest. Since the 1950s the rate of decline accelerated, coinciding with a period when majority of hay fields were changed to silage production, which allowed even earlier cutting dates, and often production of two crops from a field. This was first noticeable in Britain, Ireland, Fennoscandia and west-central Europe, and since 1970 the decline spread through most of the European range of the species, including some of its east European strongholds. During 1970-1990 all countries except Sweden and Finland recorded declines in excess of 20% (in ten countries over 50%).

In Britain the decline started in south-east England in the mid-19th century and gradually spread north and west. By the late 1930s corncrakes were absent from much of England and southern Wales, and large parts of Scotland. Only in the northern and western islands were they still abundant. In Ireland the decline started later and spread more slowly, though more recent decline since 1988 has been dramatic.

The declines throughout the corncrakes range were closely linked to periods of change in the farming systems: from the mechanised cutting and earlier cutting dates to the change from hay to silage with its associated even earlier cutting dates, and often production of two crops from a field. In many areas cutting is now so early that suitable nesting habitat no longer exists in the breeding season. Major investment in drainage schemes in the 1980s allowed silage production to spread to many poorly drained areas in Scotland and Ireland, which until then had remained untouched.

The speed at which agricultural changes can affect the corncrake is illustrated by the 80% decline in numbers in Northern Ireland in three years (1988-1991), which co-incided with earlier cutting dates as farmers were encouraged to produce silage instead of hay and increased sheep stocking which resulted in further loss of hay meadows.

In Britain and Ireland there have been unprecedented declines in numbers throughout the range of the species, accompanied with 76% contraction in range since 1970. By the 1990s the annual decline was so great that, had it continued, the species would have gone extinct in the British Isles within 10-20 years. As a result of conservation measures in the core areas, the decline was finally halted with the lowest point in Britain in 1993 with 480 calling males, and in Republic of Ireland in 1994 with 129 calling males. Since then the numbers have slowly increased.