OUTER HEBRIDES IN SPRING HEATHERLEA EXTRA PACK

Saturday 5 – Friday 11 May 2018 Saturday 12 – Friday 18 May 2018 Saturday 19 – Friday 25 May 2018

Price: £1495 PP

Single Supplement: £150

Deposit: £200

Leaders: One from the

Heatherlea team, joined by a

second if over 7 clients.

Max Group Size: 14

HEATHERLEA BIRDWATCHING

THE MOUNTVIEW HOTEL, NETHY BRIDGE, INVERNESS-SHIRE, PH25 3EB

T: 01479 821 248 F: 01479 821515

E: info@heatherlea.co.uk W: www.heatherlea.co.uk

Outer Hebrides in Spring Outline Itinerary

This cracking holiday celebrates the tremendous birding available here in spring. We stay for six nights on the Outer Hebrides, giving us maximum time to enjoy the very best birding on the islands, including Corncrake, both eagles, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, four Skuas, waders in summer colours, Otter and perhaps Red-necked Phalarope, on the islands of South Uist, Benbecula, and North Uist. We also target any rarities on the southern Hebrides during our visit, and these can be special – Snowy Owl are almost regular, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, American Wigeon and Dotterel have been seen in the last year or two, and we have the option to visit Barra if rarities are there – a great six days!

We cross the famous Skye Bridge, travelling across the island to Uig. Birding as we cross The Little Minch to Lochmaddy might include skuas; Manx Shearwater are usually seen, and Fulmar, Gannet, Black Guillemot and other auks are expected.

Everyone who has ever joined this holiday (and we have been running at least two departures since 2000) has seen Corncrake! Corn Bunting, Ringed Plover, Meadow Pipit and Skylark make the machair of North Uist a special habitat - full of song! Summer plumaged Great Northern Diver are likely, as are ‘real’ Rock Dove and Raven. Arctic Skua breed, Great Skua are usually seen, and in rough weather we frequently see the passage of hundreds of Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua - an unforgettable experience! Mountainous parts hold both Golden and White-tailed Eagle, and we often watch Otters playing on the coastline whilst an adult Sea Eagle circles above against a stunning mountain backdrop. Rare and delicate Red-necked Phalarope are usually present in small numbers, and other summer-plumaged waders should include good numbers of Whimbrel, both godwits, many Dunlin and Sanderling, and Dotterel if we are lucky. Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl are present, and we usually enjoy very good views.

John Cutting

Outer Hebrides in Spring Outline Itinerary

The Outer Hebrides have recently developed a strong reputation as a good place in spring for rarities. We are sure this is happening because there are more birders visiting the islands, rather than because avian habits are changing! This holiday has been extended in recent years by a couple of nights so we could also spend time looking for some of the cracking birds found here every year. Heatherlea clients have seen Gyr Falcon, Snowy Owl, Arctic Redpoll, American Wigeon and Black-billed Cuckoo amongst others in the last couple of years, a welcome addition to what is already a real feast of birds! We stay in comfortable en-suite hotel accommodation.

Outer Hebrides in Spring Outline Itinerary

Day 1 (Saturday) Depart Nethybridge and cross the famous Skye Bridge, travelling across the island to the ferry point at Uig. We may not have much time for birding en-route, though we may see Corncrake before we board the ferry! Birdwatching as we cross The Little Minch to Lochmaddy, then transfer to our comfortable hotel. Great, Arctic, Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua are worth watching for, Manx Shearwater are usually seen, and Fulmar, Gannet, Black Guillemot and other auks can be (nearly!) guaranteed.

Day 2 (Sunday) - Day 7 (Friday) Heatherlea have never failed to find Corncrake on this holiday, and you are birding in the right place at the best time to see these beautiful birds. We often achieve sightings on our first day, though in some years the bird can be difficult to find, and some patience is required. Over the years we have seen them crossing the road, jumping up out of the grass, flying short distances and even mating!

Outer Hebrides in Spring Outline Itinerary

Lots of Corn Bunting, Ringed Plover, Meadow Pipit and Skylark make the machair of North Uist a special habitat - full of song! Summer plumaged Great Northern Diver are likely, as are ‘real’ Rock Dove and Raven. Arctic Skua breed, Great Skua are frequently seen, and we sometimes see passage of hundreds of Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua. We know the weather conditions favoured by the birds, and this experience can be special! Mountainous parts hold both Golden and White-tailed Eagle, and we often watch Otters playing on the coastline whilst an adult Sea Eagle circles above against a stunning mountain backdrop. Rare and delicate Red-necked Phalarope are seen from mid-May, and other summer-plumaged migrants at the coast should include good numbers of Whimbrel, godwits, many Dunlin and Sanderling, and Dotterel if we are lucky. An absence of persecution means Hen Harrier and particularly Short-eared Owl are present, and rarities including Gyr Falcon, Snowy Owl, Arctic Redpoll and American Wigeon have been seen. A real feast of birds! Our days are governed by the weather and our progress during the week, and your guide will paln each day according to the conditions. Optional early and late birding trips may be offered, gain depending on weather and progress.

Day 7 (Friday) Our final day’s birding ends by the ferry on North Uist, and we sail back to Uig, enjoying the drive across Skye as we return to Nethybridge early evening on Friday. We may enjoy more views of both White-tailed and Golden Eagle, Arctic Skua harassing terns, Manx Shearwater and Black Guillemot on the return ferry journey.

Most clients join this holiday in Nethy Bridge, and this fabulous island experience is the perfect end to your week's birding holiday at Heatherlea. You may as an alternative join us at Uig on Skye if travelling the Highlands.

Outer Hebrides in Spring

Field Notes

Expect a wide variation in weather conditions, which can be wild and unpredictable, with temperatures perhaps averaging around 15 degrees Celsius. Sunshine, rain and strong winds are all possible, and you will probably experience a bit of everything. Biting insects are not expected. Please bring walking boots or shoes, weatherproof clothing and a small rucksack. The holiday will be run at a relaxed pace, with time for photography and botany as well as fabulous birdwatching in a spectacular setting! There will be short to moderate (1 to 3 mile) walks some days.

What's included in your Outer Hebrides in Spring holiday price

•Six nights comfortable en-suite hotel/guest house accommodation on the Outer Hebrides. We choose from our personally inspected shortlist, where birders are welcome and the hospitality is special. Guests are never expected to share. All rooms are en-suite. Full details with your joining pack. •Full Scottish breakfast and dinner from Saturday evening till Friday morning, packed lunch daily. •All transfers by comfortable minibus. All ferries and other boat trips. Drivers can leave vehicles safely parked at The Mountview Hotel. •Guidance from a professional Group Leader.

What's not included in your Outer Hebrides in Spring holiday price

•Extra night in Nethybridge area at beginning and end of holiday. This can be arranged for you if requested at time of holiday booking (availability is limited so early booking is essential). •Transfers from/to rail links in Aviemore. •Insurance, drinks and other items of a personal nature.

Outer Hebrides in Spring

WHY CHOOSE HEATHERLEA FOR YOUR SCOTTISH ISLAND ADVENTURE?

Heatherlea is THE company for top quality birding holidays in Scotland, chosen by more and more birders each year. Relax and enjoy first-rate birding with Scotland’s best guiding team, as we do all the planning! Our fully inclusive guided holidays concentrate on the real experience, and we take time to ensure that each of our guests enjoys everything we do. Above all, we make it our business to show key wildlife to you.

These popular holidays are carefully designed to explore the beautiful and wildlife-rich Scottish islands and far west coast. Many itineraries are unique, designed to give you the best of island wildlife at the best time of year. All are run at a leisurely pace, though we might move a little faster when rare migrants and vagrants are in our sights!

* We have been organising birding and wildlife holidays for over 25 years, and have a highly experienced and capable team. We also offer a telephone and email service outside normal office hours. * Heatherlea holidays have a maximum ratio of 7 clients per guide, putting the emphasis on personal service, and helping you get the best possible experience. * Heatherlea are Mainland Scotland’s FIRST ‘5-Star Wildlife Experience!’ This is the highest available grading, classified as ‘exceptional’ by Visit Scotland. * Single guests are never expected or invited to share. * Our holidays often include things which others might invite you to pay yourself, for instance packed lunch and tips to hotels. * Heatherlea hold full Tour Operator Insurance for your added protection. * Heatherlea is a limited company, registered in Scotland. We are also registered to pay VAT, which is included in your holiday price as quoted on this page. * Once your holiday is confirmed in writing by us, we promise not to surcharge the price for any reason.

Enjoy an excellent birding and wildlife holiday with Heatherlea. Mainland Scotland’s FIRST ‘5-Star Wildlife Experience!’

'Exceptional'

Visit Scotland

HEATHERLEA TRIP REPORT

OUTER HEBRIDES IN SPRING SATURDAY 21st – FRIDAY 27th MAY 2016

Heatherlea Guides: Toby Green & Dave Pierce

Heatherlea (Scotland) Ltd The Mountview Hotel, Nethy Bridge

Inverness-shire PH25 3EB Tel: 01479 821248

Email: info@heatherlea.co.uk www.heatherlea.co.uk

Saturday 21st May We left Nethybridge and headed north through some very nasty weather. A brief stop in the Achnasheen area gave us Spotted Flycatcher and Siskin plus Red-throated Diver at Loch Gowan. We headed onto Skye and by our next stop the rain had eased a little, giving us a chance to spot Dunlin in smart summer plumage and numbers of Ringed Plover. Out on Broadford Bay we had Eider, a single Great Northern Diver and a pair of Red-breasted Merganser. We drove to Uig ferry terminal where the sun came out and as we waited to board, we had an impressive display of up to five White-tailed Eagle and three Golden Eagle! Out on the Minch, we spotted our first Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins. Three Manx Shearwater flew past, we spotted a summer plumage Great Northern Diver and as we neared Lochmaddy several Arctic Terns, a single Arctic Skua and a Great Skua (Bonxie) were seen. More Eagle action was enjoyed as we came into the port with another three White-tailed and four Golden Eagles. A pair of Red-throated Diver were close in the harbour bay. We stopped for a cuppa at Lochmaddy where we had views of Black Guillemot and a distant Otter! Heading down to Benbecula we stopped near Stinky Bay and had a stunning flock of summer plumage Dunlin, Turnstone and Sanderling with Eiders serenading in the back ground! A great start to the trip -we arrived at our hotel ready for a relaxing evening. Sunday 22nd May North Uist was our destination today, but before leaving Benbecula we had at least four Short-eared Owls and Hen Harrier. By the time we reached Balranald we had seen at least eight Short-eared Owls! We slowly drove the road to the reserve and not far down we stopped for a calling Corncrake, which eventually gave us great views. The lochs on the way to the visitors centre gave us Shoveler and Little Grebe. At the visitor centre we had three Corn Buntings with one showing well on the fence wires and gate. At the headland of Aird an Runair the weather was stunning and although there was no Skua passage with only one Arctic seen, we did get stunning views of summer plumage waders including a female Ruff or Reeve and a cracking Curlew Sandpiper. Dave picked out a single Purple Sandpiper as well. Large numbers of Arctic Tern showed really well and a single Little Tern fished the bay. We were also lucky enough to enjoy views of St Kilda in the distance. We left the reserve and headed round the North West to Sollace, spotting 17 Bar-tailed Godwit en route. Some of the group had a Red Grouse by the roadside. Two Greenshank showed well in the channel in the bay. We drove on to the Committee Road where we were stunned by the amount of raptor activity; at least three male Hen Harrier showed very well and up to three Golden Eagle with several Eagles being mobbed by Hen Harrier! On the way back to Benbecula we had another two Hen Harrier and a Kestrel. Things then took a very large, unexpected turn as news broke of a Black-billed Cuckoo back up on North Uist. A few of the group were happy to travel back up with the risk of not having any dinner and we were not disappointed as we enjoyed stunning views of this very rare American vagrant! What an end to an amazing day. Monday 23rd May The pressure was on this morning in the hope that the rest of the group would connect with the Black-billed Cuckoo, and after an hour’s wait we were eventually rewarded with stunning views, as the bird fed from the fence along the roadside right in the open. What a start to the day! We also managed to see a large flock of 40 or so Whimbrel on the way to the twitch. We headed up to Balranald a very happy group where a cuppa and some cake were enjoyed in lovely sunshine. We

had two Corncrake on the road out but neither showed particularly well, but a second year Glaucous Gull was a nice find on the roadside loch. We headed up round the north of the island where we had lunch at Grenitote, the stunning bay with the hills of Harris behind looking fabulous. Here we found a small flock of Dunlin feeding out on the sand flats. We stopped then at Lochmaddy where five Golden Eagle and a male Hen Harrier were seen. Three Red-throated Diver and a Black Guillemot were out on the bay and a very confiding Twite was on the fence behind us. We drove the old road back down toward Benbecula looking for divers but none were spotted, however we did see two male and one female Hen Harrier. Back on Benbecula we enjoyed a dog fight between a Short-eared Owl and a Hooded Crow! We pulled up for a quick stop and before long we were watching our first Red-necked Phalarope whilst being entertained with Gaelic song and accordion by an enterprising group of young musicians! We stopped at the next layby where we enjoyed another four Phalaropes, one being a stunning female giving us a really good show. We also added Sandwich Tern to our list. Several Shoveler, Shelduck, Common and Arctic Tern were also here. We finished the day off at another Loch where we saw Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Shoveler and four Gadwall. What a stunning days birding! Tuesday 24th May Today we drove down onto South Uist and made our way along the north shore to North Bay, which was very quiet except for a pair of Twite and Whooper Swans. With no waders on show here, we headed toward Ardivachar hearing three distant Corncrake on the way and a nice fly past by a ringtail Hen Harrier. The bay was alive with Dunlin, Sanderling and Turnstone and a single Knot with them. We headed out across Gerinish where we stopped to look at Butterwort in flower and the first heads of Early Marsh Orchid. The only notable birds were a pair of Golden Plover. Our next stop was Loch Druidibeg, the drive down startling a male Sparrowhawk from a fence. We had a pair of Black-throated Diver out on the loch, but the light wasn't as good as we would have liked. An adult Golden Eagle showed well, plus a single Bonxie and Raven too. We had a stunning picnic lunch in amazing weather over looking Loch Ainort where we added Chiffchaff, Goldfinch and Goldcrest to the list as well as another Hebridean Song Thrush. A young White-tailed Eagle showed well for a long time and two Golden Eagle, one being mobbed by a Buzzard, and three Ravens were great to watch. Out on the sea loch, large numbers of Common Seal were hauled out and four Red-throated Diver were fishing. We headed onwards a stunning female Hen Harrier flew close to us showing well. At the point we had three Whimbrel, a handful of waders (which included a single Bar-tailed Godwit), but the highlight here was 51 Ravens in one flock! We drove along and had our best Corncrake yet, with two birds fighting, then one bird calling and showing well for a good length of time. With time running out we had a cuppa at Cnoca Breac where we had three Great Northern Diver, but the star bird was a second summer Iceland Gull which flew right over our heads! Our last notable bird of the day was a very close Corn Bunting giving great views but our time had run out so we made a beeline for the hotel. Once again a cracking day! Wednesday 25th May We decided to head north again today on to North Uist and then to Berneray. The drive up gave us good views of Short-eared Owl and a distant male Hen Harrier. On Berneray we were treated to fantastic views of Little Tern fishing right in front of us and a brief Arctic Skua with several Bonxie. The sound between Berneray and Harris was alive with diving Gannets and large numbers of Arctic Terns; a couple of Arctic Skuas were seen but far out. East Bay had good numbers of Common Seal and a couple of Grey Seal. We took some time out from birding to visit the old thatched Black

Houses of Rushgarry Township overlooking East Bay, many of them have been restored but most are ruins. We stopped for lunch overlooking Port na Long where we had cracking and prolonged views of a dog Otter fishing across the bay, then coming out on our side and curling up to sleep! A single Black-tailed Godwit flew over the bay and five Bar-tailed fed on the beach. We also had Common Sandpiper, a Redpoll and a Twite. A dark morph Arctic Skua and another Bonxie put in an appearance as well. Heading back to the main road we spotted a Greenshank but it flew before everyone could see it. We finished the day with two Golden Eagles, an adult White-tailed Eagle, a distant Peregrine and Hen Harrier. Several Stonechat were spotted and we watched a pair of Robin feeding young. A very close Cuckoo flew below us before landing and singing not far from the vans. We had once again run out of time so we headed for the hotel. Thursday 26th May On our final full day on the Uists we decided to revisit the Phalaropes first thing. It didn't take us long to locate our first birds but they were very active this morning, eventually though we were treated to very nice views of one male and at least another two, including a distant female. Other notables here were two Little Tern and a female Teal with ten fluffy chicks in tow. Our plan today was to bird our way down to Eriskay. We had a drive along North Bay on South Uist which gave us two Whooper Swans and a handful each of Dunlin and Ringed Plover. We stopped at Loch Druidibeg for tea and had a Black-throated Diver again and a Common Sandpiper. A fly by female Hen Harrier was our first good raptor of the day and we also had the chance to see Oblong Leaved Sundew, a new plant for some. We travelled down the island finally reaching the sound of Eriskay where we spotted an Otter on the small islands just off shore and got great views of it cleaning before curling up for a sleep. A Great Northern Diver was also out in the sound. Lunch was taken over looking the causeway where we had an even closer Peregrine than yesterday. We had a good exploration of Eriskay, seeing Black Guillemot and good numbers of Gannet out on the bay and also Rock Pipit. A walk in the village gave us a chance to get good scope views of Twite in summer plumage, showing off the pink rump. Before leaving the island we stopped to view Beinn Sciathan and were rewarded with prolonged Golden Eagle views with on the ground views as well. A juvenile White-tailed Eagle flew in but was quickly sent on its way by the adult Golden Eagle! We now had to start heading back but had another Golden Eagle on the Machair on the way toward Lochboisdale. We soon stopped for the last time today and had a Short-eared Owl mobbing a Buzzard and Hooded Crow. But the show wasn't over yet, as we left the village a juvenile Golden Eagle flew over and was mobbed by possibly the same Owl! What a day! We headed back up to Benbecula for our final evening on these stunning islands after a day of wall to wall blue sky and sun! Friday 27th May Sadly this was our final morning, so we birdied our way up to North Uist stopping once again as the conditions were perfect and we had five Phalaropes showing well but very active. On Grimsay we had a very close Short-eared Owl. As we drove onto North Uist we had another close Short-eared Owl perched on a tussock near the road, but an Otter crossing the road only metres away eclipsed the Owl! A lovely male Hen Harrier was our next good bird. We had a stroll at Langas where we added Whitethroat to our list and also spotted a distant Otter and two Red-throated Diver. At Lochmaddy just as we were pulling out of harbor, we had two Golden and one adult White-tailed Eagle - a fitting departure gift from these stunning islands. Out on the Minch we had good numbers of all the expected Auks but a single Storm Petrel proved difficult as did several

distant Manx Shearwater. Several small groups of Harbour Porpoise were seen and a very active pod of Common Dolphins was a very nice sight with several full breaches. We landed on Skye and headed back to Nethybridge adding Red Kite to our trip list as we drove. A stunning trip with amazing views of all the species and incredible weather!

GROUP HIGHLIGHTS

Our trip was really lucky with being on the islands when a mega rare was found and the whole group agreed that the Black-billed Cuckoo from North America was a stand out. David: Sheer number of waders in summer plumage Chris: Male Hen Harriers Liz: Great views of Otter on four days! Judith: Male Hen Harriers - three together on Committee Road Marilyn: Great views of Golden Eagles Dorothy: The lovely Red-necked Phalaropes Jean: Corncrake views Ray: Hen Harriers Jonathan: The sheer number of raptors seen Sue C: Corncrakes and Phalaropes Sue P: Corncrakes and Short-eared Owls Dave: Eriskay Golden Eagles seeing off the White-tailed Eagle Toby: The raptors and of course the Black-billed Cuckoo!