Our Area - Birds

On the left are Puffins. They come onshore to breed in burrows during spring before going offshore to deeper waters of the Atlantic during the winter months.

To the right is a Guillemot on a cliff ledge near its nest.

Kittiwakes and Arctic terns have favoured nesting sites to which they return to each year although it has been noted that the numbers are decreassing as time goes on.

Sightings of merlin, sparrow hawks and visiting birds of prey are frequent.

Whimbrel and the related curlew both nest here during the summer. Ravens and hooded crows are widespread.

Common to this area are starlings, sparrows, blackbirds and the rock pipit.

The Shetland wren (Left) is another sub-species, and is bigger and brighter in colour to the mainland species.

Among the many birds seen along the coast are fulmars, puffins, guillemots and razorbills, the picture to the left shows shags on a cliff top.

Gannets can frequently be seen diving for fish along the coastine.

Below is a mother duck and her chicks staying close to the reeds, this is how she protects her young. However, few of the chicks are likely to survive, due to predators, the worst of which is the Great Skua or the Bonxie, seen in flight on the right. The Bonxie has adapted due to scarcity, from feeding only on fish and fish offal discarded from fishung boats, to now preying on small birds and will even attacked lambs.

Sightings have been reported of the dainty red necked phalaropes, during some previous summers in Eshaness.

Unfortunately, there is no news of any birds nesting so far.

On the left is a Red Throated Diver in flight on the right Swans swimming on a loch.

Hillswick Eshaness Area Regeneration and Development