Birdwatching around Opinan

The Coast

Red Throated Diver Seen off the beach at Mellon Udrigle.

Black Throated Diver Winter visitor to Gruinard Bay Rare

Great Northern Diver Offshore at Opinan Often seen

Gannet Offshore at Opinan & Greenstone Point Resident

Cormorant / Shag On the rocks and at sea Resident

Grey Heron On the shoreline at Opinan and by the streams Resident

Shelduck On the shoreline at Opinan Resident

Mallard Shoreline Quite Common

Eider Duck Mellon Udrigle Infrequent Visitor

Red Breasted Merganser On the shoreline at Opinan Not often seen

Oystercatcher On the shoreline at Opinan Resident

Ringed Plover On the shoreline at Opinan Resident

Lapwing Fields close to shore. Winter visitor

Dunlin On the shoreline Quite common

Snipe Fields near the shore Quite common

Whimbrel On the shoreline at Opinan Rarely seen

Curlew Mellon Udrigle Beach Rarely seen

Common Sandpiper On the shoreline at Opinan Resident

Great Skua Off shore Usually have one round the boat when fishing

Great Black-backed Gull Shore Quite common

Common Gull Shoreline Quite common

Herring Gull Shoreline Very common

Common Tern Mellon Udrigle Beach

Arctic Tern Shoreline Visitor

Guillemot Off shore Quite common

Razorbill Mellon Udrigle Not often seen

Moorland and Hills

Buzzard Very common Resident

Golden Eagle Usually seen flying very high. Resident

Ptarmigan Seen here on An Teallach Resident

Skylark Moorland Quite common

Dipper By the streams especially up in the hills Resident

Snow Bunting High in the mountains Seen here on Liathaich

Twite Opinan Seen close to the shore.

Linnet In the fields Quite rare.

Raven Near Greenstone Point Resident

Garden and Fields

Greylag Goose On the saltmarsh and fields Resident

Barnacle Goose On the saltmarsh and fields Visitor

Cuckoo In the trees Summer visitor often seen and heard.

Rock Dove Garden & Fields Resident

Collared Dove Garden & Fields Quite Common

Swallow Garden & Fields Summer visitor

Meadow Pipit Opinan Quite common

Pied Wagtail In the fields and garden Very common

Wren In the garden Quite common

Robin In the fields and garden Very common

Stonechat In the fields Distinctive call often heard

Wheatear In the fields Summer visitor often seen

Blackbird In the fields and garden Very common

Song Thrush In the fields and garden Very common

Long-tailed Tit In the fields and garden Visitor

Coal Tit In the fields and garden Very common

Blue Tit In the fields and garden Very common

Great Tit In the garden and fields Resident

Hooded Crow In the garden and fields Resident

Starling In the fields Resident

House Sparrow In the garden Resident

Chaffinch In the fields and garden Very common

Greenfinch In the fields and garden Very common

Siskin In the fields and garden Summer visitor

Reed Bunting In the garden Quite rare

These birds have been seen locally but have not yet posed for my camera!

White Tailed Sea Eagle	Flying high over the mudflats	Resident
Grouse	On the moors above Opinan	Quite common
Redshank	Feeding on the mudflats	Not often seen
Black-headed gull	Offshore	Often seen when out fishing
Grey Wagtail	In the Hills	Quite rare
Dunnock	In the garden	Not often seen
Redwing	Roosting in the trees	Noisy flocks pass through on migration
Goldcrest	In the conifers around the house	Tiny birds very hard to spot
Tree Sparrow	Opinan	Visits our seed feeder