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Dunnet Main Index

 

Dunnet Bay Area
Dunnet Bay Map

BIRD WATCHING BIRDS THAT BREED HERE

Birds are the most fascinating, varied and noticeable of the natural life around us.   Watching them is popular and pleasurable.

The area around Dunnet Bay and Dunnet Head is of particular interest to Ornithologists.   Embracing the principal bird habitats of land, waterside and water there is and abundant variety of birdlife.

The land is basically grassland or heather moor with a little woodland.  Waterside habitat lies adjacent to the area's lochs, feeder streams, ditches and bogs.  The lochs also provide a water habitat, but the main water area is obviously the sea around the shore, which has both sandy dunes and rocky cliffs.

On this page you will find the best places to see birds and a checklist of birds which breed regularly in the area, along with birds of passage and rare visitors.

How you act will affect how much bird life you see.  Go quietly - especially during the breeding season.

Enjoy your bird-watching and see how many you can spot from the checklist.

For the enthusiast, there is a hide overlooking a shallow pond at the North West corner of St. John's Loch.  Further information may be obtained from Julian smith, St. John's, Brough  (Tel  01847 851280)

Red Throated Diver
Little Grebe
Fulmar
Cormorant
Heron
Mute Swan
Shelduck
Wigeon
Teal
Mallard
Tufted Duck
Long Tailed Duck
Red Breasted Merganser

Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Kestrel
Peregrine
Red Grouse
Pheasant
Grey Partridge
Moorhen
Oystercatcher
Ringed Plover
Golden Plover
Lapwing
Dunlin
Snipe
Curlew
Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Blackheaded Gull
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black Backed Gull
Arctic Tern
Rock Dove

Wood Pigeon
Skylark

Swallow
House Martin
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Stonechat
Whinchat
Wheatear
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Grasshopper Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Willow Warbler
Goldcrest
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Siskin
Redpoll
Yellow Hammer
Reed Bunting
Razorbill
Little Tern
Black Guillemot

BEST SITES TO VIEW BIRDS

SEA BIRDS

Location
1. Castlehill Harbour East
2. Dunnet Beach Mid Sands

3. Dunnet Beach Ranger Centre
4. The Ness, Dwarwick
5. Easter Head
6. Brough Harbour
7. St John's Point
8. Gills Bay





Map ref
ND200684
ND214690
ND218708
ND206713
ND203768
ND220740
ND311752
ND330727
BIRDS OF PASSAGE
Slavonian Grebe
Fulmar
Gannet
Whooper Swan
Pink Footed Goose
Greylag Goose
Mandarin
Gadwall
Pintail
Shoveller
Goldeneye
Goosander
Merlin
Coot
Golden Plover
Knot
Little Stint
Curlew Sandpiper
Ruff
Black Tailed Godwit
Whimbrel
Greenshank

Snow Bunting
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Turnstone
Arctic Skua
Great Skua
Kittiwake
Sandwich tern
Swift
Sand martin
Waxwing
redstart
Fieldfare
Redwing
Whitethroat
Garden Warbler
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Spotted Flycatcher
Long Tailed Tit
Brambling
Crossbill
Bullfinch

THE REST

9.   Loch of Bushta
10. Many Lochs Dunnet Head

11. Ham Gill
12. Loch of Mey
13. St John's Loch
14. St john's Loch, NW Hide
15. Loch Heilen
16. Dunnet Forest

    



ND195726
ND200750
ND239736
ND270735
ND225725
ND222729
ND255685
ND220698
The Country Code

- Keep dogs under control.
- Leave gates as you find them.
- Take your litter home.  keep the land tidy.
- Take only photograghs.  Leave only f
   footprints.
- Guard against fire.
- Park your car with care and thought for
  others.

SAFETY - BE CAREFUL

- Cliff top walks have inherent dangers.
- Do not walk close to the edge which may
  be loose or overhanging.
- Strong winds, slippery rocks and sudden
  sea fog are articular hazards.
- If you are going for a long walk, please let
  someone know of your intended route
  and inform them of your safe return.
- Please ensure you are adequately clothed
  and shod for your outing.

RARE
Great Northern Diver
Slavonian Grebe
Bean Goose
Canada Goose
Barnacle Goose
Gadwall
Garganey
Shoveller
Red Crested Pochard
Lesser Scaup
King Eider
Common Scoter
Marsh Harrier
Goshawk
Osprey
Quail
Water Rail
Pacific Golden Plover
Grey Plover
Temmincks Stint
Jack Snipe
Woodcock
Bartailed Godwit
Spotted Redshank
Little Gull
Glaucous Gull
Red Backed Shrike
Brunnick's Guillemot
White Billed diver
Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral
Marsh Sandpiper
Ross's Gull
Common Tern

White Winged Black Tern
VERY RARE BIRDS
Tawny Owl
Red Rumped Swallow

Yellow Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Ring Ouzel
Mistle Thrush
Reed Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat

Wood Warbler
Red Breasted Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher
Tree Sparrow
Common Rosefinch
Hawfinch
Red Necked Grebe
Cory's Shearwater
Manx Shearwater
Honey Buzzard
Surf Scoter
Red Necked Phalarope
Long Tailed Skua
Hoopoe
Dipper
Corncrake
Barred Warbler
Tree Creeper
Great Grey Shrike
Cuckoo
Collared Pratencole
Sandpiper
Wilson's Phalarope
Ivory Gull
Black Tern

Click Here for more Birdwatching in Caithness and Links on Caithness.org
Information supplied by Julian Smith, local ornithologist to assist the Dunnet Bay Initiative.
Produce by Dunnet Bay Initiative in conjunction with Caithness & Sutherland Enterprise.