What to see and where in Argyll and Outer Hebrides

With the retreat of winter there is a sudden blossoming of life across Argyll and the Outer Hebrides. Here are some suggestions for what to watch out for in the area this Spring:

Awesome osprey returns

The Osprey makes its return to the west coast of Scotland in March/April after spending the winter in West Africa (typically Gambia and Senegal). Rarely encountered in the outer isles, ospreys    tend to return to the same breeding sites each year, so with luck you may see them fishing again at places like Bellanoch, Ford and Loch Awe. They feed almost solely on trout and pike in Scotland which they can spot from an astonishing 70 metres above the water surface. The sight of an osprey plunging feet-first into a loch to catch a fish is one of the most memorable and exciting of Scottish wildlife experiences.

It's blooming time!

The first flowering plants have started to appear across the area and add a splash of colour to the landscape. The primrose    is traditionally the first flower of spring, its name literally means the prima rosa, or the first "rose". Eoligarry    machair on Barra is famous and perhaps unrivalled for its primrose display in early spring. Other early flowers to look out for are the lesser celandine   , the dog violet    and the white blossom of the blackthorn. The Atlantic oakwoods of Knapdale and Taynish in Argyll provide ideal habitats for the wood anenome    also known as the "Windflower". In May, Bluebells    abound all over Argyll and carpet the floor of woodlands turning the brown of winter to a vibrant and spectacular blue.

Flutter By

Along with the warming weather butterflies and moths have begun to emerge throughout Argyll and the Outer Hebrides. Butterflies are known in Gaelic as Dealan De meaning 'God's fire'. Perhaps the star of the lepidoptera in the Hebrides is the Belted Beauty Moth,    only the males fly but conveniently they do so during the day and can therefore be spotted on the machairs throughout the region between March and May. In the woodland margins of Argyll species such as the Peacock Butterfly    and the Speckled Wood Butterfly  make their appearances from early April onwards. Try your luck at Taynish    or Glasdrum  National Nature Reserves.  

Seeing is believing

As well as ospreys, corncrakes are returning from their winter in Africa. Its rasping call has kept many a crofter awake at night but it is less common to actually see this secretive bird. Spring represents the best chance of spotting one as the vegetation in which they love to hide is not yet fully grown. Although corncrakes were once common throughout Britain they are now largely restricted to Scotland's islands and west coast where they thrive largely thanks to the continuity of traditional crofting land management. Corncrakes can be heard and possibly seen at Balranald    RSPB Reserve (Uist), Loch Stiapabhat    (Lewis), Isle of Coll    (Argyll) Isle of Islay    (Argyll)

No wellies - we're waders

By April/May the wading birds have arrived on their breeding grounds. Species such as the lapwing with its characteristic call and erratic and acrobatic flight, or the smaller ringed plover with its distinctive black and white banding, put on a spectacular display across the region. Wading birds are a classic example of the way in which different species exploit different features within the landscape with redshank preferring the wetter ground with taller vegetation and oystercatchers preferring the barer drier ground for example. The Uist machairs including that at Balranald    are rightly famous for the number and diversity of breeding wader species, but you could also try Northton Machair  (Harris). In Argyll visit the River Add Estuary    (Mid Argyll) or Loch Gruinart RSPB  Reserve (Islay)