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Description
5,000 Barnacle Goose roost at Bridgend Flats at the landward end. A convenient road, with several specially provided bird-watching lay-by, hugs the shore from Bowmore to Bruichladdich, enabling one to view both the tidal sandflats at the head of the loch, where Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Bar-tailed Godwit and Dunlin occur in hundreds, and Common Ringed Plover, Common Redshank, Red Knot, Grey Plover and others in at least tens. And also the shallow water, on which a flock of up to 300 Greater Scaup, up to 50 Slavonian Grebe, large flocks of Common Eider, perhaps 25 Common Goldeneye, a dozen Long-tailed Duck, plenty of Whooper Swan and Mute Swan and several hundred Eurasian Wigeon, spend the winter. Further out on the loch, and often better seen from Bruichladdich, are up to 100 Common Scoter throughout the year, as well as all three species of divers, Great Northern Diver sometimes exceeding 50 in number. Up to 100 Red-breasted Merganser moult on the loch in late summer.
Between Bridgend to Bruichladdich is a two-mile strand divided by a shingle spit, good for Ruddy Turnstone and Iceland Gull or Glaucous Gull. The rocky shore in front of Bruichladdich village is an excellent place for Purple Sandpiper, from about November to May, and they can also be seen at Port Charlotte. Loch Indaal is never empty. Wader passage occurs in April and May, with a few Sanderling present through June, too. Return passage starts in July and by August flocks of Sanderling, Common Ringed Plover and Dunlin occur, with occasional Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint.
Usual possibility of otters, dolphins, porpoise, grey seal or basking shark offshore.
Details
Access
Ferry from Kinnacraig (as of 2022, reports indicate delays are possible due to Calmac's aging fleet), or by air from Glasgow.