Birders'
paradise  |
Rocky islands offer great opportunities for wildlife
watching especially sea birds. Their craggy rocks provide a dramatic backdrop
for some spectacular birds. The seas also provide great opportunities for spotting
sharks and other marine life. | | Enjoy
a summer spectacle - sea birds around our rocky coasts |
For
a spectacular nature experience, why not try your hand at bird watching or shark
spotting around the rocky coasts of the British Isles in summer?
Here's
are Nature's Calendar's top tips on making the most of your visit
to some of the most popular birding and marine life
spots around our coasts.
Top locations  Great
rocky coastlines where you can watch the sea birds featured on Nature's Calendar
Summer series include:
*
Bass Rock - about a hundred thousand birds live
cheek by jowl, occupying every single available space on its craggy cliffs. Look
out for gorgeous Gannets with their stunning white plumage, the smaller Razorbills
and Guillemots, and the darkly coloured Shags.
There are great views to be had even if you can't get onto Bass Rock itself. Visit
the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick Harbour, where they have cameras
beaming back close-ups of the gannets.
*
Skokholm
*
Staffa and Treshnish
 Other
coastal locations for sea bird spotting featured in the Nature's Calendar series
include three of the best bird watching spots in the British Isles.
During
late spring and early summer there's the awesome sight
of hundreds of sea birds flying in to roost.
*
Bempton, Yorkshire
*
Rathlin, Northern Ireland
* Gower Peninsula, Wales
Elsewhere
in the British Isles, we can also recommended the following island habitats: *
Farne Islands, Northumberland
* Lundy Island
*
Shetland - Fair Isle, Scotland
* Anglesey, South Stack, Wales
Birding
tips
 For
an even better bird watching experience, here's a few tips: *
When listening to birds, cup your hands around your hears to amplify the sound. *
The usual rules apply - stay quiet, still and be patient. *
A good pair of binoculars will help you get a better view - and scopes can really
capture an 'up close' view of sea birds settled on rocky crags *
Don't forget to take a bird identification book so you can distinguish between
species such as Guillemots and Razorbills. *
Binoculars and scopes will help spot sea birds in the distance. *
Don't forget your camera, particularly if it has a good zoom. *
A cheap disposable camera can also come in useful for getting close-ups of the
water's surface.
Become a Shark
reporter  Basking
Sharks are summer visitors to the shores of the British Isles especially the west
coast of Scotland.
Why not get involved with the Basking Shark 'Sighting
Scheme' off the west coast of Scotland?
The Basking Shark Project wants
to hear about reported sightings of Basking Sharks (and Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises)
off the coast throughout the year. This information is important to improving
our understanding of marine wildlife. The sightings can be from land or
sea - you can take part if you have a good view of the sea from your house or
holiday home or if you walk regularly along the coast. Simply fill in the
online sighting form when you spot a Basking Shark or other marine species! Alternatively you
call the with a sighting - 0800 0858 110.
Photo
credits Basking Shark copyright and courtesy
of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust/Rob Pickering. Fulmar
and Guillemots photos courtesy and copyright of Turus Mara. | 
