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Wildlife
Animals
The Craignish peninsula supports a great diversity of wildlife and the observant and patient visitor may be rewarded by sightings of some of our shyer and more unusual species of birds, flowers and animals.For many people, the highlight of their holiday is the sight of a seal or an otter, both of which live and breed round the coast.
Occasionally dolphins may be seen in Loch Craignish, although generally these and the smaller harbour porpoise, are more likely to be observed further from land. Roe deer and occasionally, red deer are both found on the peninsula, as are foxes, rabbits, hares, stoats and the unwelcome mink. Wild black goats inhabit several of the islands around the peninsula.
Birds
Loch Craignish Lagoon is well known for its mute swans and at times up to 50 may be counted on the loch. There is frequently much posturing among the cobs, occasionally erupting into fierce fighting. Eider duck, red breasted mergansers, shelduck, mallard and wigeon, plus the less common goldeneye, may all be seen round the coast, while grey herons, redshank, oystercatchers and sandpipers inhabit the shore. Very occasionally an osprey may be sighted cruising over the loch, as it searches for prey - to see this magnificent bird actually catch a fish, is always an exciting moment.
In recent years a local trapping programme has reduced the number of mink in the area and terns and gulls have started to return to breed on the islands round the peninsula. There is still a long way to go before numbers are back to the level that they were at before the arrival of the mink, so please avoid disturbing the birds during the breeding season and observe any ‘Keep Out’ signs, which you may encounter on some of the smaller islands.
Both inland and on the shore, the hooded crow is a common sight, while its larger cousin, the raven, with its distinctive cry, may be seen performing graceful aerobatics. Golden eagles are fairly rare on the peninsula, but buzzards and kestrels are common and merlins are also seen occasionally. Of the smaller birds, the soft descending song of the willow warbler and the harsh, repetitive call of the sedge warbler, signal the arrival of spring. A walk along the road can often be rewarded with sightings of stonechats, wheatears and wagtails, while occasionally a hen harrier may be seen flying low across the moorland.
