Islay
Updated 13 October 2026
What birds can you see on Islay?
Autumn (September to November)
This is the big one. Barnacle and white-fronted geese arrive from Greenland through October. They come down Loch Gruinart and rest on the fields below the RSPB visitor centre for the first week or so. In the third week of October there are often over 18,000 geese on those fields alone. Light-bellied brent geese and whooper swans drop in from Iceland on their way to Ireland. Redwings strip the rowans and raptors follow the flocks: hen harrier, merlin, peregrine and golden eagle.
Winter (December to February)
The geese spread across the island's fields but thousands of barnacle geese still fly back to Loch Gruinart to roost at dusk. Up to 1,000 white-fronts use the floods there. Loch Indaal is the place for sea ducks and divers: scaup, long-tailed duck, eider, Slavonian grebe and great northern diver. The Gruinart floods hold teal, wigeon, pintail and goldeneye.
Spring (March to May)
The geese leave for Greenland in April. Breeding waders take over the wet fields at Gruinart, and the first corncrakes call from late April.
Summer (June to August)
Corncrakes are the summer target. Listen at dusk around the Gruinart fields. Choughs feed their young on the short grass at the Oa, and black guillemots sit around the harbours.
Islay recent sightings: where to check
We do not have a live feed for Islay. These sources are updated by people on the island:
- RSPB Islay blog: news from the Loch Gruinart and Oa reserves, including goose arrivals.
- eBird hotspot map: zoom to Islay and open Loch Gruinart or Loch Indaal for recent checklists.
- BirdGuides: national bird news. Islay often has a rare goose in the flocks. Some details are for subscribers only.
Our own tools: the sightings map shows what our users have logged, and you can log a sighting in under a minute.
Best time to visit Islay
Go in the second half of October for the goose arrival at its peak, with the most birds packed onto the fields at Loch Gruinart. November to March is quieter but the geese stay all winter and the dusk roost flights are worth the cold. Go from May to July if you want corncrakes and breeding choughs. Short days are the main problem in winter, so plan around high tide on Loch Indaal and be at Gruinart for dusk.
Where to watch
- RSPB Loch Gruinart: the visitor centre has an observation window over the fields where the geese land. There is a hide between two flooded fields, and a woodland track to a viewing platform over the loch. The reserve is about 1,600 hectares and includes a working farm.
- Loch Indaal: the big sea loch between Bowmore and Port Charlotte. Scan from the shore road for divers, grebes and sea ducks.
- RSPB The Oa: the cliffs in the south-west, for choughs and golden eagles.
Getting there
CalMac ferries run from Kennacraig on the Kintyre peninsula to Port Ellen or Port Askaig, taking around two hours. Book ahead in October, when ferries fill with birders and whisky tourists. Loganair flies from Glasgow to Islay Airport. You will need a car on the island: Loch Gruinart is in the north-west and the main villages are spread out. Check the RSPB Loch Gruinart page for opening times before you go.
What to bring
A scope makes a big difference on Loch Indaal and for picking out a rare goose in a flock of thousands. See our spotting scope guide. Binoculars are fine from the Gruinart visitor centre: see our binoculars guide.
Nearby places to bird
- Scotland birding guide: Speyside, the Hebrides and Shetland.
- WWT Caerlaverock: the other big barnacle goose site, for the Svalbard population on the Solway.
- Winter wildfowl guide: geese, swans and ducks around the UK.
Islay birding FAQ
When do the geese arrive on Islay?
In October. Barnacle and white-fronted geese arrive from Greenland through the month. Numbers on the fields at RSPB Loch Gruinart usually peak in the third week, often over 18,000 birds. They stay until April.
How many geese winter on Islay?
In recent years around 30,000 barnacle geese and 5,500 Greenland white-fronted geese have wintered on the island.
Where is the best place to see geese on Islay?
RSPB Loch Gruinart. The visitor centre window looks over the fields where the geese land after their flight from Greenland. Stay for dusk, when barnacle geese fly in to roost on the mudflats.
Can you see choughs on Islay?
Yes. Islay is a stronghold for choughs in Scotland. Try the short grazed grass and cliffs at the Oa in the south-west of the island.
Seen geese on Islay?
Tick Barnacle Goose and White-fronted Goose in your Birdedex and add the sighting to the map.
Log a sighting