In this blog, we hear from Eleanor Rose Daniel-McKeigue, one of our volunteers on the Isle of Eigg, about some of the wildlife on the island and the work that takes place to protect it. For a closer look at some of the photos featured in this blog, check out this gallery.

Volunteering with the Scottish Wildlife Trust on the Isle of Eigg throughout May and June has been an incredible way to be immersed in wildlife. From the wildflowers in bloom to the fledgling birds, every day brought something new to discover. Here’s a glimpse of Eigg’s unfolding spring as I experienced it, boots muddy and camera in hand.

The Wildflowers of Eigg (May to June)

Being on Eigg throughout May has allowed me to notice all the subtle change as the wildflowers gradually emerged week by week. It seems as though there is a new plant in flower each each time I go out – something to discover with every new walk.

During early May the scents of the native bluebells and the edible wild garlic filled the woodlands and surrounding grasslands of Eigg. Reading about Eigg’s woodlands doesn’t prepare you for the reality. As you might know, many of the Hebridean Islands have few or no trees. Walking through Eigg’s woodlands, it’s easy to forget you are even on an island.

By mid-May, the island was in full bloom. Though interestingly, there were fewer orchids than expected, possibly due to the unusually dry weather. Still, every day brought a shift in colour or scent, a quiet transformation as spring turned toward summer. One of my favourite orchids that has just started flowering in June is the heath fragrant-orchid, a delicate and
sweet smelling plant.

I have spent many hours with a wildflower ID guide, amazed at the diversity of plants on such a rugged and remote island. I even made an accidental plant discovery when I noticed a small yellow- flowering plant, which I now know is barbarea intermedia, a first for Eigg!

 

The Birds of Eigg

The Classics – Dependable and Reliable

The volunteer house is situated in the north part of Eigg with spectacular views of Rum, Laig bay and the noisy reed beds, filled with chattering sedge and willow warblers. The cuckoos meanwhile have been excellent alarm clocks, loudly calling sometimes as early as 4am!

One of the weekly surveys here is to check the shoreline down by the pier for nesting birds such as oystercatchers and ringed plovers. It was amazing to find my first ringed plover nest. The eggs were so tiny and perfectly camouflaged. In fact, they were so well hidden that, even with a GPS location, we struggled to relocate the nest the following week!

 

Flashy Birds of prey

We have carried out many raptor vantage point surveys, looking for the elusive hen harriers, short-eared owls and golden eagles – with little success.

However during a coastal butterfly survey, we quite literally stumbled across a short-eared owl! It silently flew to a nearby rock and gave us a few magical minutes of observation before we decided to move on. As we stepped forward, we inadvertently flushed a second owl from behind a hummock just in front of us. Breath-taking!

While the golden eagles this year haven’t been easy to find, there have been quite a few sightings of the white-tailed eagles flying over Laig bay. If you’re lucky you might see them too!

 

The Vagrants and Crazy Migrants

 It was unusual to see a lonely sanderling on Shell Beach as they normally travel flock. In contrast it was exciting to see a small flock of dunlin stopping off on their way north. I also saw a little stint on Laig bay. There was also a rogue redwing seemingly lost near Laig bay, causing a buzz among the island’s birders. Unfortunately I wasn’t lucky enough to spot it myself.

 

Chicks

Chicks can be surprisingly difficult to spot. ringed plover chicks for instance, hatch and are instantly ready to feed themselves and walk around. Against the sand they are especially hard to spot, but when you do see them, they are so fluffy and adorable!

There was also some drama with the eider ducklings with the first brood to hatch sadly being predated, probably by the greater black-backed gulls. There are still some in Galmisdale bay so hopefully some will make it.

 

Our Elusive Mammals

While there were birds everywhere, mammals can be harder to encounter – that is if we exclude rabbits which have a couple of burrow cities across the island. Common pipistrelle bats are fairly widespread, although we had to sacrifice some sleep to watch them and listen to their calls with bat detectors.

I have yet to see the otters, only some tracks in the sand on Laig Bay. Locals say the best place to see them is from the café at the piers – preferably with a warm drink in hand!

 

Newts!

Eigg is home to few amphibians. You might expect to find frogs here, but surprisingly, there are none. Instead, the island is home to common toads and palmate newts. The palmate newts can be found in rain puddles on the paths through the forestry, moorland and in the smaller lochans.

 

Butterflies and Moths

One of the highlights of volunteering was taking part in the weekly butterfly transects, walking a fixed route counting and identifying species. At the start of May we saw lots of green-veined whites, orange tips and small heaths. As the month went on we started to see more small-pearl bordered fritillarys and the beautiful common blue butterfly.

Whenever we are out and about we have also been on the lookout for the extremely elusive marsh fritillary. A butterfly that hasn’t been seen on Eigg for the past decade. When they are caterpillars their main food plant is devil’s-bit scabious, which is fairly abundant on Eigg so we remain hopeful that they will return.

There are only about 12 species of butterfly on Eigg, but over 300 moth species, which can remain quite elusive unless you are trapping them at night. We set out a moth trap one evening near the volunteer house and were rewarded the next morning with several interesting large poplar and elephant hawk moths, as well as some really delicate species like the beautiful golden Y. The primary school also got involved with one of the moth traps, helping to release them the next day.

 

Practical Work

Part of my time has been spent on hands-on work. We have done a lot of path maintenance, clearing bracken from the trails and repairing damaged areas. One particularly large job was repairing the foot bridges at Singing Sands, it was hot tiring work, but we could always go for a dip in the sea! Singing Sands is well worth a visit if you get the chance and I am not just saying this so you can appreciate our bridges! If you manage to go on a dry day the sand will squeak under foot.

The Community

Beyond the incredible wildlife the best part of volunteering has been the generous community. I have had numerous lifts from the locals who are all keen to hear about the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s work.

Final thoughts

Volunteering on Eigg has shown me how a small community’s passion for nature and conservation can be truly contagious. I’ve loved learning not only about the island’s wildlife, but also about how people here live in harmony with their environment.

Eigg is almost completely self-sufficient in terms of water and energy, by generating all its electricity through wind, solar, and hydro-power and the occasional back up from a diesel generator. The community also manages its plantation forestry for firewood while replanting with native trees to build a more sustainable future. It’s inspiring to see such a strong, practical commitment to ecological living.

This experience has deepened my appreciation for both the wild places and the people who care for them. I have had some incredible wildlife experiences here and I urge you to at least visit this island if you can, maybe even volunteer.

–  Eleanor Rose Daniel-McKeigue, Scottish Wildlife Trust volunteer on the Isle of Eigg

To take a closer look at some of the stunning photos in this blog, check out this gallery.