RSPB Nigg Bay
From the A9, take the right hand exit from the roundabout signposted Nigg. Continue for 3.5 miles until you see the Nigg Bay sign.
An excellent birding location from September-April, supporting large numbers of wildfowl and waders. Wigeon can number 10,000 in October, whilst other wildfowl include good numbers of Pintail and occasional Shoveler and Brent Goose. Pink-footed Goose numbers peak at several thousand in spring. Regular wader counts can exceed 5,000 each of Knot and Dunlin, 2,500 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1,000 each of Redshank, Lapwing and Golden Plover and 800 Curlew, accompanied by scarcer waders including Grey Plover and Black-tailed Godwit. Peregrines regularly hunt all year round and there is always a good chance of seeing a Hen Harrier, Merlin or Short-eared Owl. The hide at Bayfield is best a few hours either side of high tide. At low tide it may be best to view from the B9176 just north of the oil terminal, where it is possible to park off the road at a couple of places.
Although quieter in summer, the bay is still worth a visit to watch Osprey feeding and large numbers of Sandwich Terns roosting at Bayfield. On the north side, a coastal realignment experiment is being managed by RSPB at Meddat. The lagoon here is the favoured haunt for summer-plumage Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit and is a good site for Green Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail. The fresh-water scrape by the hide at Bayfield can provide close-up views of Greenshank and Water Rail.
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