Scotland is a bird-watchers paradise. Nearly 500 different bird species have been recorded here. And nowhere is there such an abundance and variety of bird life than in Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling & the Trossachs, and any bird-watcher with an understanding of the natural habitats of different species will be well rewarded. Within each area are distinct habitats - mountain, moorland, woodland, wetland and waterside - which attract different species.

In the wild, mountainous areas of the north-west, you might see ptarmigans, ravens, wheatears, ring ouzels, and souring above them all, the majestic golden eagle. The west coast sea cliffs are the place to spot a peregrine falcon, while offshore inlets are home to sea eagles. Moorland is the habitat of the black grouse and where merlins are to be found pursuing their quarry. Buzzards nest on the crags in woodland areas and sparrowhawks can be seen swooping on their pray.

The Scottish weather plays a huge part in birdspotting. A shower of rain is good news for bird-watchers, since it is when the rain subsides that birds become very active, drying and preening their feathers or feeding their young. It’s also an opportunity to pose and lay claim to their territory. An eagle flying above a mountain range is, for most of the time simply patrolling its territory rather than actually hunting. In woodland, a calm and windless day means that you can more easily hear birds singing.

Time of year is also critical as most smaller birds winter in Africa. You’re unlikely to see wheatears, whinchats, warblers and flycatchers in winter as the insects they eat are in short supply during the winter months. However seed eating birds can usually scratch a living even during cold wintry days. Spring is the time of year when all birds are at their best in fine breeding plumage and all woodland birds are singing. Summer quietens down as mating is over and each pair of birds have established their own territory and their young are advancing quickly. Autumn is a time of change. Summer visitors migrate south to winter in Africa, while others arrive from their summer feeding in the arctic to winter here.

In areas such as Inversnaid on the east shore of Loch Lomond, where woodlands rise steeply, giving way to open moorland, tree pipits, great spotted woodpeckers, siskins, and wood warblers can be found. In summer, pied flycatchers and redstart breed here.

The lush deciduous and mixed forests of Loch Lomondside, the Trossachs and Cowal support a good range of forest birds. Typical species include long-tailed and coal tits, chiffchaffs, wood, willow and garden warblers, jays, woodpeckers and woodcocks.

The islands in the west of the area are famous for their abundance of rare bird life. Hundreds of breeding wading birds can be seen in Spring at Loch Gruinart – the unique nature reserve on the island of Islay. Hen harriers, golden eagles and peregrine falcons can also been seen. Late autumn heralds the arrival of large numbers of barnacle and white-fronted geese to winter here, whilst the very rare and endangered corncrake has its stronghold on the island of Coll. Other breeding birds which visitors can expect to see in these islands include redshanks, lapwings and snipe. Around sea lochs, herons stalk the shoreline, while cormorants favour rockier coasts.

In the east, at Gartmorn Dam Country Park and Local Nature Reserve, near Alloa, look out for great crested grebes, especially in springtime when their courtship dance is well worth watching! Wigeon, goldeneye ducks, the greater spotted woodpecker are also found and, if you’re really lucky, you might just catch sight of a kestrel hovering overhead in search of prey.

In the heart of the Trossachs, breeding ospreys can be seen at Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Aberfoyle, which has a camera trained onto an osprey’s nest, offering close up views of the parent birds with their chicks. Lochs Earn, Vorlich, Lubnaig, Eck and Voil offer rich pickings, with regular sightings of most of the common freshwater species such as wigeon, ducks, sandpipers, oystercatchers and ringed plovers.