1


1


A raft of Manx shearwaters on the sea with the island of Rum behind. The birds feed on various common small fish, including herring, sardine and sand eel.


Ramble over the mountains of Rum National Nature Reserve in summer and you’ll find little sign of birdlife other than the occasional song of a wheatear or the sight of a soaring golden eagle.


But under your feet, and largely silent during the day, lies one of Scotland’s largest seabird colonies. Take a walk on those same hilltops at night and you’ll find the air is filled with the eerie calls of the Manx shearwater. Around you, ghostly shapes materialise out of the gloom, occasionally landing on the ground with all the grace of a lump of lead. This is when the colony comes to life, revealing itself as one of the jewels in the crown of Scottish seabird colonies.


Manx shearwaters have been on Rum for over a thousand years, and probably much longer. One of the mountains, Trollval, is generally assumed to be named


www.snh.gov.uk 61


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68