By Lucy Atkinson, Project Officer for Argyll and the Inner Hebrides
At the end of February as the rain lashed and the wind blew, a celebration of birds and Gaelic was kicking off on Islay! Fèis Eunlaith Geamhraidh Eilean Ìle – Islay’s Winter Birdlife festival took place as part of Seachdain na Gàidhlig, World Gaelic Week, which aims to raise the profile of Gaelic in the community. The festival shared and explored the wonderful wildlife of Islay and its links to Gaelic, celebrating Islay’s natural heritage and its connection to local culture and language.
Over the three days of the festival, we enjoyed some fantastic birdwatching and welcoming people to Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle – Islay Gaelic centre, with the festival running in partnership with RSPB Scotland, Species on the Edge and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
Sitting at the head of Loch Indaal, Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle makes for the perfect birdwatching location across the tidal sea loch, attracting multiple bird species including, but not limited to, waders such as the Guilbneach (Curlew), Adharcan (Lapwing) and Gille-brìghde (Oystercatcher) along with the Cathan (Barnacle Goose) and Gèadh-bhlàr (Greenland White Fronted Goose) during the winter months.
This made it the perfect spot for the BTO to host workshops on bird ID with a focus on wading species out on the loch. The sessions were filled with first-time birdwatchers as well as experienced birders looking to improve their ID skills. Some even travelled from Aviemore to hone their skills! The Scottish winter weather was out in full force with high tides, strong winds and the occasional downpour making for an authentic winter birdwatching experience! Despite this the group were treated to sightings of the Learga Mhòr (Great Northern Diver), Gòbhlachan òr-chluasach – (Slavonian Grebe) and Tunnag-dhubh (Common Scoter), alongside Gràilleag (Turnstone), Luatharan-gainmhich (Knot) and Gille-feadaig (Dunlin).
Meanwhile safely inside, local schools were offered a different perspective on our wildlife, as they explored some of the Gaelic stories and names of familiar birds seen on Scotland’s shores. The RSPB’s Community Engagement Officer, and Gaelic speaker, Shona MacLellan, shared some common Gaelic names for the birds, with Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle staff also sharing some of the Islay names. Islay Gaelic is more closely related to Irish Gaeilge than other Scottish Gaelic dialects, due to the island’s proximity to Ireland and historical links as many goods were exchanged by sea, leading to some differing names compared to elsewhere in Scotland.
Gaelic bird names can depict and evoke their character and appearance, often also encompassing stories, songs, customs and beliefs. For example, a common bird on Islay’s shores, the Maor-chladaich (Redshank) means ‘shore officer’, after its tendency to alarm call and patrol the shore!
The primary school’s Gaelic unit had the opportunity to further their bird ID skills and knowledge of Gaelic names by drawing their favourite birds with the guidance of local artist Heather Dewar. The children had recently taken part in the RSPB’s Big School Birdwatch and had paid a visit to the RSPB Loch Gruinart reserve for some bird watching. This led to a plethora of birds emerging from the paper including the Gocan-gorm (Blue-tit) and Brù-dhearg (Robin) – the firm favourites!
An adult art workshop led by Heather explored more of Islay’s wonderful birds through different mediums including watercolour and crayon, offering new perspectives on our birds and producing stunning pieces, which were then exhibited at Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle for the general public to see.
On our final afternoon, we were joined by local residents who shared local and traditional Gaelic stories around wildlife with children and adults alike. This session timed perfectly with the BTO groups’ tea-break, enabling them to learn more about the historical and cultural connections of the local wildlife that they were seeing! Through art, culture and wildlife ID, the festival helped bring together and offer new perspectives to the community on Gaelic and Islay’s wildlife, as well as showcasing Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle as a community space and wildlife watching hotspot!
