Commissioned Report 252 - Scottish Natural Heritage

INVERNESS FIRTH
Chanonry Point
This large gravel point was an important roost for ringed plovers and dunlin feeding
off Ardersier and Avoch. Birds roosted either side of the point, depending on wind
direction and disturbance. They tended to roost on the beach around NH74808
55831 on the east site of the point (site A on Fig 29). Due to disturbance they had to
move up and down the beach, often concentrating on the tip of the point at NH75019
55712 (site B on Fig 29). During easterly winds the main roost was on a small gravel
point at NH74678 55706 (site C on Fig 29).
Figure 29. Roosts on Chanonry Point.
C
Based upon Ordnance Survey material with the permission of
the controller of HMSO © Crown copyright (1996) Licence no. 100017908
This area is increasingly popular for walkers and the tip of the point, by roost B, is
used by dolphin watchers. As a result this area is now used by far fewer birds (Table
43). Although the mean dunlin count 1995-2006 was 639, in the last three years it
was only 242 (source: local WeBS data).
Table 43. Changes in wader numbers at Chanonry.
OC RP DN BA CU RK TT
Pre 1995 3 3 7 3 1 1 2
Post 1994 4 3 6 0 2 2 2
Avoch
There is a small roost on the salting point on the north side of the burn at NH70149
54823. The burn limits access to the site at high tide. Eurasian oystercatcher
numbers have increased in recent years, but dunlin have declined (Table 44)
Table 44. Changes in wader numbers at Avoch.
OC RP DN CU RK TT
Pre 1995 2 1 3 1 3 2
Post 1994 4 1 1 1 3 2
32
B
A