Chicks now hatching on Brodick beach

Issue 164 - June 2026Arran Places, Nature & Wildlife

It’s bird nesting season and the Arran Natural History Society has been reporting over the last few weeks on the ringed plovers and oyster catchers nesting on Brodick beach. Members set up a roped cordon on the spit, near the Fisherman’s walk and put up signs to help walkers be aware of this unfolding situation. And a couple of days ago they shared the wonderful news that the eggs are beginning to hatch! Below are some of the photos they have captured from the Fisherman’s Walk.

They write:

“Please stay out of the roped off areas to allow the birds to raise their chicks. For extra protection, some of these nests have been fenced off and some of the birds are still sitting on their eggs a little more protected from dogs and predators. Please keep your dogs under control and especially don’t let them swim across to the protected spit. We’ve put up signs to help show you where the most vulnerable areas are.

Don’t stop now with keeping your dogs under control as unfortunately these chicks can’t read our signs and are now running about on the beach!

If you take a pair of binoculars and watch from the boardwalk of Fisherman’s Walk you may well see the adults feeding chicks without causing any disturbance to the birds.

There’s still a lot of birds sitting on nests on the spit area and on the middle part of the beach, so please continue to observe the cordons and keep dogs under control, preferably on a lead.

All these photos are taken from Fisherman’s Walk, or from outside all the cordons.

Check out the Arran Wildlife Code for more information about responsible access near wildlife, be aware it is illegal to disturb nesting birds.

We hope to see many oystercatchers and ringed plovers raising their chicks into the future.”