Mull diary

We have just come back from a week on the island of Mull, in Scotland, with a focus on wildlife watching.  So here is the diary:

Our wildlife watching started in Oban before we took the ferry to Mull with sightings of the black guillemots that nest in the harbour.  Walking along the coast we got better views of them on the water, but unfortunately in the otherwise best photo there is no beak, hence the back view!

They have amazingly deep red legs.  Oban was also home to swallows, swifts goldfinches, herring gulls, doves and a shag - and no doubt many more.  We spent a lot of time walking around Oban, a lovely town, and all helped by the glorious sunshine.

Saturday

On route to Mull we saw terns, but at that distance it was not clear whether they were common or arctic, probably common. Our rented cottage was alongside a small loch that eventually led out to the sea.  The sheltered harbour near the village was home to a couple of noisy oystercatchers and their two chicks, fairly well grown, but still being well protected by their parents.  Noisy oystercatchers make good parents, but we did wonder how many babies they had lost.  It is unlikely they started with just two.  Something to look up perhaps.  The small bay also had many herons.   Most of the gulls here though were common gulls rather than herring gulls.  With glorious sunshine we walked along the coast seeing goldfinches, greenfinches, wheatears, larks, meadow pippits, sparrows, robins, mallards blackbids and of course hooded crows.  The photos for today have to be of the oyster catchers....(although the chick is not the best...)

Sunday was going to be the first wildlife tour, but David (our wildlife expert and host) could not make it (after a long drive to Craignure).  With very rainy weather predicted we took ourselves to Dunart castle (for the good food in the tearoom and yes it was) which also turned out to be good for wildlife.  Walking around on the shore and in the grounds turned up a mink, (from what people have said – otherwise a black ferret!) chaffinch, thrushes (which we were told were mistle thrushes) waders later identifed as sandpipers, rock and meadow pippits, greater black backed gull, wheatears and various orchids - and yellow flags and foxgloves, and a frog.  The day is represented by a fragrant orchid, a butterfly orchid and an atlantic seal (I think, watching Jenny)  and a sandpiper.

Monday took us on our trip with D W.  We headed for Dunart castle again, but stopped short of the castle to check out some trees where the white tailed eagle was nesting, and managed to get a reasonable view of it flying.  Unfortunately we did not manage to get photographs of the sea eagles.  We were also told that the thrushes we saw on Monday at any rite were mistle thrushes (Ann has since looked at a lot of sites in order to try to work on the difference and it looks hard!) and then, we checked to see what was around at grasspoint.  Here we saw dolphins.  Bottle nosed dolphins which are I think the commonest around here.  Quite a long way out, but dolphins nevertheless.  And just the one seal – which is watching Jenny in the photo.  Here also were more orchids including the amazing fragrant orchid again – which really is very fragrant

Then we moved up towards the mountains where we spent quite a lot of time watching a female hen harrier.  Although I saw hen harrier before in Mull (Ann), this time we were able to watch one bird for quite a while – what an elegant bird, and how quickly she moved.  It was really important not to lose sight of her against the landscape: take the binoculars away and you've lost her.  A little later we saw not just one but two males, and although we saw male and female we did not see the food pass.

In the mountains we saw a golden eagle flyig and a white tail at the same time, helping to make the distinction, although they were far away.  We stopped at the golden eagles' nest but did not get a view of it at the nest.

The following day, Tuesday, was more leisurely and we spent a couple of hours walking around the peninsula, just on the small road.  I think what we saw most here were wheatears, and I’m wondering whether I have any photos!  But we also got quite good views of curlews in rather a bleak, boggy and moorlike landscape.  And as always, may finches, pipits and larks.  So here is a wheatear (although the photo is not from the trip, it was taken by Ann)

Wednesday was time for wildlife trip no. 2 – with Brian (originally from Newcastle), and even before we picked up the second group from their hotel, the three in the minibus saw a short eared owl (the photo is not from this trip, but it IS a short eared owl and it was taken by Ann) and then an otter, which we watched for a while (at a distance, till it gave us the slip).  After the others joined us it was time for more otter searching, but we were not successful this time, and after a  while went up to the mountains to look for eagles.  After a while, one of the golden eagles appeared and stooped down to stop on a ledge near the nest.  A bit far to see well in the binoculars, but a beautiful view in the scope, where the golden head and plumage was very clear and hard to find in the first photos, so it is spot the eagle.  (The other photos are from the scope, via an iphone, hence the grainy quality and the round shape of the scope at the bottom).

After the eagles it was up a track to moorland to see if we could find adders - that was Tony's goal for the day.  And Brian did manage to find him one, although as it sped away I guess really he got half an otter.  This location was also very good for flowers and butterflies: here is some wild thyme and sundew. 

Back to lochsides to see a colony of common seals, (no photos taken) and to search again for otters - and yes, a beautiful chestnut colours otter was found, dozing and we had quite a good view in the scope before he or she moved and took to the water where it was lost.  On the way back, a buzzard allowed us to get quite a close photo.

Our last two days were spent on Iona, with very good weather, especially on the Friday.  We heard a few corncrakes but like most other people, did not manage to see them.  Instead, here are some beach photos, a thrush (song thrush I suspect), Jenny (sorry about the bottom), corncrake habitat and Soay cross sheep and an eider duck