July
July 31st
Weather Rain all day -
No tour today so I watched the sport on television, on a wildlife theme
it was mainly cricket.
July 30th
Weather dry but very cloudy
morning rain and low cloud all afternoon - A difficult day for wildlife
watching with everything keeping its head down although we did manage brilliant
White-tailed Eagle in the morning before the rain came down. Our guests
were very patient and some of them saw a Mink with 2 Kits chase and catch
a Rabbit as I looked for Golden Eagle and Otter which did not turn up although
Buzzard, Kestrel, Curlew and Ravens did. We watched the Seals for some
time hoping all the while to see an Otter but to no avail , then it started
raining so we moved on. We drove through dense fog where you could see
nothing and eventually came to the coast, at least we could see now and
I stopped more in hope than expectation to try and see an Otter as it was
low tide, low and behold there was not one but two, a mother and cub and
they gave us an Otter spectacular for ages and fully Ottered out we went
back to our house for tea and to warm up and dry off in front of the aga.
I showed guests the Barn Owl on the way back to Tobermory, so although
we had not seen many species what we did see was special.
July 29th
Weather cloudy but warm
and dry with warm sunshine in the afternoon - Another great group today
with another lovely family and two young ladies who told me they could
not use binoculars but turned out to be the best spotters of us all the
little minxes. Although we try to see all the wildlife Mull has to offer
on our tours we do try to make it more rounded by including the history
of the island and the geology and scenery, which include the fact that
Mull had black Highland Cattle called Kyloe Cows and in the (photo below)
is a good example of a cow (with horns going up) and bull (with horns going
round and down) which we saw on todays tour. All the usual Mull highlights
were seen and also a very good Red Throated Diver. Thanks once again to
our guests who gave me such an enjoyable day.
July 28th
Weather low cloud with
drizzle for much of the day improving a little as the day went on - A lovely
group out with us today including a family with 3 fantastic children, it
was my pleasure to be out wildlife watching with them. It was hard work
due to the weather but they never complained but just enjoyed all that
we saw during the day. We had a very good if lucky White-tailed Eagle,
an Otter for an hour, both types of Seal, Red Deer and a long distant and
brief view of a Golden Eagle. One of the highlights of the day was the
Barn Owl Chick we saw in an Owl box I know of, where the front has rotted
away, definitely a crowd pleaser (see photo).
July 27th
Weather beautiful a great
day for wildlife watching - We set off in high spirits after yesterday,
unfortunately 2 short as a couple had cancelled the night before as it
might rain, what this is Scotland what did they expect, it was more disappointing
as we had turned at least 8 people away as we thought we already had a
full van. In the event they missed a Red Breasted Merganser with 7 tiny
ducklings, a very good Otter, brilliant Golden Eagles being mobbed by Buzzards
for some time a recently fledged White-tailed Eagle chick, Red Deer hind
with calf, a Great Skua chasing a Kittiwakes and robbing it, a Barn Owl
and lots more and yes a wonderful fast flowing waterfall because it does
sometimes rain on Mull. We hope they had as much fun as us sitting inside
in case it might rain.
July 26th
Weather low cloud and rain
all day my most nightmare conditions - A full van of intrepids set out
from Tobermory and because of the conditions we knew that the water would
be our best chance to see any wildlife, so we went to one of my Otter areas
and as soon as we got out of the van we were lucky to find a fishing Otter
which we were able to watch for some time and we also saw 2 more distant
ones in the same area. Good sightings of both types of seal, Red Deer and
at the end of the day a White-tailed Eagle in the mist as the clouds lifted
fractionally. Many thanks to our guests for their patience and our dogs
for being so welcoming as we came back to Ardrioch for afternoon tea and
cakes to warm up and get dry.
July 25th
Weather low cloud for most
of the day although it lifted a little in the afternoon - We had 2 male
Hen Harriers today one of which was an extremely good sighting for several
minutes. We saw 4 White-tailed Eagles and 4 Golden Eagles today one of
which was carrying prey. It was a really good day for birds with many small
species seen and both Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser and 6 Black
Guillemots. Our guests today were more than delighted with what they had
seen and when we got home one couple saw our resident Sparrowhawk flying
through the garden just to complete their day.
July 24th
Weather fine till 10-30
and then drizzle all day - I started mowing the lawn early today as I had
no tours it is change over day in the self catering cottages, as usual
on a saturday I had only managed an hour when the rain came. Pam and I
rushed to get our sheep in as they were due to be sheared and you can't
shear wet sheep, we managed before they got wet thanks to our two well
trained Shelties?....... So with Lawn Mowing, Sheep Shearing, Dealing with
Water Filters and Supply, refilling Gas and the bait in our Midge Magnet
and doing a very little bit to help Pam with the change over in the cottages
I found no time for wildlife watching today which was unusual for me.
 
July 23rd
Weather cloudy but mainly
dry with slight breeze - A very good Eagle day today with everything I
expected to see in the morning turning up and performing as if on cue.
The afternoon was much harder and it was a good job we had some fantastic
views to keep the guests and me happy. In the late afternoon we did have
fantastic sightings of Great Skua, Manx Shearwaters and lots of other seabirds,
and the day ended with a good sighting of a Barn Owl.
July 22nd
Weather sunny , warm and
calm - Although it was warm it was not hot enough in the morning for heat
haze so the views of the small isles, Skye, Coll, Tiree, The Treshnish
Islands and the Outer Hebrides were sensational. We saw Redshank, Common
Sandpiper, Curlew and Grey Heron at our first stop but we had already seen
a Barn Owl before we had reached the stop. Gannets, Kittiwakes and a Great
Skua followed with Wheatear, Pied Wagtail, Swallows, Lesser Redpoll and
not to be forgotten House Sparrows and all this before we saw the first
of 7 Golden Eagles for the day. Brilliant Red Throated Divers were seen
showing their red throats really well and a Male Razorbill proudly escorting
his offspring and giving it lessons in survival. At lunchtime we saw 4
Otters and watched a mother with 2 cubs for 30 minutes as we rested in
the glorious afternoon sunshine, a special mention for the male Sparrowhawk
that came out and gave us a very close encounter for 5 minutes, it was
Pam's favorite sighting on this brilliant day. On to see White-tailed Eagle
and we eventually saw 3 and one flew directly over our heads. Common and
Grey seals and a very close Black Guillemot were seen in the late afternoon
and 7 well antlered Stags gave us a fitting finale to another great day
out on this fabulous Island.
July 21st
Weather windier and wetter
with heavier rain as the day went on - We had a good day considering the
conditions with a good amount of species seen including White-tailed Eagle
which we spotted sitting on a hill and it eventually flew. As we waited
for the flight we managed to see a Sedge Warbler and a Red Throated Diver
and have a coffee and home baked biscuits, very welcome at the time. On
we went and saw both Common and Grey Seals and after a sharp eyed
guest had briefly spotted an Otter climbing out of the water and knowing
where it had a holt I positioned our guests where they could watch the
road and sure enough a couple of minutes later they watched in amazement
as it trotted across the road 50 yards in front of them. Red Deer stags
hinds and a calf followed but it looked like we would miss Golden Eagle
but during a brief break in the weather we saw one fly very low to the
ground and quite close a really lucky break to be in the right place at
the right time.
July 20th
Weather the same as yesterday
- Otter in the morning and White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle and Red Deer
after lunch in another good day with a lot of laughs, some of todays guests
appreciated my attempts at humour. Great Skuas, Gannets, Kittiwakes and
Grey Seals during the afternoon when we had finished our tea and cakes.
The other good sightings today were Red Throated Divers a beautiful male
Stonechat and a family of Twite.
 
 
July 19th
Weather rain for the first
hour of the day turning into a beautiful sunny, calm and warm day - Curlews
at our first stop always a nice bird to show guests through the telescopes.
Otter and White-tailed Eagle followed and then at a comfort stop we saw
these beautiful (see photo) Moon Jellyfish a sign that our waters are warming
up. At lunch we saw the appearance of a fledged Golden Eagle for the first
time flying with its parents all together giving us great views. To finish
the day we went to a favoured spot of mine which is quiet and beautiful,
regular guests will know where I mean and we saw the biggest Basking Shark
I have ever seen with a total of 3 all together. On our way home we saw
another White-tailed Eagle which gave us a very close celebrity fly past
to finish a very enjoyable day. Many thanks to our guests who must have
wondered what they were letting themselves in for when I picked them up
in such bad weather, however they were up for the challenge and had some
fantastic wildlife sightings.
 
July 18th
Weather cloudy with light
winds but dry - Diving Gannets, a seabird feeding frenzy and a Great Skua
attacking a Herring Gull were seen at the start of the day. Redshank, Curlews,
Common Sandpipers, Snipe on a post and of course Oystercatchers were the
waders seen. Raptors seen today were Golden and White-tailed Eagles, Buzzards,
Sparrowhawk, Kestrels and a male Hen Harrier. Birds of the day however
had to be the 2 Common Crossbills seen as we were on our way home, all
the guests got a good look at them through the scope as the birds remained
in the top of a larch tree for several minutes very obliging of them. 3
Otters were seen today as well as Red Deer stags, hinds and calves, Fallow
Deer and Common and Grey Seals. Pam took a journalist out today and saw
a Greenshank and Peregrine Falcon as well as some of the species we had
seen on our tour. A great day all round for Discover Mull and our guests.
July 17th
Weather showers again but
less windy - The day after the Bird Club barbie held in our house as we
could barely stand up outside. We have no tour today which is just as well
as we are tired from the festivities but Pam is diligently working away
cleaning the self-catering cottages as I struggle to stay awake. Last night
was a very great success and the food was excellent, congratulations to
all involved, particularly Pam for making the house so welcoming for everyone
and also the dogs for nearly behaving perfectly.
July 16th
Weather showery with strong
gusty winds - Standing in a force seven wind trying to show guests 2 Otters
was not easy today, it was difficult enough trying to keep your binoculars
steady let alone a scope, I can understand why the golfers at St Andrews
got so frustrated. It was another good Golden Eagle day and we also saw
White-tailed Eagle and Great skuas again. The best small birds of the day
were Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat and I also got a decent Common Buzzard
picture.
 
July 15th
Weather drizzle and low
cloud in the morning improving as the day went on - Peregrine Falcon, Golden
Eagles and Hen Harriers were the star raptors of the day with guests enjoying
a juvenile Golden Eagle flying very precariously and landing face down,
plenty of work needed on flying technique methinks. We had watched and
lost a male Hen Harrier when it suddenly appeared in front of the van as
we had just set off giving us a terrific view as had the Peregrine earlier
in the day. We had a fantastic Linnet sighting today which as regular readers
know is my favorite bird so I was more than pleased with the day.
July 14th
Weather rain in the morning
brightening up in the afternoon but breezy all day - We saw 3 Great Skuas
today as well as a White-tailed Eagle being mobbed by Hooded Crows we also
saw 5 Ringed Plovers. Red Deer and an Otter were also seen today as well
as lots of baby Rabbits which is good news for the birds of prey. There
are a lot of fledgling birds appearing on our bird feeders at the moment
which shows that the dry weather helped birds rearing young.
July 13th
Weather another very good
weather day - We had great views today of a Sedge Warbler, it is always
nice to see small birds on the tours and continuing that theme watching
Swallows and House Martins collecting mud provided guests with a good talking
point. Other good bird sightings today included Manx Shearwaters, Gannets,
Kittiwakes and Red Throated Divers. A great view today of a Golden Eagle
sitting on a hill, check the photos below.
 
July 12th
Weather perfect after early
morning drizzle - Today the highlight was the best views of 2 Golden Eagles
I think I have had in 9 years of doing tours - sensational. I am not going
to say any more about todays tour because everything else we saw including
Basking Shark pales into insignificance. Just a word about my friend Ruby
who is a delight to take out and enchanted all my other guests. See below
wild flowers we are seeing on the tours at the moment.
 
 
 
July 11th
Weather wind and rain all
morning improving in the afternoon but still breezy - Otter at the first
stop set the tone for the day which despite the weather again turned out
to be a very good one. We saw both Eagles very well and Fallow and Red
Deer with calves enjoying some late afternoon sunshine, both types of Seal
were seen with a baby Common Seal providing the best comments. The day
ended in sunshine at one of my favorite spots watching diving Gannets and
lots of other seabirds. After the recent monsoons we have spectacular waterfalls
at the moment and the rain has brought on some of the summer flowers which
are looking superb now.
 
 
July 10th
Weather beautiful all day
with only a slight breeze - I had to go to Craignure today to get something
for the self-catering which had broken and of course I took my binoculars
and scope which came in very handy as I soon spotted a ring-tailed Hen
Harrier which gave me good views for several minutes. As I was looking
at the Common Terns in the sound of Mull when I saw a White-tailed Eagle,
so even when I have a day off I still see wildlife on this wonderful island,
which is just as well as I spent the afternoon mowing lawns, not my favorite
hobby.
July 9th
Weather a really dire morning
heavy rain and winds, fortunately it improved in the afternoon - A different
day today taking guests from a cruise ship to Iona. They just wanted views
and a little of the history of the island, the views were non existent
in the morning but they enjoyed the Abbey and their afternoon return journey.
With the guests on Iona I went to Uiskin Bay and managed to see a Red Throated
Diver as I enjoyed a cup of hot coffee in the awful weather.
July 8th
Weather Still windy and
showery - I think we have had enough rain for the time being, the Mull
drought is well and truly over. I had a day off today to go and get my
hair cut in Tobermory a much needed operation as I had started to get Denis
Healey eyebrows. When I got back home I was watching the birds in the garden
and realized they have suddenly started to eat the peanuts and fat balls
again which they had been ignoring whilst breeding.
July 7th
Weather the same as yesterday
- A good day which nearly turned disastrous as an Otter ran out right in
front of the bus, it was so close only the 2 guests sitting in the front
seat and myself (just as well) saw it. All of the Mull specialities were
seen except for Hen Harrier today, for me however a wonderful view of a
group of Kittiwakes sitting on a rock out of the wind took some beating.
 
July 6th
Weather very windy with
heavy showers chilly - Very good White-tailed Eagle to start the day which
was good for me as it was pretty grotty weatherwise at the time. At the
next stop we had brilliant diving Gannets, very close in with views that
got even an old birder like me excited. We had views of young Common Seals
with their mums as we waited for a Golden Eagle to show itself which fortunately
for me it eventually did. Below 3 pictures in sequence of Gannet diving.
  
July 5th
Weather sunny, cloudy,
windy with occasional heavy showers - Fantastic guests today rewarded with
Goosanders and Red Breasted Mergansers, Redshank, Snipe, Yellowhammers,
Whitethroat, Lapwings and Curlews. We also saw 3 White-tailed Eagles, Buzzards,
Kestrels, Golden Eagle and a really close female (ring tail) Hen Harrier.
A lot of Red Deer were seen including stags and very young calf and the
highlight for some guests a mother Otter with 2 cubs. I think amongst all
the birds seen today my pick would be the recently fledged Sand Martins
on telegraph lines at our very first stop.
 
 
July 4th
Weather very wet with gale
force winds - We nearly called off todays tour due to the awful weather
but I am glad we didn't as it turned out to be not to bad a day for Mulls
special species. We saw 4 White-tailed Eagles, after a brilliant spot by
one of our guests of two very low down in the bushes a juvenile flew in
and both bird got up despite the weather to see it off giving us great
unexpected views. We also saw lots of Red Deer including a great view of
a stag and 2 Fallow Deer, next came an Otter which I spotted in the sea
weed, it obligingly came out of the water onto a rock for several minutes
and pleased the guests with it's antics. It stopped raining and the clouds
lifted for a short time and we took the opportunity to see if we could
find a Golden Eagle, unlikely in the weather but we were lucky as one left
it's territory just as we arrived and gave us good views. Finally we saw
both male and female Hen Harriers at very close quarters before the weather
again turned horrible and we decided to call it a day.
July 3rd
Weather cloudy and breezy
with occasional heavy shower - Birds talk, oh yes theydo, I have not had
any feed for a week as my order was stuck in a shed at Oban and not delivered
so the birds had no feed and disappeared. The feed arrived late yesterday
and I put it out this morning, eventually one or two turned up and by this
afternoon the Ardrioch bird restaurant was heaving with the feeders having
waiting lists. I don't know where they have been for the past week but
the bird bush telegraph has been very busy and they are back in numbers
now.
July 2nd
Weather dry for most of
the day with sunshine and cloud but very windy - Despite the sea being
full of white horses we managed a very good Otter which took some finding
in the choppy water but eventually it came on shore with a large fish so
all guests got good views. Buzzard, White-tailed Eagle and Golden Eagle
all interacting together giving good comparisons between Mulls largest
raptors was the other highlight of an otherwise quiet day.
July 1st
Weather wet and windy hoorah
- We needed some rain and today we got it in abundance, my guests were
not so impressed however at the end of the day I think they might just
have changed their minds. I admit we did not see lots of wildlife but we
did manage a White-tailed Eagle and chick, 2 Otters one very close indeed
out of the water eating a fish, a very close Common Seal see picture below.
We went on to see a brilliant Short Eared Owl hunting, a group of Red Deer
hinds with calves and 2 Golden Eagles to finish off the day, in which the
weather had been at best awful for wildlife watching. It just goes to show
you never know what you might see or if you will see anything, isn't that
what makes wildlife watching so exhilarating.
 
 
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