 
April 2012
April 30th
A quiet day with a lovely
evening. Pam writing, and all is tence as Arthur is sitting on the edge
of his seat watching the 'big match' on TV. So to keep out of his way I
took the dogs for an evening stroll around the farm. I had only just got
into the field when I heard a bird calling and turned to watch a Tree Pipit
floating down and land in the top of a small tree. It was lovely just listening
to the birds singing their 'Evening chorus' especially a Blackbird high
up at the top of a tall tree as a Sparrowhawk circled ominously overhead.
Earlier in the day we saw a Greenshank on Loch Cuin, 2 Ringed Plovers and
a pair of late staying Goldeneye Ducks.
As I finish writing all is
well.................Manchester City won.
April 29th
A very sunny day but certainly
not scorchio for a tour which began with a flying White-tailed Sea Eagle,
3 more were to follow during the day. After looking at a singing Willow
Warbler our attention was drawn to 3 Hen Harriers, 2 female and a male
display diving like crazy trying to impress said females, it was a very
good performance which did not seem to impress the ladies as they flew
off in the opposite direction. Even more disappointing for our amorous
male as a rival turned up stage right. We moved on for morning coffee and
found the two Adders in the picture under my strategically placed tin sheet......Result.
At lunch a really close Otter was seen with a pretty good sized Crab and
a Whimbrel turned up as we were watching the Otter. After lunch a Golden
Eagle flew giving great views and as if not to be out done a Buzzard appeared
being mobbed by a Kestrel. We were just about to leave the lunch spot when
lo and behold a Peregrine Falcon turned up and gave us a right regal show,
still thought the Harriers were better but it ran them close. Red Deer
both types of Seal 6 more very good Whimbrel and the other 3 WTSE were
seen in the afternoon, however sighting of the afternoon had to be the
5 Red Throated Divers seen on Loch Na Keal.
 
 
 
April 28th
Another early start today
and it was beautiful again but -5 degrees when I got in the car to go to
Aros Park in Tobermory at 6-30am. On the way into Tobermory I took the
opportunity to take a couple of photographs of the early morning mist rising
off the Mishnish Lochs. It is the Mull music festival this weekend but
I bet the festival music was not as spectacular as the dawn chorus in Aros
Park this morning. I was really lucky today as I was rewarded with 2 more
species for my Mull year list. A Chiffchaff not a prolific bird on Mull
and 2 singing male Blackcaps along with all the regular birds in the park
I had a really good time.... truly for birders early mornings are best.
 
 
April 27th
Woke up this morning feeling
fine as was the weather again if a little chilly. so I decided to do a
little sea watching from Cailaich Point, it was 6am and it was cold but
very rewarding. I saw 3 new species for the year and enjoyed myself immensely.
When I arrived a Great Skua was flying over the point. well just holding
in the wind giving me a tremendous view. Noticing some Auks flying past
the point I ventured to the very end and boy was it worth it. Gannets and
Fulmars flying past my nose. Manx Shearwaters gliding effortlessly over
the waves Kittiwakes, Guillemots and Razorbills and even time to take a
picture of the Cal Mac ferry on route to Coll. Then my cup runneth over,
what I had been looking for but not really expecting to see, two Puffins
close in on the calmer sheltered sea, I was to say the least pleased. before
I could line up the camera on the scope they had dived and I could not
pick them up again but I still have the picture in my head even if I can't
share it with you. On my way home I saw a White Wagtail and a nice Mistle
Thrush with an insect in its beak and did manage to photograph them for
you.
 
 
April 26th
A sunny but very windy day
today so as we had no tour and to avoid being blown away by the wind we
did some jobs in and around the house and farm. As we were not wildlife
watching today I took a few pictures of Mull and Ardrioch just to make
all readers in rain soaked area jealous. Please note the 3 little Lambs
from our front field as Pam was quite miffed I had not mentioned them originally
in todays blog.
 
 
April 25th
A tour on a very windy and
cool day but We did see a small group of 3 Twite picking at grit on the
road in front of us as we drove slowly along, my first Twite of the year.
Fallow Deer and Red Deer were also seen as were Common Seals. White-tailed
Sea Eagle both sitting and flying with a pair on a nest looking as if the
eggs are about to hatch or even might have already hatched it was
all quite exciting, I will keep you posted. We are still enjoying very
dry weather here this month, even if we are having a job to stand up due
to the wind, a stark contrast from last year when we had all the rain.
Pictures of Grey Heron and Drake Red Breasted Merganser at Dervaig below.
April 24th
A beautiful Mull day and
no tour so I went for a walk with Pam and found 2 more species for my year
list. The beautiful Common Redstart, summers would not be the same without
this gorgeous little bird and my favourite Pipit the Tree Pipit with its
lovely t'zee, t'zee, tzee call as it flies up from a tree into the air
before parachuting back to its original spot. It was a lovely day and a
really nice walk. Common Sandpipers are everywhere now and I only saw my
first one a few days ago.
April 23rd
Another tour in very good
weather and it turned into a great Eagle and Harrier day. We had already
seen Fallow Deer stags and close views of Common Seals before we had reached
a White-tailed Eagle territory and then we had terrific views of the Eagles
in trees and flying being mobbed by Buzzards. We then spotted a juvenile
Golden Eagle also being mobbed by Buzzards and a Peregrine Falcon. Great
Northern Divers and another view of the Fallow Deer followed before arriving
at a favorite Golden Eagle site to be given a terrific display by an Eagle
determined we should get the most out of the day. More views of Buzzards
and amazing Kestrels followed but despite the best efforts of all the other
raptors the birds of the day were the Hen harriers we picked up at 5pm
when all the other land based tours have finished. The male bird in particular
was incredible hunting right past us for over half an hour, it was still
hunting and giving great views when I had to call it a day at a quarter
to six and we still had to get back to Tobermory. It truly was a wonderful
day for seeing birds of prey at close quarters and it makes my job so special.
Not only was the wildlife wonderful today but the views were spectacular
and I took a couple of photographs of Loch Frisa before I had even picked
up my guests this morning.
April 22nd
A tour today and all change
weather wise with a lot of rain but mainly showers so not a complete washout.
Both white-tailed and Golden Eagle seen well today as was Otter, Red Deer,
Red Throated and Great Northern Divers and Common Seal. My favorite sighting
of the day a beautiful male Reed Bunting on the shore of Loch Na Keal.
April 21st
We had to deal with new lambs
today and as it was change over day in the self-catering we had little
time for wildlife watching but did have a pair of Bullfinches in the garden
always a delightful bird to see. The weather remains very pleasant with
lots of sunshine and little rain.
April 20th
Not a bad 24 hours to report,
the drought on Mull continues as does the sunshine, long, long may it continue.
On our way to a friends house for dinner last night we saw 2 Short Eared
Owls out hunting and on our way home we had our best Tawny Owl sighting
for 2 years. This evening on our way back from bird club we had a very
close encounter with a Barn Owl, so now only Long Eared Owl to go as we
don't have Little Owl here on Mull. Another great tour today with all target
species seen as well as Fallow Deer and Grey Seal including the one in
the photo below. We saw some nice Eider Ducks as well today one of Pam's
favorite birds after birds of prey and to make Pam's day complete a pod
of about 8 porpoise very close to shore. I did manage to get a photo but
after making sure all our guests had seen them they were moving away but
if you look very carefully you can make them out in the photograph.
 
 
April 19th
We have had so much
sunny weather I am starting to think we might be in for a drought, I am
sure we have had more sunny days already this year than in the whole of
last year, it will teach me not to buy an expensive raincoat again in March
even if it was in the sales. Still no sign of the Red Deer, I think we
have got rid of them at last. our friends and next door neighbours are
now complaining of 4 Red Deer in their garden, I wonder where they came
from? Today we went up to the point at Cailiach with friends and saw our
first Minke Whale
of the year and a total of 5 Mountain Hares,
again the first we have seen this year. I managed to get a photo of one
of the Hares and of some Fulmars.
 
April 18th
Great weather again and a
very good tour which included our first Common Sandpiper of the year. The
other main highlights were 3 very good Hen Harriers 2 males and a female,
guests and Pam and I were delighted. Otter and lots of Red Deer, White-tailed
Eagle and a close Golden Eagle were all seen and to end the day a Peregrine
Falcon with 2 of the 3 Hen Harriers.
 
 
April 17th
No tour today so I went and
spent an hour sea watching and although we had a particularly vicious hail
storm for about 10 minutes I was all cosy under the boot door of the van
and continued to bird watch quite happily. For me sea watching is great
as you never know what is going to show up, yesterday it was lots of Gannets
which were very nice but getting a single Manx Shearwater was my highlight
as it was my first of the year and took some finding. I also saw a single
Kittiwake and a single Fulmar which gave particularly good views. As I
was following a small flock of Guillemots a Gannet dived right through
my view making a terrific splash it was certainly a surprise if not a Wow
moment. In the late afternoon when checking out our local Loch a White-tailed
Sea Eagle flew over my head being hotly pursued by a very noisy Hooded
Crow.
April 16th
Another tour today and although
it was mainly sunny there was a very cool breeze. It helps when wildlife
watching to have good eyesight and it has to be said that Pam's is better
than most, however I think she met her match today with a young lady called
Ella, boy could she spot, if it was there to be seen she would see it even
if us lesser mortals couldn't, she pointed to the birds and we saw them
with binoculars. Unfortunately today they were invariably Buzzards but
we did see both Eagles, Kestrels, Red Deer and Grey Seals. Birds of the
day were a Pair of Red Throated Divers and a breeding plumaged Great Northern
Diver.
April 15th
A glorious day for a tour
and we certainly had a great day with Red Deer stags, a White-tailed Sea
Eagle and an Otter seen before coffee break. More WTSE were seen one right
overhead and we also had a close view of a Golden Eagle, bird of the day
however was a Peregrine Falcon which flew right over our heads at lunch
time, it really was a fabulous sighting of this iconic raptor.
 
 
April 14th
Another lovely day and another
new bird for my year list, this time it was a Linnet and as regular readers
will know by now this is my favorite bird so I was in modern parlance,
WELL PLEASED. I saw 2 White-tailed Sea Eagles in a regular haunt which
isn't great news as it means they have not bred again this year. I spent
a large part of the afternoon cleaning through our water supply after the
winter monsoons ready for self-catering guests so they and us will have
beautiful clean water to drink all summer.
April 13th
I cannot believe this weather
another bright sunny day so I went for a walk to Croig and saw my first
Willow Warbler of the year, it will not be long before there seems to be
a Willow Warbler in every tree. Whilst I was out Pam saw 2 White-tailed
Eagles, 2 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk inter-acting above our house, she
was quite excited when a second Sparrowhawk was seen as we had lost one
in the winter with a broken wing. Looking at the little birds in the garden
and they didn't appear to be quite so enamoured.
April 12th
A lovely early morning sea
watching at Cailaich Point saw plenty of Auks both Guillemots and Razorbills,
some Gannets, Kittiwakes and my first Fulmars of the year. Later I had
to take our guests in the self- catering to pick up their car from the
garage in Salen as it had broken down the day before. On my way home I
saw 2 separate Swallows my first this year, a beautiful Wheatear and a
pair of Canada Geese, we don't really want too many of this species but
they do look very smart.
 
April 11th
Pam took the dogs for a walk
at Cailaich today as it was so nice if a little cool and it was notable
how the Spring flowers are now appearing in greater numbers with Celandines,
Primroses. Violets and a few Wood Anemones now out and even some sheltered
bushes of the Rhodadendrum Ponticum the one with the purple flowers are
in full bloom.
 
 
April 10th
A lovely day weather wise
and the final day for leaflet drops as we had no tour. As we were out and
about we managed a bit of birding seeing a White-tailed Eagle and of course
some Buzzards a few Teal my favorite duck. We also saw our next door
neighbours who we haven't seen for a while and we bump into them, not literally,
20 miles from home and had a nice blether. There was a lovely male Sparrowhawk
in a tree by the bird feeders this morning, my he looked magnificently
menacing. It is very quiet here now that the Grand Children have left,
just in case you are worried Mum and Dad left with them and they saw an
Otter on their way to the ferry which is a good way to remember Mull by.
April 9th
A poor forecast resulted
in a lovely Spring Mull day and boy were the birds up after yesterday,
6 White-tailed Eagles were seen, more Buzzards than you could throw a stick
at, brilliant Golden Eagle, a Hen Harrier and a Peregrine Falcon. As well
as Red Deer we nearly ran over a group of about a dozen Fallow Deer which
were not too perturbed and hung around long enough for guests to get some
great photographs. A good day finished on a great note with 3 very close
Short Eared Owls and a male Hen harrier interacting, talk about finishing
on a high we were up in cloud cuckoo land. We had 2 children on the tour
today Lucas and Electra aged 7 and 10 who were delightful and keen and
deserved their run down Calgary Beach as we had afternoon tea and cake,
they were pretty good rock climbers at lunch time as well climbing near
Eas Force waterfall without spilling any soup, Oh to be young again, I
have a job not to spill any when I am standing still. Another lovely day
out thanks to all.
April 8th
Another tour today and the
weather to say the least was not very helpful low cloud and drizzle for
most of the day. We went looking for Golden Eagle to start our day as it
was not yet raining and despite my worst fears we actually saw one which
gave us a good sighting which was cut short as the rain started. Red Deer
were seen well and we did get a view of a White-tailed Sea Eagle, bird
of the day though was another great Merlin sighting, four tours in a row
now that we have had good Merlin sightings. I have again to thank guests
for their humour, we laughed for most of the day in spite of the weather
but I had to take an awful lot of stick as I was the butt of most of the
humour.
April 7th
we took advantage of a better
morning to have a really nice walk down Loch Ba with our family and the
three girls aged 2, 4 and 6 walked for over 4 miles without too much complaining
am I a doting proud grandpa or what. In the event we saw a beautiful Grey
Wagtail an the Loch shore my first of the season and lots of Snipe, Lapwing,
Curlew, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. In the afternoon Becky our daughter
helped me drive out the Red Deer my numptiness had let in during the previous
week, she's a really good girl as it was pouring with rain most of the
afternoon.
April 6th
A very dreary day for a tour
and Pam went out with our guests to give me more time with our grand children.
A big thank you to our guests who according to Pam were delightful and
put her under no pressure and were rewarded of plenty of good wildlife
even if they did not see a Golden Eagle due to the weather. Unusual sighting
of the day were 2 Goosander at Dervaig and lots of summer plumaged Slavonian
Grebes and Great Northern divers. The day ended with a a great view of
a very obliging Short Eared Owl. In the evening we went with the girls
to the Bellachroy Inn and had a really nice time with very good food and
3 very good girls, there were other young children eating out in the Bellachroy
and I can honestly say they were all so well behaved we did not know they
were there; Who says todays children don't know how to behave the ones
in the Bellachroy tonight were all exemplary.
April 5th
A typical Mull day when after
drizzle all morning the sun came out as did all the birds With great sightings
of Golden and White-tailed Sea Eagle, Buzzards and Kestrels were also seen
but the bird of prey birds of the day were the Male and female Hen harriers
interacting with a Short Eared Owl. Other notable birds seen today were
An Iceland Gull, a Bar-tailed Godwit and my first Sand Martins of the year.
April 4th
A day out with the Grand
Children today so as the tides were right we went down the beach to underneath
the waterfall at Eas Force. It is a tricky walk over rocks but the children
aged 6, 4 and 2 enjoyed it as we made it into a challenge looking in rock
pools for anemones and limpets and we even found an otter lie up holt.
If the waterfall looks spectacular from the top you should see it from
the bottom. In the evening we went for a wonderful meal at Killoran House
just up the road from us and while having pre dinner drink watched a female
Hen Harrier and 3 Short Eared Owls hunting over the hill opposite the hotel,
lovely to see on a beautiful evening and the meal was wonderful as always.
 
 
April 3rd
Shiver me timbers where has
the warm weather gone, a tour today amid snow flurries and gusts of gale
force winds. Bird of the day was a female Merlin, I think it was probably
the
closest I have ever been to this delightful little bird of prey. Good views
of White-tailed Sea Eagles and Red Deer but for me the other good sighting
of the day were 18 Redshank at Dervaig, a very large count for this area.
April 2nd
A cloudy day with the odd
bit of wet weather and the Siskins returned to our garden, the first I
have seen this year. Another first of the year for me our 3 not so quiet
Grand Daughters, they arrived in time for a walk on Calgary Beach where
we saw a Great Northern Diver nearly in complete breeding plumage.
April 1st
A tour today in low cloud
and drizzle but very calm. Miraculously we saw 2 White-tailed Sea Eagles,
2 Golden Eagles, 3 Buzzards, 2 Hen Harriers, a kestrel and a Merlin my
1st of the year and I tell guests Eagles don't fly in rain, well today
they did. Other birds of note were the quantity of Slavonian Grebes and
Great Northern Divers we saw with 16 Slavonian Grebes at one spot and 9
Great Northern Divers at another. We saw an Otter, lots of Fallow and Red
Deer and several Common Seals, it turned out to be a fantastic day of Mull
wildlife watching. Our 3 small Grand Daughters arrive tomorrow, could be
much more wild watching soon then.
2011 April 30th
Weather beautiful but windy
- A day full of birds of prey with fabulous sighting of a Merlin that we
followed down the road and saw several times in a 5 minute period. Displaying
Hen Harriers both in the morning and afternoon which of course delighted
our guests as did the White-tailed Sea Eagle changeover at a nest
site and a very close Golden Eagle. Little birds were in short supply as
there was too much wind.
April 29th
Weather beautiful sunny with
a light warm breeze - It was very good weather today for a Spring wedding
and Pam spent the day watching one, we wish them both well. I went out
birding, what else, an early morning walk to look for Sedge and Grasshopper
Warbler, saw the Sedge heard the Grasshoppers at least 6 in Dervaig reed
beds. Later I went and did a bird atlas square and heard a Wood Warbler
and my first Chiffchaff on Mull without see either of them.
April 28th
Weather cloudy calm
and warm - another fabulous sighting of Hen Harriers concluded another
good bird of prey day, with another 4 Golden Eagles seen although guests
had to be fairly patient. We had lots of small birds today with a really
good Yellowhammer being the stand out. Red Deer and Seals were the main
Mammals of the day as again the Otter seen was very brief and seen only
by one guest, it pays to be alert were Otters are concerned.
April 27th
Weather sunny, breezy, dry
but cool in the coastal breeze - We had our first Dunlin of the year on
todays tour and a good sighting of a pair of displaying Common Sandpipers
and 3 Linnets on a fence which most guests saw. There are more whitethroats
about now and they are giving guests good views sitting out on bushes.
I heard my first Sedge Warbler of the year today but did not see it and
I have still to see a cuckoo although we hear them everyday on the tours.
All the usual suspects seen on todays tour although the Otter was very
brief.
 
April 26th
Weather sunny, warm and calm
- Two more year firsts today, a House Martin and a White Wagtail but we
also had a tour first, two scrapping Field Voles, a sight I have never
seen before. We had some good sightings of smaller birds today with Common
Whitethroat, Willow Warblers, Wheatears, Wrens and common Sandpipers being
the standouts. Red Deer and both types of Eagle were seen as usual as were
two fighting Kestrels and several Buzzards another good wildlife watching
day.
 
 
April 25th
Weather sunny but cool with
light breeze - Whimbrel seen again today and I saw my first Common Whitethroat
of the year and a Black Throated Diver was also seen. We had wonderful
sightings of White-tailed Sea Eagles today and 5 different Golden Eagles
but the most spectacular sighting of a very good day was of a displaying
male Hen Harrier which had all of us watching this spectacular flying display
in awe.
April 24th
Weather Rain all morning
sunny in the afternoon, calm - On a tour today I saw my first Whinchat
of the year, we also had great sightings of 2 Red Throated Divers, Great
Northern Divers, a male Linnet and Golden Eagle. The sighting of the day
however was of a mother and cub Otter quite close in and out of the water
for over an hour, guests were delighted and I was delighted for them, 4
Otters in total during a very pleasant trip with lovely guests.
 
 
April 21st - April 23rd
We had visitors
for Easter so blog on back burner
April 20th
Weather cloudy with light
breeze - Common Sandpipers are arriving daily now and we saw at least 4
today, we also heard two distant calling Cuckoos. As well as the Buzzards,
Eagles and Kestrels we are seeing more Peregrine Falcons and Merlins this
spring. In the hills the sound of spring is all around us as we look for
the Eagles with calling Curlews, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, it is perfect
to be out there listening to these evocative sounds.
 
April 19th
Weather sunny and warm but
cold wind in exposed areas - Arthur had to see the dentist today so I (Pam)
was out on the tour with another nice group all eager to see Eagles and
they were not disappointed with lots of both kinds seen well. A very enthusiastic
Tom (aged 8) was delighted to see his second ever Golden Eagle, he excitedly
told us the first he saw was stuffed. Red and Fallow Deer were seen as
well as Seals but unfortunately no Otters today. The birds of the day for
me were the dozen or more Great northern Divers looking splendid in full
summer plumage and calling with a wonderful haunting sound.
April 18th
Weather sunny
all day breezy and warm out of the wind - Another good day with a really
nice group of guests, White-tailed Sea Eagles were the bird of the day
giving us some fantastic views and included in this was last years injured
youngster still doing well and now feeding itself and hopefully well on
the road to recovery. We saw 3 Otters today but at quite a long distance
away but everyone got to see them through the telescopes. A good sighting
of a Hen Harrier at one of our first stops and of course lots of Buzzard
and kestrel sightings.
April 17th
Weather sunny first thing
then low cloud and drizzle for most of the day - An early start for todays
tour and a good job it was as we had seen most of Mulls specialities before
the rain and low cloud came down, including a Common Sandpiper my first
of the year. At the end of the day as the cloud was lifting we stopped
at a spot on the way back into Tobermory and watched as birds got up from
everywhere including a Golden Eagle, at least 3 Buzzards and a Kestrel
and lots and lots of Crows and Ravens. A fitting end to a great day out
with very good humoured and patient guests who bore the low cloud with
great fortitude.
April 16th
Weather cloudy, dry but a
cold wind in places - We took an extra tour today and to give Arthur a
rest I (Pam) took the tour, it was a slow start to the day with not much
to be seen until after morning coffee when we saw the Fallow Deer. 'Things
are looking up' I said, and I was right as they were closely followed by
White-tail Eagle and Otter. By the end of the day we had seen everything
guests wanted to see so we came back home for afternoon tea, a warm up
in front of the Aga and a cuddle with the baby lambs for our younger guests.
Arthur was far from relaxed when I got home, but again all ended
well when Manchester City won some important football match.
April 15th
Weather the same as yesterday
- another tour today with the wildlife not being as obliging as in recent
days and we did not see any Otters, we did however see Fallow Deer which
we have not been seeing of late. I saw my first Linnet of the year today
and as it is my favorite bird I was really pleased, other great sightings
today were of 2 male Goosanders a really beautiful Duck to see.
 
April 14th
Weather lovely
day light cloud with sunny spells and reasonably warm in the sunshine,
light breeze - Perfect conditions for looking for Otters and Seals and
we saw lots of Common Seals and 3 Otters which as always delighted our
guests. We had both types of Eagle again today but boy did the Golden Eagle
take patience, I think all our guests had given up on seeing one when I
heard the honking of a Raven, knowing Ravens and Eagles don't get on I
searched the sky for the Calling Raven and there it was and whoopee it
was Chasing you guessed it a Golden Eagle. The Eagle proceeded to fly on
the thermals for about 10 minutes before landing on a hillock and giving
all guests a chance to see it through the telescopes. Another successful
day, as I say to our guests " don't worry about seeing the big stuff, leave
me to worry about finding it, if we have not seen it by 4pm start worrying"
I think they had started worrying and it was only 3-30pm.
 
April 13th
Weather low cloud and rain
all day - not a day to be out and about but I did go to Calgary with Mike
Shepherd a friend of ours who comes to Mull a lot for wildlife watching,
painting and to chill out far from the crowded South where he lives. There
was not a lot to see in the weather but I managed to get a Photo of The
Great Northern Diver we saw yesterday.
April 12th
Weather sunny with a couple
of short sharp April showers and a brief hail storm - A tour today and
we had great views of a Peregrine Falcon frightening Pigeons before going
to a favoured sitting spot. We also a superb sighting of a close Great
Northern Diver in summer plumage, a lovely bird to see. Both types of Eagles,
2 Otters and lots of Red Deer were also seen as were Sand Martins and newly
arrived Swallows. Another good tour with very nice guests who were very
positive, patient and wildlife enthusiasts.
April 11th
Weather sunny with occasional
showers - No tour today so I spent some time organizing a pen for the new
lamb and her mum to be able to go outside on some grass without disturbance
and where they had some shelter. The rest of the day was spent on paperwork,
no wildlife watching today, shame.
April 10th
Weather mainly warm and sunny
a bit cooler when the sun went in - I make no apologies for starting todays
blog with a lamb update. When we were driving past our house towards the
end of todays tour we noticed a ewe had just lambed but the lamb was not
moving, so we stopped and I ran to the lamb which was still alive - just,
getting the lamb by its back legs I gave it a shake to clear its airways
and then left it with nursemaid shepherdess Pam to look after it. Pam was
brilliant and after 6 hours giving the lamb colostrum and ministering to
it managed at 9pm to get it to suck off its mother by itself. The next
morning it got up and stretched to show it had no real ill effect from
its ordeal of the day before, so to all my guests who were very concerned
about the welfare of the little lamb I can assure you it is doing very
well thank you and here are the photo's of her with her mum the next morning.
 
As to the tour yesterday I saw
my first Swallows of the year and we had the most fantastic views of a
pair of Golden Eagles and to prove this go to Prassad's Treshnish
Blog as he was watching the same Eagles at the same time but his photo's
are brilliant - mine were not Hey Ho.
An interesting feature about
Mull proving we are not just about Eagles and Otters but about everything
to do with wildlife.
Mull
Hazelwoods Landward
April 9th
Weather sunny, breezy but
very warm - A great day to be born if you are a lamb and we had our first
baby lamb of the year this morning to a first time mum and as you can see
from the picture she took to motherhood as if she was born to it. An early
morning start today not a tour but in hope of seeing Owls, I did not see
any however I did see my first Willow Warbler of the year, so today was
a day of firsts and very nice they were too and Pam hasn't told me off
today, now that is a first.
 
April 8th
Weather Sunny after early
morning mist - A morning spent on our water supply and some work to prevent
Red Deer jumping our iron wicket gate by the road, Pam spent the morning
baking biscuits for the tours. This afternoon I went to see if there was
any wildlife to be found and although there was not a lot to be seen apart
from 3 Great Northern Divers and a Red Throated Diver I was able to take
a picture of the long staying Pink Footed Goose still with Greylags at
Calgary and a nice picture of a Shelduck a very pretty duck and now pairing
up and on territory.
 
April 7th
Weather cloudy with a little
sunshine, warmer as only a light breeze - A tour today and a good day for
the big stuff, another terrific Otter sighting, 4 White-tailed Sea Eagles,
Golden eagles pair bonding, Buzzard, Kestrels and a probable Merlin but
to brief a view to be certain. Red Deer, Common Seals, Rabbits and of course
the Otter were the mammals seen on a very good day, other notable birds
seen were Slavonian Grebes and Red Throated and Great Northern Divers,
good day with very nice guests.
 
April 6th
Weather Rain, rain, rain,
windy Oh Did I mention RAIN - What a day and despite the awful weather
we saw A Golden Eagle sheltering from the rain, 2 White-tailed sea Eagles
flying in the rain, Red and Fallow Deer ignoring the rain, an Otter fishing
in the rain, a Kestrel dashing about trying to outrun the rain and finally
a flock of 10 Whooper Swans dropped onto Ulva to get out of the rain. IT
RAINED A LOT TODAY?
 
 
April 5th
Weather low cloud but dry
morning rain in the afternoon - A tour today where for me the highlight
was the Red Necked Grebe seen in Laggan Ulva bay, the bird was quite close
in but by the time we picked it up the weather conditions were deteriorating
fast and it had started raining, so the photo is very grainy. Brilliant
Otter again today and a White-tailed Eagle in the morning, lots of Red
Deer were seen as were Seals and Buzzards. We saw a good smattering of
coastal birds including Lapwings, Curlews, Redshanks, Shelduck, Eider and
Great Northern Divers, so although the weather was not great it was quite
a good day overall.
 
April 4th
Weather today it was windy
and very wet - We went to Calgary in the late afternoon after it had stopped
raining and were transfixed by the rollers on the waves coming into Calgary
Bay, Those of you who Know this beautiful bay know how shallow the water
is here, today however you could have brought your surf boards and had
a great time, most unusual. Around the corner the waves were crashing in
over the skerries a most spectacular sight, there is always something to
see and surprise you on this fantastic island including the lovely male
Eider surfing in Calgary Bay.
April 3rd
Weather sunshine and showers
breezy cool when not in the sun -A tour today with a local family, they
were delightful and particularly wanted to see an Otter and thanks to Pam
spotting one in the rough sea we were able to give them wonderful views.
We owe this to the wind and the Otter and a bit of field craft, our guests
could not pick up the Otter in the rough seas so having worked out which
way the Otter was travelling we got in front of it and waited and whoopee
for once we had got it right and the Otter came round the point and started
fishing in a sheltered cove bringing a Crab out only 20 yards from where
we were waiting. The wind was blowing right in our faces so the Otter could
not scent us and proceeded to delight our guest for the next 10 minutes
with its undisturbed antics, brilliant. Both types of Eagles were seen
as were Buzzards, Kestrels and Sparrowhawk but bird of the day for me was
my first Whimbrel of the year.
April 2nd
Weather we have had a night
of non stop rain which continued for most of the morning, the afternoon
was much better - Pam and I went to Tobermory this morning, then came home
via Salen and Ulva and despite the weather commented on the views and the
incredible light we have here on Mull. One view of the dark cloud with
sunlight shining through it onto the hills beyond was truly breathtaking
but even if I had got my camera with me I could not have done it justice.
Our Sparrowhawk spent 10 minutes in a tree in the garden today, as it is
so poor at catching birds in flight I think this might be a new tactic
to lull the little birds into a false sense of security and become careless,
It did not work.
April 1st
Weather rain, cloud and windy
morning better in the afternoon - I went to Calgary Bay as soon as it was
light and saw the Pink Footed Goose was still with the Greylags in
the cemetery field. On my way to the shop in Dervaig I saw a Female Hen
Harrier quartering the ground not far from the new Barn Owl Box and in
the afternoon I serviced and checked out our water supply so that we will
have no problems for guests in the self-catering throughout the summer.
2010 April 30th
Weather the same as yesterday
with a little more sun - The views today were brilliant and we could see
as far as the Outer Hebrides without binoculars. No Otter today but very
Good White-tailed Eagles and Golden Eagles but the highlight for the guests
today were 3 separate Cuckoos in 3 different locations, it is surprising
how many people have heard Cuckoos without actually seeing them. We went
out to the Boathouse on Ulva
for
my birthday celebration meal and it was wonderful we cannot thank the girls
enough for their hospitality and great food.
April 29th
Weather cloudy with breeze
cool - Another day with the grand children beach combing at Croig where
we saw a very close Great Northern Diver and some Crabs and Limpets, i
walked the dogs round and round a small beach area to give them a good
walk it must have looked very strange. Later at Cailaich we were able to
show our 4 year old Grand Daughter an Otter through the scope.
April 28th
Weather a much better day
after heavy overnight rain - I am having a couple of days off to spend
them with my 3 young grand children, so a walk through the woods with the
dogs, then an hour at the Old Byre play area. After lunch we took them
to see the piglets in the picture below and also saw a couple of wild Black
Rabbits. On our way home we stopped to look for Otter and saw two in an
area where I had tried to find them yesterday but they weren't there, ah
well that's wildlife for you.
April 27th
Weather cool, cloudy and
breezy, rain in the late afternoon - White-tailed Eagles, Whimbrel and
Great Northern Divers were the wildlife highlights of todays tour,
although my birds of the day were Summer plumaged Dunlins and displaying
Redshanks seen on my way home at the end of the day. We included a lot
of history in todays tour which makes the tours more flexible and gives
guests not so interested in the wildlife a more rounded tour, hopefully
we cater for all tastes.
April 26th
Weather Cloudy but mainly
dry with westerly breeze - Another tour today and 2 White-tailed Eagles
one carrying prey, which looked like a rabbit. On the White-tailed Eagle
front, some bad news, we had confirmation today that the Loch Frisa nest
had failed due to the poor weather just as the youngsters had hatched.
2 Golden Eagles one a distant view of one on a cairn surveying its territory
the other flying giving great views. We also saw an Otter today which appeared
out of nowhere as we were looking at some Grey Seals, the Otter gave us
a great half hour as we had morning coffee. Another notable sighting today
was a group of Red Deer hinds with last years calves at a wallowing hole,
I have seen single Deer wallowing before but never a group of over 20.
Other notable sightings of the day were a fabulous view of a Whimbrel and
my first Mull House Martin of the year. Below find a picture of one of
2 Cock Pheasants which regularly appear in our garden.
 
April 25th
Weather cloudy turning
to rain in the afternoon - A quiet day with the family today with a nice
walk through the woods with the dogs this morning where we saw a family
of Crossbills feeding young. On returning home I found this lovely Emperor
Moth which at about 35mm wide is quite common in the north and wonderfully
colourful. There was a lovely female Lesser Redpoll on the feeders in the
garden this afternoon more than holding its own against the Siskins and
goldfinches. This evening Alan mullbirds
Spellman rang to say 2 Bee-eaters had been seen at Calgary so Pam &
I and the rest of the family went down to see what all the fuss was about
and low and behold they were there - 2 Bee-eaters. We had been all
the way to Southern Spain to look for these birds and they turn up 3 miles
from home.
 
April 24th
Weather lovely,
sunshine with slight breeze - After the rain of yesterday I decided to
sow some wildflower seeds in the rocky part of our lawn, I had to go to
a neighbour to get the top soil and fetch it back in the back of the car.
It took me most of the morning to prepare the seed bed and I sowed them
in the afternoon. This afternoon our daughter and son-in-law arrived with
our 3 small grandchildren and after helping us feed the orphan lambs we
all went down to Calgary beach with the dogs for a walk.
April 23rd
Weather low cloud and rain
all day damp air made it feel cold - We really needed the rain but I wish
it had come on a day when I did not have a tour. In the event 6 Guests
and I left Tobermory more in hope than expectation and within an hour we
were watching a White-tailed Eagle flying through the rain to perch on
a tree not far from where we were standing sheltered under the boot of
the van, check out the photo below taken through the rain. We saw a lot
of red Breasted Mergansers and a Slavonian Grebe at the same spot before
heading off to look for more wildlife and a very much needed hot drink.
We passed a couple of Fallow Deer on the way and whilst drinking our teas
and coffee heard a Cuckoo and tried very hard to see it but failed, we
did however see some Red Deer on the hillside. As we were heading towards
our lunch spot and a comfort break we passed a pair of Teal and Shelduck,
the Teal were late leaving and the Shelduck had arrived to breed, as we
looking at the ducks when a Whimbrel flew in giving us great views
of its different bill and striped head. Onto lunch and the Divers 2 Red
Throated and 5 Great Northern Divers in the bay together and superb Lapwings
in the field close by as we watched the Divers. After lunch we were quite
cold so we just drove gently around the island and talked about the History
and Geology we saw on the way until we reached a place where we might find
an Otter, sure enough as guests were looking at some Razorbills out on
the water I spotted an Otter just going out to fish, we watched the Otter
for quite a while before it caught a large fish and brought it to land
giving us all fantastic views. Now damp and cold I took our guests back
to our house for afternoon tea and cakes and a warm in front of the aga
and a look at our bird feeders. Birds seen on the feeders were Chaffinches,
Greenfinches, Collared Dove, Rock Doves lots of Siskins and a lovely Lesser
Redpoll, oh and the Sparrowhawk flew through twice. After tea we went back
to Tobermory and saw several Buzzards, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Sandpipers
and 6 redshanks, so a really good day with a lot of sightings some of them
excellent despite awful weather conditions.
 
April 22nd
Weather cloudy, cool but
dry - Another BTO day and 3 more squares covered including climbing up
a steep hill which my legs are not used to and my Knees complained about.
It was really worth it because of the fantastic views I had of 2 Hen Harriers
on territory, particularly the male which glided silently below me completely
unaware of my presence I think. It is really special to be out and about
in the countryside when you get sightings this good in such wonderful scenery
and you realize how lucky you are to live here.
April 21st
Weather warmer and less
windy but still cool and cloudy - BTO squares again today as I want
to get my first summer season visits done before May. The main highlights
of the walk were of a family of Crossbills which have now hatched as they
are early breeders and towards the end of the walk we saw a beautiful Bullfinch
always a treat when we see them, check out the photos below of one we saw
earlier in the month.
April 20th
Weather very cold and windy
with occasional wintry showers - A great group of guests today who put
up with the unseasonal weather with fortitude and good humour. Although
we did not see as many species of wildlife as usual due to the very windy
conditions we did manage excellent views of White-tailed Eagle, Golden
Eagles, Otters and Red and fallow Deer. The strangest sighting of the day
was a spectacular Peacock walking through the woods at Gruline, a first
for a Discover Mull Tour.
 
April 19th
Weather cooler but still
fine with strong breeze - a tour today and the guests wanted to see White-tailed
Eagles and at our first stop as we were looking at Red Breasted Mergansers
and Grey Seals a noisy Hooded Crow appeared from behind us and it was mobbing
a juvenile White-tailed Eagle, my guests were well choughed and so was
I only 10 minutes into the tour and guests satisfied. We had brilliant
views of Great Northern Divers with one of them in full summer plumage
and at lunch time a Golden Eagle sitting out on a ledge was superb. As
the weather got colder and windier as the day drew on we saw less birds
but this was more than made up with both types of Deer and even better
Seals. As well as Highland Cows with calves and Hebrides Sheep with lambs
we are now showing guests some Rare Breed Piglets on our tour. Cute or
what? that was Pams comment by the way I am not quite that soppy.
 
April 18th
Weather back to being beautiful
again - More BTO work today and our dogs were not bothering with Rabbits
today, this time it was Red Grouse they put one up and it was my first
of the year, 3 other year firsts today were Lesser Redpoll, Tree Pipits
and a Great Skua. We had wonderful views of 7 Whimbrel which landed right
in front of us on the coast and a party of 5 Manx Shearwater were seen
when we were watching 2 Great Northern Divers and a Gannet out at sea.
We then decided to have a well earned lunch at the tea rooms at Glengorm
Castle a very good choice the lunch was lovely, when I say we I mean Pam
and me not the dogs we seldom go out to lunch in tearooms with the dogs.
April 17th
Weather cloudy with a little
rain in the morning better in the afternoon - I did my first BTO square
for the summer today and saw a White-tailed Eagle, 2 Goosanders, a lot
of Willow Warblers, a pair of Reed Buntings and a pair of Common Sandpipers.
These were the highlights of the square but certainly not all the birds
seen, we also saw some Red Deer and chased some rabbits, well I did not
chase the Rabbits that was Misty and Sally our dogs who were with me at
the time.
April 16th
Weather day 10 of glorious
weather if a little cooler in the afternoon - another great tour today
2 White- tailed Eagles within the first 10 minutes followed by red Deer
Stags and 2 Otters before morning coffee. We then saw a Common Sandpiper
my first of the year and three Golden Eagles, later in the day we witnessed
changeovers between adults on both White-tailed and Golden Eagle nests.
Fallow Deer in good numbers for this delightful little Deer on Mull and
superb views of Grey and Common Seals near to each other and showing their
differences quite clearly. Other notable wildlife seen today were Kestrel,
Sparrowhawk, Buzzards, Wheatears, Skylarks and Shelduck. Wild flowers now
being seen are Primroses, Violets, Gorse, Celandine and Coltsfoot to show
spring is well under way.
April 15th
Weather more of the same
9 days without rain - No tour today so I did 2 walks one early morning
walk and one later with the dogs. The morning walk at Quinnish brought
me my first Willow Warbler of the year, I also saw pair of Bullfinches
and heard a Jay but bid not manage to see it. The afternoon walk with the
dogs and I saw 5 more Willow Warblers and a pair of Common Crossbills with
4 young, good to know they managed to breed successfully in spite of the
cold winter weather.
 
April 14th
Weather the same as yesterday
but slightly warmer - What a difference a day makes, yesterday the wildlife
was playing hard to get, today 3 Otters, fantastic views of Golden Eagles
and White-tailed Eagles, Great Northern Divers, 8 Black Throated Divers,
both Grey and Common Seals, Fallow Deer and Red Deer including Stags and
the best of the lot our first Dolphins of the year. We had a large family
group out with us today the Dawes family celebrating a golden wedding anniversary,
unfortunately the star couple were unable to be with us due to illness,
we offer them our congratulations and hope Terry makes a speedy recovery.
April 13th
Weather cooler with slightly
more cloud but still very nice - I had a very nice French girl out with
me today who was keen to see standing stones, I had taken out most
of the other guests before and they were great making our foreign
guest very welcome and my job very easy despite the wildlife not showing
too well on the day. The views however were spectacular today and the standing
stones were all in their usual places.
April 12th
Weather another gorgeous
day - I went to Cailiach Point today to do some sea watching and saw my
first Manx Shearwaters of the year and a lot of Shags in full breeding
plumage with spectacular tufts. Fulmar always amazing when in flight, Razorbills,
Guillemots and a lot of Black Guillemots but alas no Puffins, but I did
see 1 lone Gannet. There were also 3 Gull species present including the
impressive Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Meadow Pipits, Rock Pipits, Pied
Wagtails, Wheatears and Skylarks were also present.
 
 
April 11th
Weather another beautiful
spring day - We planted some early new potatoes today as the ground has
warmed up at last after the cold winter. I managed to start my tractor
which has been out of action for some time now and also had another bonfire
of some branches we had to prune off over hanging trees. There was very
little time for wildlife watching today but I did see a Peacock Butterfly
a Buzzard being mobbed by Hooded Crows and a Great Spotted Woodpecker on
our peanut feeder as well as our 2 Cock Pheasants which appear to have
adopted us.
April 10th
Weather just beautiful
and warm a real Spring day - Last night after the tour we went down to
a bird club meeting at Craignure to hear a talk by Roy Dennis the man mainly
responsible for the re-introduction of Ospreys to Britain, it was a great
talk and very enlightening and entertaining. Today I cleaned the van then
went out for a short drive round and took a few pictures of some of my
favorite birds in particular Lapwings which I can watch for ages.
 
 
April 9th
Weather the same as yesterday
but warmer becoming more sunny as the day went on - A brilliant trip today
with the Benson family, the children Harry, Sam and Lizzie were a joy to
take out. We saw 54 species in the day including a mother and cub Otter
doing all the things Otters do best, very entertaining. A great Golden
Eagle flying being mobbed and eventually landing giving us amazing views
through the telescopes, another goldie was seen during the day. A juvenile
White-tailed Eagle was seen in the morning and we had great views of an
adult both flying and perched in the afternoon. Other good bird species
seen in the day included Redwings, Razorbills, my first Swallow of the
year on Mull, 2 Bar Tailed Godwits, Wheatear a lot of Pied Wagtails and
at the end of the day Sam spotted this delightful Bullfinch. Seals, Deer
and Rabbits were all seen in the day and we missed nothing due in no small
part to Sams amazing spotting, he even found us some Tadpoles . A wonderful
day spent with a delightful family, oh and by the way the scamp who put
clean me on the van will be delighted to know it was cleaned on Saturday
morning.
 
April 8th
Weather cloudy, breezy,
cold but dry - The best sighting of the day had to be the White-tailed
Eagles, we watched the male bird circling as it came in from over the woods,
it eventually went in a direct line for the nest about 50 yards away it
was met by the female leaving the nest, as the male took her place she
was suddenly attacked by an irate Raven and an aerial duel ensued for a
few minutes before the Raven broke off the attack and the female Eagle
disappeared from where the male had arrived. My other highlights were of
a Whimbrel and Sand Martins the first i have seen on Mull this year.
April 7th
Weather good weather to
start the day but becoming colder as the wind level rose in the afternoon
- Mull at its majestic best today fantastic views particularly of Beinn
Talaidh and Beinn More. We had fantastic views of a Golden Eagle today
circling carrying a Rabbit before landing on a hill and starting to tear
at it, you felt you could reach out and touch it through the telescope.
There were 2 children amongst the guests today so we had afternoon tea
at Calgary Bay and a walk on the beach which all the other guests seemed
to enjoy as well.
April 6th
Weather a continuation
of yesterday in the morning improving in the afternoon - No tour today
but this gave me time to look at the birds in the garden. We have lots
of Chaffinches, Greenfinches, a few Goldfinches, a resident Cock Pheasant
and as I was watching 5 splendid Siskins on the Nyger feeder a male Sparrowhawk
dashed in and got the one that was to late leaving, not nice but exciting
watching nature in the raw. A trip in the late afternoon to our 2 local
estuaries produced some nice regular species, Mallard, Goldeneye and Teal
ducks, Redshank and Oystercatchers wading birds, Common and Herring Gulls
and of course the ubiquitous Herons. I had a lovely half hour observing
these birds, never take for granted the normal for the exotic we would
all miss them if they were not there.
 
 
April 5th
Weather wet morning very
windy with gale force gusts but not cold - Not a great day to be out wildlife
watching as the wind was so strong and the seas so rough but with perseverance
and patience we saw 2 Golden Eagles sitting together on a tree branch out
of the wind for over an hour as we hoped they might fly, I can't say I
blame them for sitting tight. Slavonian Grebe in summer plumage was the
next major sighting and of course Great Northern Divers which are in the
Lochs in good numbers before returning to their breeding grounds further
north, Before lunch a guest spotted some Red Deer Stags almost invisible
against the dead bracken, it was a good spot and we had terrific views
through the telescope. On to lunch and 2 White-tailed Eagles another hour
waiting for a flying display that did not happen, but a flock of Lapwings
went through always nice to see and an intrepid Buzzard showed it was not
impossible for raptors to fly. After lunch the highlight of the day an
Otter my closest of the year and of course as the weather was so bad in
the morning I had left my cameras at home, silly me. the beautiful Fallow
Deer were seen on our way home and several Common Seals basking (I don't
think so) freezing more like on an island, so all in all not a bad day
in spite of inclement weather.
April 4th
Weather sunny with slight
breeze but very pleasant to be out in - Another tour today with really
friendly guests and we had a lot of laughs. John was an inspiration as
he suffered from MS and had great difficulty and pain getting in and out
of the bus but never complained and never missed seeing any of the birds
and mammals which we saw during the day. We saw 4 Golden Eagles, 3 Otters
giving great views, 2 White-tailed Eagles and all the other usual suspects.
Birds of the day for me were the Snipe, my first Kittiwakes and a first
Gannet of the year.
 
April 3rd
Weather a dry cloudy and
calm morning with rain setting in during the afternoon - Another good tour
today with sightings of 20 Great Northern Divers in one spot which we saw
after watching a big dog Otter which had brought a fish out of the water
to eat it within 30 yards of us. Earlier in the day we had seen more Great
Northern Divers and 2 Red Throated Divers at a different location. Birds
of prey were well in evidence today with a Golden Eagle and Sparrowhawk
in the morning, Buzzards everywhere and brilliant views of a male Hen Harrier
and a Merlin in the Afternoon. We saw the white Fallow Deer today this
is the first time I have seen it this year. Another great day out with
splendid guests, some days this seems like the best job in the world.
April 2nd
Weather a beautiful Spring
day after overnight frost - No tour today but Pam saw The juvenile White-tailed
Eagles that are in and around the Dervaig Calgary area fly over Ardrioch
this morning. We had visitors arrive for the selfcatering this afternoon
and as they were admiring the view and small birds in our garden before
we showed them the cottage a male Sparrowhawk flew round the corner of
Inch Hame and was only 3 or 4 yards away before he saw us and veered away
over the fields. Our son who is a fully qualified at everything heating
engineer, yes I am a proud dad has been up and replaced broken pipe
work and pump and refitted the plumbing in the new kitchen which has also
been installed in the Shieling, along with double glazing, he leaves on
the first boat tomorrow and so a bit of last minute parent bonding today,
we will miss his cheery smile and humour.
April 1st
Weather much better
than yesterday but still breezy, cold with the occasional squally wintry
shower - Another tour today and we looked at all things wild, the highlights
for the guests being a Golden Eagle at coffee break and 2 Otters a mother
and cub which we watched travelling and fishing until they came out on
an island to eat a fish too big to manage in the sea. We had both fallow
Deer and Red Deer with good sightings of 7 Red Deer Stags, both types of
Seal were seen and we had an exciting encounter between a Raven and Buzzard.
Summer plumaged Slavonian Grebes were the waterbird highlight and 3 Lapwings
in a field with Starlings on our way home pleased at least one of
our guests and me as I love to see this amazing and sadly slowly disappearing
bird. |
