 
March 2012
March 31st
After yesterdays incident
Pam and I took the dogs for a walk and do some leaflet deliveries. It was
another lovely day and although the wildlife was not out in abundance we
saw 2 separate White-tailed Sea Eagles some Kestrels and Buzzards.
For those readers who come regularly to the Dervaig area of Mull Dougie
opened his new super store today with about 4 times more space than in
the old little shop. As well as the post office and stores it now boasts
2 settees and a coffee shop for whiling away a few minutes with friends
or just catching your breath after a great day wildlife watching. CONGRATULATIONS
AND GOOD LUCK TO DOUGIE ON HIS NEW VENTURE.
March 30th
Still lovely weather and
our resident numpty, that will be me again, decides that after the good
dry weather we have been experiencing it would be a good time to have a
bonfire: WRONG. After a lot of sweating, running round with an old carpet
and lots of buckets of water we managed to put out the fire in our woodland
before it got out of control. Pam would have me sitting on the naughty
step if we were not living in a bungalow.
March 29th
We had to take some photographs
down to Fionnophort today to a picture framer and so after picking up Alan
Mullbirds Spellman we set off in dull cloudy cooler weather. Although I
did not see any new birds for the year we did get some good views of some
birds we don't see too often. In particular Rooks, Jackdaws, Tufted Duck
and Barnacle Geese. Bird of the day was Hen Harrier with 5 in total being
seen 3 males and 2 females. Pam and Alan had their first Wheatears of the
year and we had some close views of Skylarks and Rock Pipits. We saw 3
Red Throated Divers and a few Great Northern Divers and the day finished
with a White-tailed Eagle soaring into the descending mist. During the
day we went to Carsaig and it was awful to see the effect the storms of
last year have had on the pier and trees there but we did get to see some
very close Common Seals.
 
 
   
March 28th
A tour today with a full
van and lots of wonderful weather and boy did we have a day to remember
but like all wildlife watching patience was required. it was definitely
a slow burner of a day, then it all happened, 2 Golden Eagles appeared
with a Buzzard and a couple of Hooded Crows all at the same spot. Then
as if they did not want to be left out 3 Kestrel got up and then we saw
why as a White-tailed Sea Eagle flew into view looking enormous compared
to Kestrels. I had to move guests on as lunchtime was approaching and it
was good job that we did move on as were treated to a brilliant Golden
Eagle flying quite close for a quarter of an hour, some guests were
so overawed by this spectacle they nearly missed out on Pam's Carrot Soup
and sandwiches. A mammal was spotted in the sea and at first we thought
it was the illusive Otter but as it got closer it turned out to be an extremely
large Mink, our guests were delighted though even if they would have preferred
an Otter. 2 Hen Harriers and lots of Red Deer were seen after lunch before
afternoon tea and cakes were taken. After tea I took our guests for
a look under a tin sheet I have put down hoping to see an Adder and low
and behold there was one there and I thought this day cannot get better
but it did. At our next stop we saw a Black Throated Diver and then just
as were thinking of leaving an Otter put in an appearance, our cup runneth
over. On our way back in to Tobermory a Short Eared Owl flew in front of
the van so we stopped, of course and were given an early evening treat
with a total of three seen very close and one caught an enormous Vole,
great for us not sure about the Vole. No ferries to worry about so plenty
of time to watch the wildlife and a terrific end to a full 8 hour day,
PHEW>
  
March 27th
Another lovely day and so
I went for a walk at Glengorm and got 2 new year species Goldcrests easy
to hear but not so easy to see, well I did both today. When I got to the
coast taking in the views of the small Isles Eigg, Rhum, Muck and Canna
I spotted my first Gannet of the year taking my Mull year list to 100 species.
March 26th
Back to work preparing for
the new season with Pam Spring Cleaning like mad and me pretending to look
busy brushing the yard and weeding the paths. We tried unsuccessfully to
remove the 4 Red Deer that Numpty me had let in the other evening driving
Deer is certainly not as easy as driving sheep or cattle, they don't go
where you want them to and run faster and jump higher, Darn Things.
March 25th
A very quiet sunny warm day
after the revelry of yesterday but I did see my first Bullfinch of the
year as I was walking to Am Birlinn To fetch the car home.
March 24th
The wonderful weather continued
so I went out and about early again early today but did not manage any
new birds for the year but did manage to see and have very interesting
chats about farming and wildlife as I have been involved in both in my
working life. Bird highlights today were inter acting Buzzard and Hooded
Crow with a Golden Eagle and two much closer Slavonian Grebes.
There were 2 Parties in the
Dervaig area today, Congratulations to Brennan Fairbirns from Sea Life
Surveys who got Married today and Mike Hale whose 70 birthday party was
held at Am Birlinn which we went to I think, judging by my headache
I had a really good time and the Real Ale was great.
March 23rd
More good weather and a local
drive round produced 3 new species for my Mull year list. A wheatear on
the Calgary Machair and a lesser Black-backed Gull at Cailaich Point proved
that Spring migration is underway on Mull. I also saw 4 Golden Plovers
one of my favorite waders in a field with Skylarks as I was leaving Cailaich
to return home.
 
March 22nd
Another beautiful day spent
doing leaflet drops in Tobermory and having our hair cuts ready for the
season, although leaflet drops are important I find that i am wasting good
wildlife watching time. It does however give us a chance to see other people
involved in tourism and catch up on what is happening for the forthcoming
season.
March 21st
A tour today with perfect
weather high grey cloud but warmer perfect for watching wildlife and did
we see some wildlife. We saw 6 Golden Eagles, one quite close being mobbed
by 2 Kestrels, 2 Buzzards and a Hen Harrier. Two more Golden Eagles not
quite as close being mobbed by 3 Hooded Crows, 3 Buzzards and a Peregrine
Falcon. Five White-tailed Eagles not being mobbed by anything. Three Otters,
one of them very close in a place I rarely see them, Fallow Deer and lots
of Red Deer, 2 Slavonian Grebes coming into breeding plumage, great views
of Lapwing and Redshank and Ducks. Geese, Gulls, Auks, Shags and a breeding
plumaged Cormorant. A very good day and then Manchester City come back
from a goal down to beat Chelsea, a very good day got even better.
 
 
 
March 20th
A driech morning and I did
some fencing but this afternoon we went for a drive round and saw 4 close
Golden Eagles, A very good male Hen Harrier and a fantastic Kestrel which
flew right past the bus. A bird I love to see is a Dipper and I got this
lovely picture of one at Loch Torr this afternoon which was a good result
as I was actually looking for a Grey Wagtail.
 
March 19th
A rather wet day so I took
the dogs for a walk around our farm and got the shock of my life as a Woodcock
took off from right under my feet. The farmers on Mull have started calving
and we thought you might like to see a couple of pictures of some new arrivals.
 
March 18th
A beautiful sunny day for
a tour after an overnight ground frost, the day again proved great for
both Buzzards and Kestrels and White-tailed Sea Eagles although bird of
the day was the juvenile Golden Eagle which circled around us giving guests
a truly memorable sighting. Fallow Deer seen before morning coffee provided
the Ahh moment of the day and with the sun out we had some spectacular
views of both the Outer Hebrides and Skye.
March 17th
A lovely sunny day in the
main spent making bird boxes with our local bird group. We made 4 Tit boxes
2 Treecreeper boxes and a Barn Owl Box. It was a really nice day where
we felt we were doing our bit for birds while at the same time having a
lot of laughs and an enormous amount of great food provided by Catherine.
Many thanks to Nick for the use of his shed, tools , wood and nails, they
are both stars.
 
 
March 16th
A warm mainly dry day spent
in Oban where I had gone to have a shoulder scan, no further forward at
the moment, it requires more investigation. We had great a great fish and
chip lunch at the Fish shop nearest the Clinton card shop, sorry we can't
remember what it is called but it is recommended by Rick Stein as well
as us.
March 13th
A typical Mull day weather
wise with several types of weather in a single day. We spent most of the
day at our local Wild Scotland
meeting.
We at Discover Mull are proud to be members of Wild Scotland which is a
group of Wildlife Tour Operators who promote the ethical and sustainable
wildlife watching of this precious and wonderful asset we have in this
spectacular wild country and Island.
March 14th
A very breezy, cold, cloudy
day and not long after leaving home we were watching 8 Redshanks on tidal
mud at Dervaig, it is rare to see this many Redshank at Dervaig so the
tour had stated very well. Buzzard were everywhere displaying madly we
gave up counting at 15 as we were more concerned with watching a White-tailed
Sea Eagle had decided we needed to see how large it was when flying with
Buzzards. Red and Fallow Deer were seen then just before lunch we found
an Otter----- We then had a delayed lunch and some much needed hot home
made soup, isn't strange that you hardly notice the cold when you are watching
wildlife. Common Seals 2 Golden Eagles, Kestrels and an even better White-tailed
Eagle were seen before the end of another Discover Mull Wildlife Tour.
I nearly forgot the Snipe which called as it flew out of a bog near the
end of the day.
March 13th
As we started out early this
morning to go to Oban for our annual bus test by the council had the Lord
set the water sprinklers off in an act of defiance at the hose pipe ban
or was it just drizzling again. On our way to the ferry we saw a family
of whooper Swans flying North for the Summer. Take heed all you guys in
the drought ridden South this Summer, East, West, NORTHS the best.
March 12th
It was a no birding day today
with Pam Spring cleaning the Shieling and myself preparing the bus for
its annual council Inspection tomorrow. On the news today they were going
on about drought and hosepipe bans in many parts of Southern and Eastern
England due to lack of Winter rain, I can reassure anyone thinking of holidaying
on Scotlands West coast or the Islands that not having enough water will
not be a problem.
March 11th
A tour today under very low
cloud and some drizzle, not the most promising weather to take guests wildlife
watching in. Fortunately for us we like to show guests all the wildlife
that Mull has to offer, the Gulls, Waders, Ducks and Geese and then Fallow
Deer and Common Seals followed by a hot drink and Pam's biscuits, most
appreciated in the weather. Then as the cloud lifted just a little the
first of about 8 Great Northern Divers was seen, a request bird of one
of our guests and a first for her. This lifted our spirits and the mist
so we decided to try for a White-tailed Sea Eagle and low and behold as
we reached a suitable spot the mist descended once more and so we had to
make do with a couple of Slavonian Grebes, but hang on, none of our guests
had seen this delightful bird before: RESULT. Then as if by magic a mystical
bird appeared through the mist, it was big and getting bigger, yes, WOW,
it was, honestly it was, a White-tailed Eagle and it flew really close
to us, it had to or we would not have seen it through the mist despite
it's enormous size, it was one of those moments that as a wildlife watcher
you could not forget, what a way to see your first Eagle. As the day wore
on the clouds did lift briefly and for a few seconds we saw a smidgen of
blue sky, we also saw 2 Otters, a Golden Eagle, another miracle in the
weather, Red Deer stags and a fabulous sighting of a Short Eared Owl. As
the mist curtain came down on another drab dismal day on a Discover Mull
Tour our great guests were over the moon --- well they would have
been if they could have seen it through the mist. Finally and I almost
forgot the first Skylarks singing, I know it sounds improbable given the
weather conditions, isn't it amazing how such a little bird singing away
with such gusto can give your spirits a big lift, even with all the sightings
we had on the tour this was Pam's moment of the day, and she was right.
March 10th
A dull but dry day and I
went to Tobermory to fill the car up with fuel and after leaving a big
hole in my pocket set off to see if anything new was about. The only rare
species I saw were Goosander, 2 males in different locations on the Sound
of Mull. Earlier I saw 2 Lapwings giving a Hen Harrier a hard time, in
fact the Lapwings were harrying the Harrier. There were 5 species of Gulls
seen but I did not see the Med Gull although I tried very hard. We have
a lot of Wigeon around at the moment, the males with their orange, red
head stripe remind me of Punk Rockers.
March 9th
A nice day after a poor start
and I can truthfully say it was not one I can be proud of. Yesterday Iain
had been and Deer fenced the drive to keep out the Red Deer which
were jumping our cattle grid, he even put wire over the gates to prevent
them trying to jump them. This would work a treat if some numpty returning
from a very damp tour had remembered to close the said gate, that would
be me then? So today we spent 3 hours trying to drive 4 Red Deer through
gates they had never used before, I can recommend it for getting fit but
not for impressing your wife with a sore knee. You can bet all the gates
were secured at the end of a very trying day.
March 8th
Low cloud and drizzle but
not cold, it wasn't great weather for our first tour of the year but luckily
our guests were up for anything. We actually saw a White-tailed Sea Eagle
through the drizzle which they were very pleased to see and I could have
kissed it as I did not have any great expectations given the condition.
2 separate Otters put in an appearance, literally, at least the guests
could say they saw Otter in the wild, just. As the first Otter disappeared
A female Hen Harrier got up flew round and decided the weather wasn't for
her either and left as quickly as she had arrived, again all my guests
saw her and one through the telescope. Bird of the day for me an Iceland
Gull and for the Guests Great Northern Diver and Slavonian Grebe both found
in white horse waves in a near gale.
March 7th
Monsoon for most of the night
but much brighter today with a few wintery showers - I was out early this
morning and heard a Water Rail at Dervaig Reedbeds. At killiechronan there
were both Glaucous and Iceland Gulls but I did not see the Mediterranean
Gull. I took a few pictures of some birds seen regularly in the area. On
my way back home I got a picture of a male White-tailed Sea Eagle, no sign
of a mate though. I was ready for my porridge when I got home as it was
baltic first thing.
 
 
 
March 6th
I was right about the weather
it is pouring down as I write this blog - I spent the morning trying to
get Red Deer out of my woodland before I get the drive Deer fenced, the
lovely creatures have recently discovered how to jump the cattle grid and
have once again found the woodland meaning further measures are necessary.
Whilst in the wood I disturbed a Woodcock and a Sparrowhawk flew through.
On a trip to Salen I stopped and saw an Iceland Gull at Killiechronan and
a possible Mediterranean Gull there as well but to far away to tell in
the poor light.
March 5th
Weather another lovely day
I fear it won't last - Sometimes when you are out wildlife watching you
can overlook the regular species and this can be to your own detriment.
Today I saw a lovely Oystercatcher, it was not just the bird that was special
but the fact it was standing on a beautiful Lichen covered rock, it was
just a great sighting. I saw a rook at Cailaich, I have never seen
Rooks there before, there were 2 Red Throated Divers and
2 Great Northern Divers at Calgary.
 
March 4th
Weather sunny very sunny
after overnight snow on the hills - spring was all around us today, the
birds were singing their little heads off, our first Daffodils are out,
Buzzards are pair bonding and looking for territories, 6 Golden Plover
were seen flying, one in summer plumage and it snowed so the hills were
all covered in snow and I had to thaw the car windows this morning, AH
WELL you can't have it all.
March 3rd
Weather cloudy with a breeze
- Went looking for White-tailed Eagles today, we should have seen some
but didn't, it is strange how such a large bird can go missing as they
often do before their breeding season starts. We had a nice walk with the
dogs today on a local walk which now looks very different as they start
felling the forestry trees.
March 2nd
Weather cloud, could there
be any sky left if so we have not seen it for some time - We went out to
Tobermory this evening to have a meal with a friend and go and see the
film War Horse. Something very peculiar happened on the way to the Screen
Machine, we went to a Chinese Restaurant, Wow Pam in a Chinese Restaurant
that is something to behold and she quite enjoyed the meal, look out for
flying pigs. We are starting to see more Great Northern Divers in the Lochs
now.
March 1st
Weather fine but dull morning
Rain and cloud in the afternoon but warm - What a day, Pam and I with 4
very jolly friends went out for the day. We saw lots of Red Deer, a couple
of Fallow Deer, 3 White-tailed Eagles, brilliant views of an Otter and
cub for about 45 minutes. After lunch in the drizzle we followed a hunting
male Hen Harrier for about a mile before it flew over the van and the nearby
hill and out of sight, this was a really special view of this fantastic
bird. Other great sightings today, a Whimbrel my first of the year, 2 performing
Lapwings and 2 Red Grouse not common on Mull but great to see and I managed
to digi-scope the female as the wimpy male was spooked by a car. To finish
a lovely day we saw 2 Short-eared Owls and it was only 3-30pm these birds
are starting to try my patience, don't they know I tell people you can
set your clock by them.
 
 
 
March 2011 March
31st
Weather heavy overnight and
morning rain, sunny afternoon, very windy - A walk through the forestry
land down Glen Bellert today and I had very close views of Common Crossbills,
unfortunately I did not have the camera with me. In the tops of the trees
were some Lesser Redpolls the first time I have seen these lovely birds
this year. Pam spent the day making wedding cakes for our sons wedding
later in the year they looked really good when they came out of the oven
.
March 30th
Weather showery, cloudy and
cooler - Just a short trip out today to look for a Red-necked Grebe, I
did not find it but did see some very nice coastal birds in the mist. I
got rid of our old tractor today so we will have more room in the big shed
for when the sheep start lambing.
March 29th
Weather cloudy with a light
cool breeze - A tour today and we started with Peregrine Falcon not a bad
way to start a tour, 2 Otters. the Pied Billed Grebe, Common Seal, Wigeon,
Teal and Curlew soon followed, it was all going too well and little else
was seen the next 2 hours apart from Herons, Great Northern Divers and
Slavonian
Grebes. At lunchtime we saw Lapwings and a Wheatear and 4 newly arrived
Sand Martins and a little later a group of Red Deer but the bigger birds
were still eluding us. As we were getting a little concerned we spotted
a Female (Ring-tailed) Hen Harrier on the hill in front of us and it gave
us some good views quartering the hillside before it was joined by another
female and they flew away together. Feeling much better we went on and
after stopping to look at a Buzzard and Stonechat went to look for Golden
Eagle, we were in luck this time as Pam spotted a distant bird flying fast
and straight, the Eagle came really close to where we were parked on a
hill track and was joined by its mate and gave us a fabulous matinee performance.
A kestrel was startled by the proximity of the Eagles and before the day
ended we had seen a White-tailed Sea Eagle, a good but distant view and
4 Snipe and 5 Redshank. All in all a great day of wildlife sightings on
Mull.
 
 
March 28th
Weather cloudy calm but with
great viewing light - A male Hen Harrier, a Golden Eagle and 2 Sand Martins
at a single stop today, the Harrier was being mobbed by 2 Hooded Crows.
A flock of 6 Crossbills seen flying over and a single female sitting in
the top of tree was another good sighting today. In the morning an Otter
and 2 White-tailed Eagles were seen as were 3 separate pairs of Shelduck
and 3 great Northern Divers which are starting to get their summer plumage.
Finally our Sparrowhawk was sitting in the ornamental Weeping Pear Tree
in the garden this evening, it still is not catching much in our garden
but the little birds are probably getting traumatized. The views today
were fantastic.
 
March 27th
Weather a beautiful spring
day - I hope you all altered your clocks last night, I did but the wrong
way so had to go round them all again idiot that I am. We took the dogs
on a long hike today as the weather was so nice, it really does give you
a new leash of life to be out and about in the countryside when the weather
is this good. The views were wonderful and Pam remarked at one time that
she almost felt you could reach out and touch the houses on Coll, a bit
of an exaggeration as they were at least 5 miles away at the time. We saw
3 White-tailed Eagles, 2 of which flew right over our heads, 2 very close
Mistle Thrushes, a beautiful brick red male Crossbill and 5 Ringed plovers
on the walk as several Skylarks serenaded us from above, wonderful.
March 26th
Weather after early rain
a dull, cloudy day with a breeze - I took Pam to see the Pied Billed Grebe
today as she had not seen it before and it was the first one she had seen,
I managed to get a few photo's of the bird and hope they are good enough
to put on the web site and you can all see what the fuss has been about.
On our way back home we saw 2 Otters feeding and a couple of female (Ring-tailed)
Hen Harriers always nice birds to see. Dave A B Cole, a friend of ours
who regularly comes to Mull, took these pictures of the Pied Billed Grebe
and a hovering Buzzard, he also put up a 'Night cam' by our entrance to
see if we could get a picture of the deer jumping the cattle grid at night.
Although we didn't get the deer we did get some photo's set off by a rabbit,
sheep and the early bus which we thought you might like to see as it shows
Dervaig in the dispense between 6 and 8 o'clock in the morning.
 
March 25th
Weather another great spring
day with hardly any breeze - A real wow factor to the tour today as we
saw 6 Golden Eagles, 4 White-tailed Sea Eagle, 2 Peregrine Falcons, 3 Kestrels,
at least 8 Buzzards, 2 Otters, Red Deer and Common Seals. To top this list
we also saw the Pied Billed Grebe giving more visitors to Mull a sighting
of this rare bird and it was a closer encounter than the one we had on
the 25th. The views today were special as are the Daffodils appearing in
a garden or field everywhere on North Mull, lovely.
March 24th
Weather exactly the same
as yesterday - we went to Tobermory to do a leaflet drop in the hotel and
guest houses today and although not birding managed to see 3 Golden Eagles,
a Peregrine Falcon, a Kestrel and several Buzzards, we also saw a few Red
Deer and a big stag, hopefully the wildlife will remain this obliging for
the rest of the summer. We are having the outside of the house and self-catering
painted at the moment and it is starting to look spick and span for all
our summer guests and in the next few days our Daffodils should be in full
bloom as a fine surround to the newly painted house, pictures when it is
all finished.
March 23rd
Weather Cloudy, dry, calm
but warm - A tour today with Hen Harrier, Golden Eagle, White-tailed Sea
Eagle, Otter and Red Deer all being seen. The highlight for me though was
a Pied Billed Grebe seen in Salen Bay a first time bird for me and only
the second recorded in Argyll, a red letter day. We saw Stonechats and
Gannets as well today both seen for the first time this year, and we had
very nice views of both types of Seal. It was great to be out with a good
group and their spotting skills were most appreciated.
March 22nd
Weather Scorchio, well that
was what it seemed like, sunshine and hardly any wind hoorah - Maintenance
work for most of the day, boring but I did manage a short trip out with
Dave a friend of ours who regularly comes up to Mull. We went to Cailiach
Point where we saw my first Wheatears of the year mixing with Pied Wagtails,
Meadow Pipits and Rock Pipits, it is great to see the first Spring migrants
return and I look forward to more arriving soon.
 
March 21st
Weather dry, some sunshine
but very windy and cold - A tour today and it proved a very good raptor
day with some fantastic views of White-tailed Sea Eagles and Golden Eagles.
It was not just seeing the Eagles that made it such a good day but their
inter action with other birds of prey Buzzards, Kestrels and Peregrine
Falcons that made the day special. The other notable sighting on the day
was the Pink Footed Goose still with the Greylag Geese in the Calgary area,
March 20th
Weather cloudy drizzle most
of the day, windy - A truly lazy sunday until we took the dogs for a walk
in the afternoon, we saw a very nice Arctic Hare, a Great Northern Diver,
Kittiwakes and very little else of note. Last night we went to the Bellachroy
Inn for a meal and very exciting it was too as Pam managed to set her hair
on fire with the flame from the candle on the table, I was able to put
her out before any real damage was done but the singe smell remained for
some time. by the way the meal we had was excellent as usual.
March 19th
Weather wonderful sunny and
warmer - We had to go to a Wild
Scotland meeting in Tobermory this morning as we are members of this
important group of tour businesses which operate in an ethical and sustainable
way to ensure all guests get to see the wildlife Scotland has to offer,
its Scenery, Geology and History without undue disturbance or destruction
of sensitive sites. We currently have 130 organizations throughout
the whole of Scotland who have to sign up too a code of practice which
they must adhere to. We are all indebted To Caroline Warburton who runs
the organization for us, keeps us all on the straight and narrow and helps
make Visit Scotland realize the fact that we do have a wonderful rural
habitat and wildlife to share with you all here in Scotland as well as
Tartan, Whisky and Golf.
March 18th
Weather overcast with cooler
breeze and some rain, hail - A trip today with great guests who put up
with the weather with great fortitude. On the tour we saw 7 Snipe which
was a good number for a tour, 2 brilliant and close Red Deer stags also
Fallow Deer. Birds of prey seen were 3 White-tailed Eagles, 2 distant Golden
Eagles, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Kestrels, 2 Hen Harriers and numerous Buzzards.
My bird of the day was a Lesser Black-backed Gull the first reported on
Mull this year, I almost forgot the Otter seen at lunchtime which all the
ladies enjoyed as always. Tonight we went to the bird club meeting where
we had a very interesting talk about the Eurasian Beaver re-introduction
programme at Knapdale and what effects the Beavers were having on the landscape,
it was not only interesting but enlightening as Beavers were hunted out
in Scotland 400 years ago. It remains to be seen if at the end ot the trial
in 2013 whether Beavers have a future in Scotland or not, the jury is out.
March 17th
Weather another beautiful
early spring day - Oh to be out and about but chores get in the way, work
on the dam this morning and clearing up the yard this afternoon in readiness
for self-catering guests. Pam spent the morning spring cleaning the Shieling
which has had new lights fitted in the bathroom. We had a large bonfire
today, most of the stuff burned was out of the garden with a fallen tree
a d broken branches being the main part, it produced a really good blaze.
We had our first Pied Wagtail in the garden today and also a very persistent
Buzzard kept flying over.
March 16th
Weather fantastic wall to
wall sunshine but still a breeze, cool - The Brambling was on the peanut
feeders first thing this morning the first time I have seen it in 3 days,
I was beginning to think it had flown away. On a short trip out today we
had some great views of Lapwings and I managed to get a picture of one
through the telescope. Another favorite bird of mine which we saw were
Teal and I took some pictures as I had not got any that were very good
and this one although not great is the best of the bunch.
 
March 15th
Weather another good day
but cloudier than yesterday - Up and out at dawn today hoping to see Owls
but only got one fleeting view of a probable Tawny Owl but too brief to
identify although I did hear at least 3. In the field where the cemetery
is at Calgary I saw 38 Red Deer hinds with calves. At first light there
was a White-tailed Eagle in a usual sitting place but no sign of the mate.
hopefully they are laying.
March 14th
Weather Blue skies nothing
but blue skies, which certainly makes a change from what we have been getting
lately - I took the van to have some new rear brake pads fitted in Tobermory
this morning and while I waited I went for a walk through Aros Park. I
was there for 2 hours and saw 18 species of birds, I could have seen the
same 18 species in 10 minutes in our garden but I would not have got in
the exercise. After lunch I went out to see if I could find any local Dervaig
wildlife, much better 3 Greenshank, a Golden Eagle, a White-tailed Sea
Eagle, 3 Otters, a Great Northern Diver, 2 Shelducks, a Curlew and a Shag
with a nice breeding tuft. As well as the wildlife the scenery was much
nicer as well with great views of snow covered hills. Thanks to Nigel and
Nancy for their nice e-mail about their tour on the 6th it is always good
to get positive feedback about the day particularly as it was my first
tour of the year.
 
March 13th
Weather windy with some heavy
squally showers, cold - We took the dogs for a walk on a new forest track
at Langamull this morning and once again saw Crossbills. In the garden
this morning we saw one of the long staying Bramblings we are beginning
to wonder how long this lovely bird is going to stay with us. After the
walk we again went to look for the Golden Eagles which are relatively close
to Ardrioch and they obliged with a superb pair bonding display , at times
they were flying below us and we could see all the colour on the backs
and tops of their wings - fabulous.
March 12th
Weather sleet, snow, low
cloud and cold and damp - Not the best day for a tour but we did manage
to see some Highland Cattle through the sleet. We also saw an Otter, Fallow
Deer, Common Seals, lots of Ducks with Teal being my favourite, Curlews
and some very close Bar-tailed Godwits. I think the highlight for everyone
was the hot home made Carrot Soup and sandwiches eaten in front of the
aga in our kitchen at lunchtime watching a persistent Sparrowhawk flying
through the garden and not able to take a single bird off the feeders.
March 11th
Weather back to a bit of
everything - We took the dogs on a walk we have not been on before and
saw a Crossbill and heard many more. In the afternoon we went out looking
for Golden Eagles and found a pair which flew very close to us giving some
very nice views. We also saw 2 very close Red Deer stags and another Arctic
Hare which was a nice sighting as we had not seen one in this area for
a couple of years.
 
 
March 10th
Weather gale force winds,
rain, sleet, hail with some sunny breaks if you could stand up in it -
Not a day for going out today so we let the birds come to us. A white-tailed
Sea Eagle flew over our shed this morning giving Pam a bit of a shock,
a Buzzard flew over the garden calling as it circled on its way and a Sparrowhawk
flew through the garden scattering all the small birds in all directions,
not bad for a day in.
March 9th
Weather Heavy squally showers,
very windy - the wind has driven some birds into the shelter of Calgary
Bay today enabling me to see my first Kittiwakes and Razorbills of the
year. Once again Pam has been playing her favorite game 'little bo peep'
as 2 of our new ewe's had gone missing, taking the dogs she walked all
the way around our property and found them in the wood by the gate waiting
to be let in, typical.
March 8th
Weather a little bit of everything
from sunshine (not much) to heavy rain with wind thrown in - Firstly I
forgot to mention the Mountain Hares we saw yesterday, they were beautiful
and when they spotted us they were off like a shot. Today our nearest pair
of White-tailed Sea Eagles were sitting on a hillock just up the road from
here looking miserable as it was raining at the time, either that or they
had just had a row. A family of Whooper Swan turned up at Dervaig this
morning 2 adults with 3 Cygnets and out and about today I saw 2 Otters
and some Red Deer including 2 Stags.
 
 
March 7th
Weather cloudy, windy feeling
cold in the wind - Pam and I spent a very cold but really enjoyable couple
of hours watching Fulmars at Cailaich Point today. Fulmars are tube nosed
like the Albatross from the southern hemisphere and just like the Albatross
are incredible fliers, it was a joy to sit and watch these birds using
the wind to glide past the cliffs and land lightly on prospective nest
sights, bit like watching the Red Arrows but not in formation. I managed
to get a couple of photo's to show you a little of what we were looking
at, I hope it wets your appetite to get out watching wildlife whenever
you get the time. By the way we did not feel the cold until we returned
to the car that was how engrossed we were.
 
 
March 6th
Weather cloudy mainly dry
but with a cool wind - Our first tour of the year and we had brilliant
Merlin a first for all our guests, my first one this year and as we only
see a few each year it was a great start. We saw at least 14 Buzzards but
as we saw so many we lost count, 2 White-tailed Sea Eagles and 3 Golden
Eagles and 2 Kestrels in a good raptor day. Mammals seen were Red Deer
including a very nice stag, Fallow Deer, Common Seals and 4 Otters with
2 playful cubs being the highlight. Other notable sightings, Goosanders,
Shelducks, Wigeons, Goldeneye, Little Grebe and a pair of Lapwing on territory.
A bird we missed from yesterdays blog a Carrion Crow with Hooded Crows
only the second one we have seen on Mull.
March 5th
Weather Cloudy, but calm
great light for wildlife watching - I went for a trip out and in the early
morning watched 3 White-tailed Sea Eagles a pair and a single bird in their
territory, the pair look besotted with each other. I then went to an area
where we have breeding Fulmar and spent half an hour watching a fly display
by these wonderful birds, I also watched a couple of Meadow Pipits trying
to outdo each other in parachute flying. On the sea here I saw a Great
Northern Diver and a Guillemot, the first one of the year for me. I went
home and picked up Pam and during the rest of a fantastic day we saw 2
more White-tails, 6 Golden Eagles and 2 Otters one being watched enviously
by a Grey Heron as it munched on a fish it had just caught.
 
 
March 4th
Weather cloudy, calm, warm
with a slight sea fog or haa coming in this afternoon - Hi folks we are
back after visiting Parents, Children and Grand Children in England. While
we were in Cheshire we picked up a new Barn Owl box made by Neil Gallimore,
a previous guest on our tours, who on hearing of the fate of the old box
very kindly made a new replacement box to go in the tree. On returning
home yesterday evening I rang Andy Mortley a local artist and a friend
of ours who put up the original box and told him we had a new box. Today
Andy came round and we placed the new box in the tree where the original
box had been and put a second box in a tree close by as you can see from
the pictures below. Many thanks to both Neil and Andy and let us hope that
the Barn Owls on Mull appreciate their efforts and use the boxes.
 
 
March 2010
March 31st
Weather sunny, windy, rain,
sleet, snow, very cold, yes we had all 4 seasons in one day and we also
had a tour - We started the tour at home as our guests had dogs which Pam
looked after, within the first hour we had seen a juvenile White-tailed
Eagle, 2 Otters and a Great Northern Diver this was a good job as the weather
went seriously down hill for a while but we did see a couple of Ravens
as we warmed our hands on the hot coffee cups at morning break. Redshanks
and Greenshanks were on the beach at Lagganulva and more Great Northern
Divers and Slavonian Grebes on Loch Na Keal. At lunch time we stopped at
a Golden Eagle sight and saw one of the birds fly as we warmed up on hot
soup and sandwiches. The afternoon brought Red Deer Stags and a flying
White-tailed Eagle, Wheatears, Skylarks, a Little Grebe, Red Breasted Mergansers,
Teal and Wigeon. By now it was so cold we decided to go back to Ardrioch
for afternoon tea and cakes in the kitchen in front of the aga, a warm
way to end a very good if very cold day.
March 30th
Weather very windy and
cold - The Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the garden again today and a
Buzzard flew over but I have been very busy preparing for Easter and starting
tours so did not have much time for wildlife watching. A man from B.T.
came today checking their poles and he saw an Otter run across the road
and down to the Mishnish Lochs this morning. Pam and I did leaflet drops
in Tobermory this afternoon.
March 29th
Weather pleasant and calm
- Bad news on the Otter front the Otter seen all last summer in Tobermory
Harbour and given the name Elvis has died, this Otter was well loved by
locals and tourists alike and pictures of him appeared on 'youtube' on
the web. We spent the day at home working on the shed and self-catering
cottages ready for Easter but did manage a walk to Cailiach Point where
we saw our first lesser Black Backed Gulls of the year on Mull and 8 Wheatears.
March 28th
Weather sunny but very
breezy and cold - I went for a look round today to see where the Eagles
might be nesting in the areas where we go with the tours, I was fortunate
to find a White-tailed Eagles nest and witnessed a changeover when the
adults swap egg sitting duty. Earlier in the day just after stopping to
look for Otters I heard a Golden Eagle which was unusual as they don't
call that often, looking up I saw it fly past and then wheel round before
descending to a known nest sight, the call had been to forewarn its partner
of his imminent arrival.
March 27th
Weather cloudy wind and
cool - I managed a couple of hours out today and was rewarded with one
of my favorite birding sights on Mull a Slavonian Grebe in full summer
plumage a special sight. In the same area a few Lapwings were on traditional
nest sights, this is another favorite bird of mine, they are so beautiful
and it is great to see them return home again each year. Another bird we
are delighted to have back is the Skylark and it is great to hear the lovely
song at the end of a long winter, you know when you hear them that Spring
is just aroud the corner.
March 26th
Weather cloudy, calm, warmer
with very little rain - I saw my first Wheatears of the year today on the
Calgary machair, a pair male and female, our first major spring migrant
returning. Another sign of spring, the gorse is flowering at last, 2 months
later than last year. The song Thrushes are also on territory now singing
their hearts out from the tops of trees, a beautiful sound to hear.
March 25th
Weather a lot better than
yesterday, warmer with a lot less rain - A visit to the dentist for me
today for 2 fillings not a day I look forward too, but necessary as the
treatment had been cancelled twice before, not by me I hasten to add, I
am not that chicken. Pam has been struggling with a new-born lamb for the
last couple of days, it is a twin and not very big and the mother only
has enough milk for one, so we now look like we will have a pet lamb to
look after for the summer, our grand children are very excited about
this prospect.
March 24th
Weather rain and windy
for most of the day clearing up in the late afternoon - A tour today and
because of the weather it was very hard work trying to see Mulls most sought
after wildlife. My guests were brilliant and did not put me under any pressure,
at one stage I promised to eat my hat if we did not see an Otter, you can
imagine my relief when we spotted one at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
We were also lucky to see 2 White-tailed Eagles, Red Deer in large numbers
and Fallow Deer. We saw a few Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits, and I heard
the Skylarks singing for the first time this year. Birds of the day for
me were the male and female Goosander on the Mishnish Lochs as I drove
home.
March 23rd
weather sunny and breezy
morning turning wet in the late afternoon - New-born lambs to look after
today as the mother has not produced enough milk to feed them properly
so we have to give the twins a little help from the bottle. I cleaned the
van today as I have a tour to do tomorrow so there was little time for
birding, I did get down to Dervaig in the late afternoon and saw 3 Lapwings,
a Ringed Plover, a Snipe, Curlew, Red Breasted Mergansers, Mallards, a
Grey Heron, a Great Black Backed Gull and a single Hooded Crow. During
the day a Great Spotted Woodpecker and Treecreeper joined the usual suspects
in the garden.
March 22nd
Weather sunny with heavy
short showers - We arrived back from a family visit and a weeks holiday
in Andalucia in the Spanish cork forest, the blog will resume as normal
tomorrow.
March 4th
Weather back to being beautiful
again today, feeling much warmer - I went for a walk down Loch Bar today
and saw 17 Whooper Swans, 2 Lapwings, 3 Goldeneye, a female Goosander,
2 Oystercatchers, a Curlew, 2 Ringed Plovers, 3 Snow Buntings, a couple
of Skylarks and a Meadow Pipit. A quick visit to the salmon hatchery sewage
outfall at Knock brought me a Grey Wagtail and Turnstones 2 species i had
not seen on Mull before this year.
March 3rd
Weather Cloudy, windy,
dry but feeling colder - A domestic day today after a trip to Tobermory,
the Mishnish Lochs were spectacular as they were completely covered in
ice. We saw both male and female Great Spotted Woodpeckers on the feeders
today and we are now seeing a couple of Song Thrushes on most days. The
Sparrowhawk shot through at 5 past 8 today.
March 2nd
Weather glorious sunny
and warmer than of late - We had a tour today and saw 2 separate Otters,
2 White-tailed Eagles, 3 Golden Eagles, lots of Red Deer including a great
view of a Stag on a snow covered hillside, Fallow Deer and both Common
and Grey Seals. The views were stunning again and the snow deep in places.
We had a great deal of fun and our guests had a lot of first sightings
including Red Throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Red Breasted Mergansers,
Black Guillemots and Slavonian Grebes. The calf in the picture was the
first Highland calf we have seen born in 2010. My highlight of a lovely
day were the pair of Gadwall seen towards the end of the day a rare species
for Mull. All these were taken on todays tour.
 
 
March 1st
Weather beautiful sunny
day, cold & calm - it's official - Scotland has had it's coldest winter
for 50 years but it has not been wet, it has been mainly cold and dry if
fact the weather in February has been spectacular, take a look at the pictures
below to see what Mull looks like on the first of March. On the plus side
for those considering holidaying on Mull this year, they reckon that billions
of midges will have been killed off due to the very cold winter.
 
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This is the web site of Pam & Arthur
Brown, Ardrioch Farm, Dervaig, Isle of Mull. PA75 6QR
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