New birds in the garden are Rock Doves the first we have had actually feeding in the garden the numbers are growing daily after seeing 2 about a week ago, this morning we counted 25 (they must be on ‘Friends reunited), as I write our Sparrow Hawk has just put in an appearance scattering the little birds in all directions. Most of our Hebridean ewes have now 
lambed with 7 lambs on 5 ewes, they are all very healthy and now enjoying having ‘lamb races’ around the field.
We are seeing Otters on most tours and both Common and Grey Seals daily, Red Deer are everywhere and in some areas (our garden for one) they are becoming a problem having dead headed most of our daffodils while they are still in full bloom. PAM IS NOT AMUSED! Rabbits also in abundance and we are seeing a few Hares and on one tour we had good Bottle-Nose Dolphin sightings a rare treat. Finally I must mention the weather again as it has been really good for three weeks now but according to the weather forecasts it rains all the time in Scotland. This is a wonderful island whatever the weather so don’t be put off by weather forecasters standing in front of Mull telling you it’s raining or going to rain as they often speak with forked tongues.
Enjoy the Spring Arthur and Pam 

There is little we can tell you about Mull in February as we were away Whale watching in Baja California for most of the month. We had a terrific holiday and Pam achieved 3 lifetime ambitions, seeing really close Blue Whales, we had 7 around the boat at one time including a mother with calf, awesome. We also saw breaching humpback Whales just in front of the boat which was a fantastic sight, but Pam’s highlight was actually stroking a Grey Whale in the San Ignatio Lagoon apparently the only place in the world you can do this, and amazingly they come to you and not vice versa. If you really want to get close to whales check out www.bajawhale.com we can really recommend them but you must be o.k. on boats as you are on one for 12 days. The only slight disappointment for me was the birding, it is much better on Mull.

March started with indifferent weather on Mull, talk about in like a lion well we had the lion but it was a very wet one, we were able to get out and about on a couple of days and had some great birding. On the first day of really good weather we went out and about just to see what Mull had to offer in early spring and we were not disappointed as we saw 56 bird species and 4 mammals in the short day. The highlight had to be the Golden Eagle that flew over our new vehicle and landed on a rock no more than 100 yards away, it proceeded to lie flat on the rock and spread its wings out along the warm rock face, enjoying the sun after a cold wet spell. We had never seen this behaviour before and it was incredible to see all the wing feathers spread out showing all the subtle hues of gold and brown which you rarely get to see on a flying bird. In all we saw 5 different golden Eagles in the day and also Three White-Tailed Eagles, the first one flying over our house just before we started out. The second White-Tailed eagle was carrying nesting material and we have already got one pair sitting on eggs and a man has been arrested for disturbing them at their nest, good to know that the Mull Eagle watch is still very vigilant. 

We had a Hen Harrier hunting always worth seeing, 2 Sparrowhawks, Buzzards galore and a Kestrel, a total of 6 species of raptor in the day. Birds of the day for me after the Golden Eagle was a pair of crossbill, quite a few have been seen on the island recently but these were the first ones I have seen for a couple of years.
We have seen otters every time we have been out this month but the best view was of a mother with 2 cubs no more than 20 yards from where we were standing. I do not think she could have seen or smelt us as she brought her youngsters down the hill, through a drain under the road and right past us to the shore, wonderful, it is always good to know where otters with cubs are. 

Fallow Deer seamed to have done very well last year as we saw several young fawns with their mothers recently. We have at least one very white fallow deer and some that are nearly black this is not unusual for Fallow deer as they come in 4 distinct colourations.
Red deer are everywhere and we get some in our woodland and paddock every morning. Our garden is full of birds at the moment and it is a great time of year to see them as they are all coming into their beautiful breeding plumage. Pam saw 3 Bullfinches and 7 Long-tail Tits the other day and we have at least 15 species in the garden. The female Greater Spotted Woodpecker has been back on our feeders this week and we have heard her drumming in the nearby wood so we are hoping if she has young she will bring them to our feeders. 
Our Hebridean ewes should be starting to lamb soon and we will post pictures on the web site when this happens. Have a great Easter and try to get out and about in the country if you can, it is very rewarding after the long dark nights of winter.
Arthur and Pam

What is it I wonder that makes Mull such a wildlife paradise? On our annual bird race with the bird club on January 12th 89 bird species were seen with the winning car seeing 73 species, this is a great return for one days birding on a relatively small island. When we met up at the end of the day we were not only surprised at the number of birds seen but also at the several species we had missed. This is born out by our ongoing British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) bird survey which showed Mull had over 100 species seen in November and December 2007. In the Dervaig area alone over 60 species of birds were recorded including Water Rail in the reed beds and on our way home from the bird club the other night we saw a Tawny Owl and a Barn Owl just before we turned into our drive. Owls are thriving on Mull and we were woken this morning by a pair of Tawnies calling from a tree in the garden outside our bedroom window. Why is it that Mull has this abundance and diversity of birds? Do we have any reserves on the island to attract so many species? No we don’t although there is an R.S.P.B. presence on the island to monitor the White-tailed Eagle programme we now have at least 10 pairs on Mull and the Corncrakes on Iona. Do we have any other wildlife initiatives on the island not available elsewhere? Again the answer is no. The answer lies in the people in particular the way Mull is farmed, it has never been subject to farming on industrial scale except by forestation and now that is changing for the better and so the wildlife has been able to adjust to subtle changes without being unduly affected. I know that history shows that a few species suffered from the introduction of sheep and the change from mixed farming to a grazing culture most notably the Grouse and Grey Partridge but this has been more than made up by the increase in raptor numbers including Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcons and the much persecuted Hen Harrier. Even as I write some more small changes are taking place on the island, farmers are removing some sheep off the hills; this in turn could mean a return of some of the heather to the hills and encourage the return of Grouse. On one estate a new 2000 acre traditional Birch and Oak woodland has been planted and if this is successful it will provide even more diverse habitat and encourage even more species to this remarkable wildlife paradise.
It is not only birds that benefit from a sympathetic and rural community; mammals are also thriving here in particular Red Deer numbers are at near the optimum numbers that the island can sustain. Otters too are here in very good numbers making Mull one of the best places in Britain to see this special mammal. Both Grey and the smaller Common seal are to be found all round the coast if you know where and how to look for them. Minke Whales, several species of Dolphins, Basking Sharks and porpoise are all seen around Mull’s coast often from land, so even not having sea legs does not necessarily mean you have no chance of seeing these exciting creatures. This and the spectacular geological scenery including the remarkable Fingals Cave on Staffa, wonderful walks on Mull, Iona and Ulva make Mull the outdoor wildlife paradise that it is.
This island is a perfect place to recharge your batteries from the pace of modern living, the beautiful shell sand beaches almost deserted in the early mornings, surely the best part of the day. The moorland and mountains with their own particular habitats, flora, fauna and charm where you can walk and become as one with the nature that is all around you. The castles, bridges, drove roads that remind us of a much harder life in the not to distant past are all here to be discovered.

I cannot finish this news letter with out thanking all our guests for travelling with ‘Discover Mull’ this year or staying in Ardrioch’s self-catering cottages. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Christmas and a wonderful peaceful New Year and hope to see some of you on Mull in the near future. Grateful thanks once again to our good friend Alan Spellman for continuing to maintain our web site, check out all Mull’s rarer sightings on his mullbirds web site. 

August news letter 2007
 August is a month when we start to see lots of new young animals and birds appearing as they grow more confident after being born or fledging. The new Common Seal pups are delighting guests as they playfully leap out of the water as if they were Dolphins, this is called porpoising and it does indeed confuse guests and other Mull visitors alike as they have never witnessed this seal behaviour before. The Otter cubs we are seeing on most days are also giving our guests great value playing and squabbling together nearly all the time even when fishing. The other day after a long successful fishing session the 2 cubs along with their mother climbed out onto the top of a large island and after a brief bout of preening settled down for a sleep, this lasted less than 3 minutes before the cubs started fighting and they tumbled right from the top of the island down the slope and into the water where a game of catch me if you can began much to the amusement of all my guests. These wildlife events are precious and must not be lost because we humans keep demanding more of their habitats for our space. The other special mammals we are seeing regularly now are the new Red Deer calves and Brown Hares as the farmers have now harvested the grass we can again see these beautiful creatures as they come out to graze in the late afternoon.
Most of the summer flowers are now over being replaced by some glorious heather both Bell Heather and Ling being very abundant this year. The Grass of Parnassus a particular favourite of ours is also in flower and we had some late Orchids well into August this year. Two other flowers of August worth a mention this year are the Rose Bay Willow Herb and the Purple Loosetrife which have added some beautiful colour to the late summer. On a more cautious note the occurrence of Ragwort on the island is increasing and we feel something should be done about this poisonous to livestock, particularly horses before it becomes too well established.
As for the birds both Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle chicks have now fledged and can be seen if you know where to look. The proud parents are never too far away and as I write Pam just phoned to say she and our guests were watch 5 White-Tailed Eagles in the air together, curses I only stayed at home to write this news letter. As well as the Eagles we have been seeing Peregrines with young Kestrels and a special sighting of a Goshawk. In the sea lochs Gannets, Kittiwakes, Black Guillemots, Guillemots, Arctic and Common Terns, Cormorants and Shags as well as moulting Eider Ducks and Red Breasted Mergansers and August is a quiet month.
Finally I must mention Pam whose home baking for the tours is becoming so legendary I have started to think some guests only come out with us for the food. Their was I thinking it was Mulls fantastic wildlife, scenery, flowers and of course my wit and repartee? How wrong can you be!
  Enjoy wildlife watching, get involved the B.T.O. is doing a new Atlas and needs volunteers if nothing else it gets you out and about. Cheers Arthur and Pam