The Isle of Mull. LAST PART

On another day we went to 'Grasspoint', yes, very grassy, hoping to see hen harriers and also a good spot for short-eared owl. Watched for half an hour but no luck, mind you it was a little drizzly so we pressed on in search of otters as I had seen one but my wife missed it! As we approached Glen More we noticed a stag on the hillside and to our surprise, a female hen harrier flew past. Going through the glen, a whinchat appeared on a fence then buzzards in the sky and one sparrowhawk.

 At Pennyghael stores and P.O. we were able to get some rolls for lunch and headed to the shore of Loch Beg which is at the top end of Loch Scridain (a loch in a loch) and searched in vain for otters. 

 People told us they are common but not easy to see, many not seeing them at all. We pushed on around the shore of Loch Beg when my wife saw a head of something in the water disappear. Stopped the car and waited and watched and sure enough an otter appeared from then on we observed this individual for two hours catching fish and resting along the shore of the photo above.

We followed along the coast for a good mile, several people stopped to have a look and take photos. Two photographers stopped and were eager to get some good shots and when it seemed to have disappeared we searched and found it later dozing on the end of a small rocky spit, out of sight. We didn't scare it, on the contrary it wasn't worried too much by our presence and we finally left to itself and eating and catching more fish. 

We drove back towards the hotel via the scenic route again which you takes you through some superb landscapes, the road opens out near the mouth of Loch Na Keal where several wheatears and oystercatchers etc. were along the shoreline. The road took us past another parking area which is where all the mountain climbers start their trek to the summit of Ben More (968 m) which still had some snow in places!  

The last day was spent at Iona again hoping for a better view of the corncrakes which did not disappoint. It required a wait one hour wait before one came close, again only two hundred yards from the ferry and at one point c.20 people were looking and listening to the 'calls'.  Luck would have that two birds came quite close giving everyone reasonable views but as usual just heads and necks in the grass, except once.

  

A couple of sedge warblers were seen in people's gardens plus song thrushes which were common all over the island for some reason. Maybe the fact that we, and others didn't seen one magpie all week had something to do with it. Returning via Loch Scridain again we caught up with a couple of close mergansers, half a dozen Arctic terns and our one and only redshank.  

I only saw seventy five species, not seeing, black-headed gull, kestrel, coot, which I thought would be there plus just a couple of guillemots and a few black guillemots when I thought there would be lots. 

Next day it was the ferry to the the mainland and an overnight stop near Carlisle then home, about a twelve hour drive if you want to do it without stopping!

The Isle of Mull, PART 2

The next day we took a narrow road (they all are) following a river and across moorland to a village called Delvaig seeing a few stonechats, curlews, lapwings, cuckoos, lots of swallows (heaps of them across the island) and one dipper flying down the river. Delvaig is by one of the sea lochs but has a reedbed just inland which held a couple of sedge warblers. Met one chap who said he heard a reed warbler, not much else but on the 'creek' 8 goosanders, a couple of mergansers, curlews and common gulls nesting, no black-headed's seen during the week.

DELVAIG REEDBED, ONLY SAW A COUPLE OF SEDGE WARBLERS

Drove the eight miles to Tobermory for a look around and lunch, busy with tourists but plenty of room, no parking charges!  Just a few shops that seemed to sell everything.

Later we went back to the eagle site at Loch Na Keal, this time on the other side where the sea eagles are, several people there at the viewing spot. Also saw 6 arctic terns, great northern divers and a few shags.

     BLUEBELLS IN FLOWER EVERYWHERE - THE SOUND BETWEEN MULL & SCOTLAND

A DISTANT SHOT OF ONE OF THE SEA EAGLES BEING MOBBED BY THE HOODED CROWS

Went out most evenings after dinner looking for otters but never found them although 1 wigeon was a surprise at Aros Bay, other birds were a couple of eider and mergansers plus the usual greylags that were everywhere.

PIED WAGTAILS VERY COMMON 

EIDER

The next day was my day on the boat to get close to the sea eagles. There was a half hour drive to the Ulva port where I boarded the 'Lady Jayne' operated by Martin of 'Mull Charters' for a three hour cruise into Loch Na Keal.  There were twelve people on board, not all photographers and the sea was calm and lots of sunshine. First some bread was thrown out to attract the gulls which no doubt wakened the eagle in the trees about a mile away. He then flew in, putting up the gulls, after which a fish was thrown out and duly seized after a bit of circling during which was time to do some photography.  This was done only three times, regulated by the RSPB. 

THE PORT AT ULVA

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER

So many sea eagle shots taken, I've not looked at most yet. NB. In the morning we had a quick look around a woody area finding a beautiful demoiselle damselfly, the only member of the odonata family. Lots of white butterflies and a couple of peacocks not much else.

NOT TOO HAPPY AT THE QUALITY BLOGGER IS DISPLAYING MY PHOTOS.

The Isle of Mull. 21st - 30th May. PART 1

For some years I have always wanted to visit Mull but there always seemed to be something to get in the way, however, this year I booked it early so I had to go! Its a long, twelve hour drive to Oban needing an overnight stop on route and then boarded the Calmac ferry for the forty minute crossing.

OBAN SEAFRONT

HOODED CROWS IN THE HARBOUR AND ELSEWHERE

We seemed to be blessed with good weather during our stay, only a couple of short showers late afternoon and going at this time we missed most of the midges that I heard can be a big problem later in the season.

THE FERRY WAS DOING SIX CROSSINGS A DAY BUT BOOKING IS NEEDED

AS YOU CAN SEE LOVELY WEATHER 

DUART CASTLE, MULL

 THE FINAL APPROACH TO CRAIGNURE, MULL

Its quite a large island but a population of only c.3000, the only town being Tobermory, the rest are just collections of houses some of which could be described as villages with the odd Spar' shop which sold everything.

SCOTTISH MAINLAND OPPOSITE

Arrived at the Glenforsa Hotel around lunchtime then drove to Loch Na Keal to see two golden eagles and one of the sea eagles that nest there. Its a known watch point luckily for me, several people were there to put me straight onto things. In the lock there were mergansers and grt. northern divers in breeding plumage plus greylag and Canada geese which were to be seen all around the island, very common. Other common birds were cuckoos, heard everyday along with huge numbers of willow warblers, many more than at home...thank goodness someone's got some! Robins were also very common often seen on the moors, most unusual.

GREAT NORTHERN DIVERS WERE ALWAYS IN THE LOCHS

The next day we did the forty mile drive to Fionnphort where we boarded the ferry to Iona as I hoped to see corncrake as the literature spoke of this being a good place to find them.

THE SMALL FERRY AND A TEN MINUTE CROSSING 

 ROOM FOR ABOUT FOUR CARS AND LOTS OF FOOT PASSENGERS

I saw a gannet during the crossing but little else and once on Iona a walk of  a couple of hundred yards and I was hearing corncrakes in the tiny grassy fields. Later I caught sight of one and got a head shot with the camera, well happy. Other birds were, sedge warbler, goldfinch, rook, chiffchaff and greenfinch plus loads of jackdaws.

CORNCRAKE - THEIR 'RASPING' WAS SO LOUD

THIS WAS INTERESTING I DIDN'T KNOW BT HAD AN EXCHANGE ON THE ISLAND!

We returned via a scenic route through a glen and around the coast stopping to see some yellow moths that seemed to be everywhere in the glens and took photos of the breathtaking scenery. Other common birds on the island were common sandpipers, pied wagtails and breeding common gulls, no black-headeds seen though or lessers. 

SPECKLED YELLOW MOTH

LOCK NA KEAL 

MOUTH OF LOCH NA KEAL ON THE RIGHT

Back to the hotel which was a large Scandinavian building with eleven bedrooms with two small cabins in the grounds, one of which was ours. At the bottom of the 'garden' was the airstrip, the owner, a bit of a pilot and beyond that the beach and sound between Mull and the mainland.

 THE AIRSTRIP

The island has a small medical facility but any broken limbs, heart attacks etc. its a helicopter, forty minutes to Glasgow hospital paid for by the NHS and we were woken two nights by the helicopter landing. I wonder if they will be able to afford that if they go independant?

 SUNSET AT THE END OF THE SECOND DAY