Scotland (Part One)

Isle of Mull (Where Eagles Fly)

This trip was a family holiday with myself and two of my sisters as there was a lot of birds and wildlife this report is what I saw

I purchased a copy of The Isle of Mull Bird Report and Species List for 2008 I found this very useful as in the front there is a list of sites with information on what you might see at each site I used this with what knowledge I all ready have of Mull

Note  while reading this report you might think it a bit odd reporting some of the birds but remember on Mull some of these birds are less than 10 pairs so seeing them was quite a achievement others it was a case of being in the right place at the right time and some are common but not that easy to see

Day One 20^th June

We left home at 06-40 and took the bus to Heathrow where we then flew to Glasgow the flight was on time after we landed at Glasgow and picked up our hire car it was now 12-00, We then drove to oban got a bit lost coming out of Glasgow Airport but a look at the map and we where back on route, we then got caught behind a car towing a caravan we stopped for a coffee break so we could lose the caravan getting lost and this cost us about ¾ of a hour so we did not reach Oban till 15-30 where we then did a bit of shopping for the next week then we had a look in Oban Harbour where I found a Black Guillemot and Herring Gull now it was of to catch the ferry to Mull while on board we had a meal then went out on deck where we had Kittiwake, Gannet, Lesser & Great Black Backed Gulls, on arriving at Craignure on Mull we then drove the short distance to our cottage that we had booked for the weeks stay, (Kilbeg Cottage near Salen along Glen Forsa)  we where escorted to the cottage and had a short chat with the owner she introduced us to our neighbors          a small herd of Highland Cattle  After unpacking and a drink I decided to go for a walk one of my sisters came with me on leaving the cottage I was scanning the ridge and said our first White Tailed Eagle she got on to it so we went back and got my other sister so she could have a look we then continued to walk down into the glen as we came to the end of a plantation I scanned the ridge again and found 2 White Tailed Eagles I then heard a bird of prey calling on locating the bird it turned out to be a Peregrine Falcon while we where watching this a Male Hen Harrier flew by, I heard a Ring Ouzel singing and got brief views of it then it disappeared behind the plantation and I could not relocate it less than 2 hours on the Island, we then returned to the cottage where I looked out of my bedroom window and found a Barn Owl. We also have Swallows nesting on the end of the cottage

Today’s weather was fine and clear with light showers to the ferry then when on mull bright and sunny turning cold

Day Two 21^th June

This morning we decided to have a drive around the north of the island and we where glad we did as driving on single track roads is tiring and slow so gave us a chance to judge how long it would take to get to some of the places as we are booked on a wildlife trip later in the week that leaves from Devaig on the north of the island. We had a look at a spot the owner of the cottage told us about for Otter but no luck. As we took the B road to Ulva we had 2 Common Buzzards, Raven, Blackbird, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, we arrived at the car park where you catch the ferry to Ulva birds seen included more Meadow Pipits, Skylark, Oystercatcher, and our first White Tailed Eagle of the day, we now decided to drive to Tobermory on route we stopped a few times and we had Eider, Red Breasted Merganser on the sea. we also had Raven, Hooded Crow, Herring Gull, Starling, We then spent some time in Tobermory      after which we drove to Dervaig on the way back we stopped at the northern end of Loch Frisa where we had a White Tailed Eagle sitting on top of the ridge other birds where Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Swallow and we looked up above us to find a Golden Eagle that gave good views, We now returned to Salen and the spot for Otter but still no luck then it was back to the cottage where we had a look at some Orchids near the cottage witch we identified as Heath Spotted Orchid and Early Marsh Orchid,  It then started to rain so we had a we dram of Malt and our evening Meal

Weather for today Fine and clear rain early evening

 

Day Three 22^nd  June

Woke up to rain today, We had planned to take a bout trip to Staffa but after a quick call to the tour company we where advised that the trip would probably not take place so had to reschedule our plans for today, we decided to have a look at The Ross of Mull area, on route we stopped at Garmony Point near Craignure birds seen included Eider,  Shag, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Red Breasted Merganser, Goosander, Willow Warbler, We then stopped a bit further down the road and added on Greylag Goose, & Canada Goose, our next stop was Lochdon looking for White Tailed Eagle but with no luck but we did have a Swift , we then drove to Fionnphort stopping at Pennyghael for a coffee stop where I had Twit, Hooded Crow, Pied Wagtail, plus a family of Eider. Other birds seen on Ross of Mull, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Pure Rock Dove, Mistle Thrush, Sand Martin, Whinchat. I Was thinking of going over to Iona for the Corncrake  but when we got to Fionnphort the mist was so thick there did not seem much point so we just had a look at a couple of the roads leading from Fionnphort after witch We then drove back to a spot that we new of for White Tailed Eagle where we had the female sitting near the nest and could just see the head of a young bird in the nest we where told that the male was sitting in a tree about a quarter of a mile away witch I located we then drove the scenic route back to Salen witch was covered in mist so no chance of seeing Golden Eagle we then had a look at the spot for Otter but still no luck we then returned to our cottage for our evening meal then at 19-30 we went for a short walk by the river birds seen Willow Warbler, Grey Wagtail, Swallow. Then It was back to the cottage so ending another day on Mull

Today’s Weather mostly rain with a few dry periods