Mull trip episode 1 - White-tailed Eagles & a mackerel or two

We arrived on Mull for our annual pilgrimage to wildlife central on Sunday evening, after a long, hot and tiring drive up from Swindon. Although it was a lovely evening, after over 12 hours in the driving seat, even I couldn't motivate myself to go out spotting - at least any further than the bottom of the garden! 

Mind you, in our lovely accommodation there is a fair amount to be seen without stirring further afield. There are several industrious families of Swallows nesting in the eaves, so the air is thick with the adults whizzing to & fro from dawn to full dark. Starlings, Blue-tits, Pied Wagtails and Chaffinches are all also nesting around the old steading buildings, lots of cute little bunnies cheekily sneak onto the lawn to graze (much to the delight of the huskies) and best of all, directly in front of the farmhouse is a Common Seal colony. One of the estate's resident pairs of White-tailed Eagles are regular visitors to the reef at this time of the year while the seals are pupping, attracted by the possibility of a buffet-special of seal placenta!

Monday was a bit drizzly until late afternoon, but we weren't too upset to have a relaxed start, being rather shattered after the long drive up. We did venture out for a bit of a recce of a few of our favourite sites around the Ross of Mull in the afternoon. Lots of interesting small birds around, particularly Wheatears, Stonechats, Sanderlings, Spotted Red-shanks, Lapwing, Twite, and Oystercatchers - however the light wasn't really good enough for much in the way of photography.

Common Seals - Male, Pup and female

Stonechat - Male

Another drive out in the evening produced our first otter spotting; a big male fishing along the edge of the kelp beds - sadly a wee bit distant to be worth a shot. Lots of Greylag Geese, plus the ubiqutious Hoodie Crows. I also spotted a female Hen-Harrier quartering over the reedbeds at the head of the valley - she then sped off up the hillside after catching some prey - presumably off back to her chicks. 

On Tuesday, we went out on the fabulous Mull Charters White-tailed Eagle tour. This is an unmissable part of my trip each year, and it never fails to deliver a great day out. This morning was no exception, despite a rather damp & overcast start. The pair of Eagles we visited are nesting out on an inaccessible peninsula known as 'The Wilderness' - and the name is very apt. An awe-inspiring landscape of lowering cliffs, dank sea caves and stark crags, it's an atmospheric backdrop for these magnificent birds.

 Both of the adults came out very quickly as soon as the boat reached their territory, flapping very determinedly around in search of their lunch. It's amazing to see these 'barndoor'-sized birds diving down with great precision to snatch up a fish from the surface. After three passes, we'd all shot hundreds of shots and retired to a spot further along the headland for a quick coffee while the Eagles consumed their booty. I had fun earning my passage by fishing for mackerel for the next few trips! In just 10 minutes or so, myself and another guest had caught 30 or 40 fish - it's incredible to be able to drop a line in and pull it out seconds later with 3 fish on it! We pinched a couple for our lunch and I can testify that they are very tasty; no wonder the Eagles are keen! 

After a final pass by the Eagles, we headed back towards the landing point at Ulva Ferry, via another Common Seal colony, where we got some close views of several very young pups with their mums. We also saw Black Gulliemots, distant Gannets, Cormorants & Shags.

Common Seals - Males

Common Seals - Female & Pup

Common Seal - Pup

This afternoon, a little drive around the loch produced a trio of Red-Breasted Mergansers, a very noisy Sanderling family, Oystercatchers with half-grown chicks, Snipe & Curlews - including a chick and Stonechats. 

Curlew - Chick

Curlew