WEDNESDAY 19TH JUNE – Fine and sunny in light winds, 14C
Our day started well with three Otters seen outside Pennyghael pre-breakfast – a monther and cub which one of the group had photographed previously, and a lone dog Otter which appeared and saw the family off. Loch Scridain was like glass for the first time this morning, without even a breath of wind first thing making for great scanning conditions. A flock of twelve Common Scoter were just off the hotel, and we had really nice views of them through the scope before we set off for the morning. An adult White-tailed Eagle was seen too, heading out to the seal island. Iona was our destination for this morning, and we had a perfect day of weather for it. We hoped to hear more Corncrakes, though sadly this wasn’t to be – the population seems to have really declined here in recent years and we didn’t hear a single crek in three hours walking round perfect habitat. Instead it was small birds that highlighted with lots of great views of Wheatears, singing Sedge Warbler, a small party of Twite, several Willow Warblers and a brief Spotted Flycatcher. Over on the west side of the island we saw a few Dunlin on the beach and the odd Eider, but overall it was a rather quiet trip. We returned to Fionnphort about 2pm, in order to give ourselves the rest of the afternoon to head back up the glen and try for some more raptors. This was kicked off with a perched adult White-tailed Eagle hanging out at the seal islands just up from Pennyghael as we headed up the island.
Wheatear juvenile on Iona
Our first viewpoint added a surprise Whooper Swan to the list and produced two young White-tailed Eagles including one which drifted right over our heads. It was Golden Eagle we really wanted though, so we moved to another spot further up the glen but viewing the far end of the same ridge. From here we saw a Golden Eagle over the ridge, and then the two young Sea Eagles appeared again and circled with the Goldie, giving a nice comparison of silhouette. The Golden Eagle was clearly escorting the Sea Eagles off the premises though as it gained height and then began displaying, joined then by its mate before drifting back down distantly onto the ridge top. Further on, we stopped at a spot where we had seen a female Hen Harrier carrying prey earlier in the week. We saw her again, perched on a grassy knoll, before she flew off purposefully to take food from the approaching male. Interestingly she then flew across the road and interacted with a second female, presumably also being looked after by the same male. No Short-eared Owls though, which seem in very short supply this year. On the way back we paused at the spot where we thought the Golden Eagle pair might have landed and sure enough one was perched right up on the skyline. We got the scopes out and with the good light we could see the bird really well – and while watching, the second bird flew in and joined it! We watched them preening on the ridge top for a while, the sun catching their golden nape and the breeze ruffling their feathers. A superb sight to end the trip with, and there were two more male Hen Harriers on the way back to the hotel too, one of which came from nowhere and breezed across our bonnet as we drove down the glen!
TUESDAY 18TH JUNE – Sunny spells and fresh NW winds, 14C
Our trip out to the Treshnish Isles is often the most eagerly-anticipated day of the trip, though we did head down towards Fionnphort with some trepidation this morning with the North-westerly wind really tearing through Loch Scridain and low cloud threatening drizzle as well. Our trip was going, but heading out into the wind certainly made for a pretty bouncy ride out with a lot of spray! This limited birding a bit but we still saw several Manx Shearwaters and auks before we reached the island of Lunga where we would spend around two hours ashore. It was a different day at the landing stage, being sheltered from the wind. Rock Pipit and Twite were around the beach and once we’d scrambled our way up the cliff we were soon sat among the Puffins, coming and going at point blank range with plenty of sandeels. The group then split with two thirds of us taking the narrow rocky path all the way along to the Harp Rock, where we were pleased to see great numbers of Guillemots thronged on the ledges. The stiff wind meant the Kittiwakes were pulling some shapes as they stalled in the breeze in front of us, and of course there were Razorbills, Shags and Fulmars to be enjoyed too. A pair of Great Skuas were marauding and made a couple of close passes, while a single Arctic Skua was seen briefly looking further out towards Coll and Tiree in the distance. To the north, we could see up to Rhum and Eigg too, making for some spectacular views. More Twite were seen on the walk back, and we also heard two crekking Corncrakes, the second of which we were no more than a couple of metres away from!
Puffin
Kittiwake
Razorbill
Bottle-nosed Dolphins
Next we made the short hop across to Staffa, with a couple of Bottle-nosed Dolphins being seen briefly as we arrived, hanging around one of the other boats. Some of the group disembarked for the walk to Fingal’s Cave while the rest of us stayed on board and had lunch in the sunshine, hoping for another glimpse of the dolphins. A super trip and the run back into Iona was much calmer with the wind behind us! We picked up the van again in Fionnphort and then drove back to Pennygahel and around to Kinloch, where we wanted to just have a gentle drive along by Loch Beg to look for Otters and Hen Harriers. A female Whinchat was a nice bonus beside the road – she was very jumpy and wouldn’t settle, but everyone eventually got a view. Despite perfect drizzly weather and a good tidal state, we couldn’t find an Otter, but we did end the day with superb views of a male Hen Harrier which made two passes down either side of our van. Back to the hotel then for a slightly earlier finish after a tiring day!
Whinchat
Hen Harrier
MONDAY 17TH JUNE – Sunny spells and fresh westerly winds, 14C
A quieter day today but still one that was packed full of sightings! We started just along from Pennyghael overlooking the shallow tidal basin of Loch Beg. A Greenshank was seen, plus our first Black-headed Gulls of the trip and a few other common birds. Our plan then was to head up the glen, checking a few spots along the way. The best sighting was a male Common Crossbill which we spotted sitting on the top of a larch beside the road, opposite a handy pull-in. We had great scope views of the bird, plus a juvenile with heavily streaked flanks. Down to Grasspoint next and we had our first White-tailed Eagle of the day as we drove down, flying across the road in front of us. The walk down to Grasspoint itself always produces something interesting and while it felt quiet in the cold wind, we saw Siskins, Redpoll, Common Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, a family of Willow Warblers and a distant huge feeding frenzy of Kittiwakes out in the channel. What’s more, a superb male Hen Harrier flew through on the walk back up and we managed to find a couple of stems of flowering Lesser Butterfly Orchid to boot!
Common Crossbill
After a quick pitstop in Craignure we stopped next along the Sound of Mull, overlooking a gravel island where large numbers of Arctic Terns were nesting. We enjoyed watching their antics from the beach, not least seeing off yet another White-tailed Eagle as it lumbered off towards Movern. There were several waders here too, with a couple of pairs of Ringed Plover with newly hatched chicks, three Turnstones and a Dunlin adding interest. We lunched at Salen by the old boats, in the company of a small creche of Common Eiders, but it was now closed in and drizzling heavily and so for the afternoon, we decided to mix it up and head west.
The road up Glen Aros added a number of Rock Doves, Wheatears and Stonechats but little else. Likewise the Torloisk road over the moor, which led us down to the coast overlooking Ulva and onto the road up towards Calgary. Here we camped out at a spectacular viewpoint overlooking the distant Treshnish Isles, but the hoped-for Golden Eagle did not break the skyline for us here. After an hours vigil we began to wind our way back towards Ulva Ferry and only a mile or so on, and we spotted a distant dot in the sky – a Golden Eagle! We drove hastily towards the bird but it was drifting fast with the wind behind it and we struggled to catch up. Eventually we found a spot where we could scan the ridge and we had some brief distant views of it circling before it headed inland. Our route back took us by Killiechronan where we paused and saw two more adult White-tailed Eagles, several Black Guillemots, a Great Northern Diver and most surprisingly, six Common Scoters out in Loch na Keal. The rest of the long route home took us along the narrow winding road along Gribun cliffs and down Glen Seilisdeir to Pennyghael.
SUNDAY 16TH JUNE – Overcast day with light rain in westerly winds, 14C
Today was all about our boat trip out with Mull Charters, which saw us head directly round to Ulva Ferry after breakfast. We set off in light drizzle with low cloud hanging over the hilltops all around us as we made our way out through the network of channels and small islets around Ulva. Black Guillemots, Harbour Seals and Common Eiders were seen and soon the first mayhem broke out with a hundred Common Terns screaming into the sky in a tight pack signalling the arrival of the first White-tailed Eagle, a male bird coming in low and being dive-bombed by the terns as it lumbered in. The first fish of the day was snatched from the water in its immense talons just metres away from our noses and lenses, and we were off! Over the next three hours we were visited seven times by three different adult Sea Eagles, one pair which uniquely are still feeding a one-year old youngster that has a badly-healed wing break having fallen from its nest last summer. As a result the pair are not nesting this year, but instead continuing to provision their previous offspring which can fly, but may well find life difficult going forward once its parents eventually do escort it out of their territory. The third bird we saw was also a non-nester this year – a male known as Compo which has been around ever since we have been doing these trips. He has a new mate this year and as is often the case with first attempts, they haven’t been successful. This meant the two fish he took from us were all for him this time around! Of course, there were other birds to be seen as well as the eagles, with lots of close Black Guillemots, Gannets and a few Puffins also noted. We chugged back into Ulva ferry just about dry but with plenty of wind over tide it was certainly a choppy ride back in!
White-tailed Eagle – male bird known as ‘Compo’ now 32 years of age
Female White-tailed Eagle taking a fish
Lunch was had at nearby Eas Fors before we continued around the North of the island, heading up into the clouds over the Torloisk road before dropping down again to the relatively dry Dervaig on the north coast. The bay here as always produced lots of Common Sandpipers and Goosanders (the latter all rather distant) and an Otter which showed a few times further out. We then headed east along the coast to Tobermory, via the Mishnish Lochs, and had some time there to explore the town for a bit before starting to make our way south. Glen Aros produced a nice walk along the river out of the wind, with two Common Crossbills showing in a spruce beside the road before flying off calling and a Grey Wagtail. We arrived back in Pennyghael around 6pm – the day had flown by again!
SATURDAY 15TH JUNE – Fine and sunny day in light winds, 15C
An absolutely classic Mull day of spectacular wildlife watching helped by perfect weather conditions saw us complete a loop of the central part of the island, starting out from our base in Pennyghael where we enjoyed a smart young Great Northern Diver just offshore straight after breakfast. We headed up to Kinloch, noting a couple of Greenshanks around Loch Beg on the way, and stopped overlooking the big open grassy plain at the head of the loch. A male Hen Harrier ghosted by and we saw our first Curlews, Lapwings and the like before continuing on around the northern shore of Loch Scridain and on up the glen. Our first major highlight of the day was watching an adult female White-tailed Eagle sat in her nest, an eventually her well-grown chick was also seen. A Cuckoo called in the distance too and a Willow Warbler family was busy in the bracken beside the road. The views out to Coll, Tiree, Staffa and the Treshnish Isles were spectacular as we wound our way down through a mass of fledged Wheatears along the road and down to the shores of Loch na Keal. Shag and Eider were two more species seen along the route, before we stopped at a convenient spot to scan the cliffs above and surrounding hillsides. The highlight here was a brief Twite which flew in calling and perched on the bracken just about long enough for half the group to scope it before it flew on.
Hen Harrier mobbed by Common Gull
The day really kicked on around by Killiechronan where we watched an adult pair of White-tailed Eagles that flew down onto the loch shore to feed on some carrion. We were just enjoying the lovely weather and scanning the loch (seeing another Great Northern Diver and Black Guillemot) when a dog Otter appeared in front of us. The animal flushed a roost of Oystercatchers and four Greenshank off the rocks and then proceeded to show on and off for an hour, fishing among the kelp and continually bringing up flatfish and small crabs. It eventually came out onto the rocks and had a roll around and even a sleep before returning to the water and heading further out into the loch – amazing stuff!
Otter showing well along the shore of Loch na Keal
Our afternoon saw us head round to Salen, and on the way we flushed a Tree Pipit off the road and thankfully it perched up in a small conifer and everyone got to see it. A quick coffee and toilet stop later and we headed south down the Sound of Mull to Craignure and then on down to Lochbuie. A lovely bonus in the remnant oak woodland here saw us enjoy excellent views of a pair of Common Redstarts feeding young in a nest box. We used the van as a hide and just waited for the male to come in, and he perched on the deer fence beside us before provisioning the young at the hole with a caterpillar. Down at Lochbuie itself we saw two more Great Northern Divers as we enjoyed the views south to Colonsay and Islay. A pair of Golden Eagles also appeared above the distant ridge line, one of them getting mobbed by Ravens and eventually perched on the top of a knoll (it was a novelty to see it land just below the ridge and then walk in a rather gangly fashion to the summit!).
Male Common Redstart
Continuing back to the main road and along to Inverlussa, we paused to overlook a wide expanse of bracken covered hillside and it was no surprise to watch another ringtail Hen Harrier quartering. We actually saw her pounce on what looked like a small rodent and then carry it away to her hungry chicks which were no doubt secreted somewhere up on the hillside. Getting great views of White-tailed Eagles is easy in Mull but not always so for Goldies, so we continued on this quest as we headed on down through Glenforsa, stopping to scan the ridges. A young White-tailed Eagle was perched on the top of a mountain ridge, before being joined by a second bird and again facing the gauntlet of the local Ravens. We then saw two Golden Eagles soaring and had some decent scope views before watching one of them drift down onto a (very!) distant slope. This meant driving three miles on and thankfully we were able to relocate it from this new vantage point – though it was still hard to see! Yet another White-tailed Eagle and a male Hen Harrier soared above us – it had been quite a day for raptors!
Roadside Ringed Plover at Loch na Keal
FRIDAY 14TH JUNE – Rain giving way to sunshine in light westerly winds, 14C
We set off from our overnight base in Lockerbie around 0845 this morning and enjoyed a good journey up to Glasgow and over the Erskine Bridge. Things slowed up thereafter though as we followed a massive boat on the back of a low-loader along the winding A82 alongside Loch Lomond, which resulted in the lorry having to stop on every bend to allow traffic to squeeze past it! Eventually it pulled in to allow the tailbacks to clear and we reached Tyndrum and The Green Welly Stop in the rain around noon. We had a planned birding stop after this and before reaching Oban, which was now only an hour away. The weather was kind and the rain stopped just as we arrived at our site, with the first bird up being a brief male Whinchat closely followed by a posing male Common Redpoll. We braved the midges in the mixed birch and pine woodland and driving along slowly with the windows down paid dividends as we heard the distant spinning coin trill of a Wood Warbler. We disembarked and listened to the bird singing, which eventually moved closer to us and showed brilliant right beside the road. This declining species is always tricky to see well on Mull, so it was a great bonus to get one ‘en route’! We overlooked a freshwater loch further down the road and saw a pair of Greenshank, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper and a few Sand Martins. A really nice surprise though was a stunning pair of Black-throated Divers in their dapper breeding dress, which eventually floated out into full view for us – what birds! Time had ticked on rather quickly though and it was now time to continue the rest of the way to Oban.
Wood Warbler
The sail out to Craignure on Mull was under blue skies and we saw our first Black Guillemots as we left port, and then a good number and variety of seabirds as we transited up into the Sound of Mull. Gannets were plunging into the sea and there were large rafts of Kittiwakes and Manx Shearwaters, indicating good fishing for the birds around about. One of the group probably glimpsed a Minke Whale too, but it sadly didn’t resurface. We reached Mull on time and set off down the glen, passing Lochdon and Glen More, until we reached the Three Lochs Viewpoint. We scanned the ridges from here but didn’t pick any eagles up on this occasion. We did get super views of a our first Hen Harrier a little further on though – a ringtail which was perched on a rock beside the road. It was shaping up for our first beautiful Pennyghael sunset as we arrived at the hotel – hopefully the first of many!
