Mull Spring Skydancer 5-day package 16th - 20th March 2025

Wildlife Summary:

16th evening - day 1

We all met up at our accommodation in Tobermory before heading out for the afternoon. A lovely calm afternoon/evening to start the trip, so we headed for a well known sea loch. A few Fallow deer were in the nearby fields on the way down.

Heading along the south side we spotted our first few Slavonian Grebes close inshore, a few common waders and Ravens before picking up 2 White-tailed Eagles (WTE) extremely distantly over Ben More briefly joined by a Golden Eagle. 2 more Immature WTE’s appeared much closer, soaring over the loch. A few Common Seals were on the offshore islands.

Heading onto a well known Golden Eagle site, Ewan spotted the male silhouetted on the skyline whilst we had tea and cake!

Scanning the moors!

Heading round to the north side, 2 adult WTE were perched up in the conifers, giving great scope views. A few Red-breasted Mergansers and a lovely flock of 17 Slavonian Grebes were out in the loch.

As it got towards evening time and the sunset brewed we headed further on to the diver roost, where we had a few rafts of Great-Northern Divers totalling around 85 birds and a 3 Red-throated divers more distantly, whilst the Red-Deer on the hill above watched us intently! A great first afternoon/evening before heading back for dinner.

17th -

A bright day with a light breeze. We first stopped in at a coastal bay on our way south, finding Eiders, Bar-tailed Godwits and a WTE called but remained hidden.

Passing Loch Don we spotted a few Wigeon and a Little Egret, a Mull scarcity.

On the open moorland, 2 WTE soared over the distant hill range and a Golden Eagle perched on the high tops. An Adult Male Hen Harrier quartered the grassland before perching up, whilst up to 3 Ringtail Hen Harriers were seen in the nearby area.

A walk in local woodlands and a lesson on Lichen, from friend of Nature Scotland Stuart who had joined us for the day, whilst a Treecreeper fed in the trees above.

Onto Glen More, first stop we started with a Golden Eagle and 2 Immature WTE’s over the hills.

Further into the glen, we spotted a Golden Eagle travelling at speed to join another Golden Eagle before chasing it off and heading up to join 2 more Golden Eagles high on the ridge. 1 bird briefly displayed some deep undulations, our first skydancer!

Onto our lunch spot, we quickly spotted 3 Golden Eagles circling over the hills to the west, before an adult female Golden Eagle coasted over the near hills before perching up on a rock giving great scope views. Over lunch, the adult male Golden appeared over the near hills and 2 adult WTE’s thermalled up from a ravine.

Heading onto the wild west coastline for yet more eagle action, 2 adult WTE emerged from a forestry block flying to the hills across the valley and perching, 1 lucky guest witnessed them copulating through the scope! Shortly after, 2 Golden Eagles appeared on the skyline,1 briefly displayed.

A walk in the conifer woods produced Grey Wagtail, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Siskins and a pair of Crossbills, including a bold red male feeding busily.

Heading round to another sea loch, we spotted a male Wheatear and enjoyed beautiful scenery with a lovely west coast sunset following us home.

18th -

Bright, with a slightly stronger breeze, we headed for the north of the island. 2 Red-throated Divers were on a nearby fresh water loch and 3 Goldeneye as well.

In the morning warmth we hoped to find Adders out basking, which proved successful, quickly finding 2 snakes out enjoying the sun.

Heading further west, we had lovely views of 4 Bullfinches. Up onto the moors of NW Mull we had a good coastal walk with Buzzards, Stonechats and Mistle Thrushes to start before spotting 2 Golden Eagles on the cliffs, the male produced a spectacular several minutes of undulating skydancing!

A scan of the moorland further down produced, another more distant displaying Golden Eagle and a few Red Deer.

After a very picturesque lunch spot by the beach, we headed up onto the headland, finding G-N Divers, Razorbills and a Guillemot.

A few Gulls and common waders were on the loch, before Ewan spotted a Barn Owl poking its head out of an Owl box, an unexpected daytime sighting.

On a wonder round a nearby estate we had singing Treecreepers, Shelducks, Goosanders and R-B Mergansers.

Back up onto the moorland, we had a distant Hen Harrier over tea and cake. A little further down we spotted an Immature Golden Eagle being harassed by a Hen Harrier while another Hen Harrier flew below. The Goldie then carried on, flying right over head before alighting on a skyline rock just 200m away, giving great but brief scope views.

Just after the Goldie flew, we could hear Whooper Swan calling and spotted a skein of 22 heading north for Iceland. A great end to the day!

19th -

Bright and very calm once again. En route to the SE of the island, we stopped in at a conifer woodland and had feeding Crossbills overhead.

Continuing south onto the moorlands, on arrival we could hear chattering Hen Harrier and a male appeared overhead and skydanced fantastically for 3mins across the moors in front of us!

Another brief bit of skydancing took the fancy of a ringtail, and they dropped to the ground together whilst another Male and 2 Ringtail circled high above, 6 Hen Harriers in a matter of minutes! A WTE circled the hills more distantly.

Heading on for Otters, not 15mins into scanning we spotted an Otter in the surface weed heading towards us, before another Otter appeared from the near shoreline!

One headed across the loch and the other headed down the shoreline and into a hole in the rock, maybe it's daytime holt.

We caught up with the previous Otter later on, spending a fantastic hour watching her bringing fish ashore and hunting in the weed barely 10m away!

Next onto lunch - 2 distant WTE and sizeable Eider flock.

A scenic coastal walk delivered 3 Purple Sandpipers and on walking back we spotted a pair of Golden Eagles circling the near hillside, the female alighting superbly on the hilltop giving great scope views. A dog Otter was fishing in the loch below.

As the light started to fade we headed back to the moorland… on driving through, Theo spotted a shape perched on a rock, a Short-eared Owl! We parked up and had 30mins of a pair of Short-eared Owls calling and displaying to each other in golden light, chasing off 2 nearby Ringtail Hen Harriers that came near!

Driving away further down, we had another Short-Eared Owl hunting the moorland.

Back to the house for final night dinner… Aurora alert! So we headed out and could see a faint glow to the north with the magnificent star scapes above.

20th - last day

A bright but breezier day. The first stop we went to was to try for Slow Worms, and we were quickly rewarded with a male coiled up under a corrugated sheet. Plus a flock of Fieldfares nearby.

At a quick toilet stop at Salen a pair of Adult WTE flew over. Plus 2 Ringed Plovers on the shore.

Next onto a walk along a freshwater loch, a distant WTE, Buzzards calling Crossbills and Siskins the highlight there.

After lunch at a nearby sea loch with a female Wheatear of note beforehand, we said our goodbyes and headed for home after a great 5 days on Mull.

Theo