Wildlife Summary:
29th evening - Day 1
We all met on Western Isles hotel balcony and headed for an early dinner before setting out to the moors of NW Mull with Red Deer, Kestrels and 2 Hen Harriers being the highlights.
30th - Day 2
We headed straight to Loch Na Keal and to the north side quickly finding a very accommodating adult White-Tailed Eagle. The gulls then alerted us to a Juvenile White-tailed Eagle further down the loch Moving round to the south side of the loch we started at Scarsdale rocks finding 2 Adult White-tailed Eagles there, an Otter, 2 distant Golden Eagles, Grey Seals and lots of Harbour Seal. Up and over the Ardmeanach peninsula we had an Adult White-Tailed Eagles before wandering down to the nest site to see the sizeable chick! Continuing down to Loch Beg we had a large immature White-tailed Eagle sat out on the marsh before driving down through Glen More stopping at the 3 Loch Viewpoint for another Golden Eagle and a few Red Deer. Reaching our Hen Harrier site, we didn't have to wait long for 3 Hen Harriers and another White-tailed Eagle. A quick stop off at Scallastle Bay on the way back paid off in fine style with a Sabre Wasp, before Theo found an Adult Bonaparte’s Gull, only the 2nd record for Mull, a fine way to end the day.
31st - Day 3
We awoke to a slightly more rainy day so headed to the SE of the island. We found 3 Otters in very dreich conditions and a few Turnstones of note as well as some more Red Deer. On our way back north we stopped in at Fishnish for lunch, where we found an Adult White-tailed Eagle and at least 2 Harbour Porpoises before heading back to the hotel.
1st - Day 4
We headed out with Sea Life Mull from 0930-1430 - we firstly encountered a few Common Seals, Ravens and 2 Adult White-tailed Eagles then further out towards Coll found c12 Storm Petrels, 4 Great and 3 Arctic Skuas, Puffins, Gannet, Razorbills, Guillemots, Kittiwakes, Common + Arctic Terns and hundreds of Manx Shearwaters. A fantastic show of Marine life with c40 Common Dolphins, 20+ Harbour Porpoises, 19 Minke Whales, 12 Bottlenose Dolphins, for some a breaching Basking Shark and after much deliberation of its identity, a sub-adult Fin Whale! A day to remember... After lunch we headed out for an unsuccessful Adder hunt before moving round to Loch Cuin for a few waders and a Red-Throated Diver. A rainy Calgary bay photo session finished off the day.
2nd - Day 5
Final day to Loch Na Keal and Loch Ba. Starting at Loch na Keal we had lovely views of an Otter and her large cub before heading back to Loch Ba finding 2 pairs of White-tailed Eagles with each with a large chick and great views of 3 Golden Eagles. A fine end to the trip!
Theo de Clermont.
