My 1st from Mull

Welcome to my first blog from the Isle.

We have had a weeks holiday before we started work, and what a week it was.

We got over 60 species of birds, including Red & Black Throated Divers, Crossbills, Manx Shearwaters, Hen Harriers, Golden Eagles and of course the White-tailed Eagles.

The White-tails are now sat on eggs and survived the strong winds that thre has been up here recently. Already this season one person has been arrested for disturbing the birds, they were right underneath the nest. When approached by the police, they even admitted that they were too close to the nest but wanted some close up pictures. So they promptly had all there gear confiscated and escorted to the local nick.  Some people just amaze me.

Here is my first recognisable photo a the WTSE, still not brillaint but it was about 1/2 mile away.

Not many of the summer migrants here yet, There has been one report of a Chiff-chaff, and the Cuckoo’s should be here in the next couple of weeks.

Most of the birds are also getting their summer plumage, i had a wonderful Red-throated Diver,but to far for any pics

All of the other birds are starting to display in readiness for the breeding season,  most of the ducks which breed around here are displaying to each other now.

Pair of Ravens displaying.

The spring flowers are slowly staring to make an apperance now with the first Primroses starting to open, also there is Colts-foot, Dogs Mercury, Lesser Celandine and many of the trees are starting to show signs of life.

 The mammels have been particularly good for us on our holiday, although there are not too may different ones, the ones that are here do make up for it.

The only Hare which is on the Island is the Mountain the more common Brown Hare is not present. And this is one animal which changes it coat in the winter months.

Here are the winter and summer colour forms of ther Mountain Hare, even though we don’t get as much snow nowadays some of the Hare’s still change colour, and the white ones are very easy to spot against the darker background.

The Red deer are all over the island in very large numbers, there are even some which wander around the camp-site at night. The best place to watch these mighty beasts is actually from the side of the road at this time of the year, as they spend nearly all of the time grazing in the grass near the burns, an doccasionlly you get them down on soem of the shores.

And finally you cannot forget one of the main creatures people coewm to see on Mull, the Otter. These can be found all over the island’s coast-line, sometimes you only get a brief distant view, but if you go where it is very quite, you can get soem really nice views.

This is think is a dog Otter, he was pretty big. We just came across him whilst walking along the shore, he just looked up as us then put his head back down and carried on napping in the sun.

In my future blogs i wil try and stick to particular things which i do, hopefully you will enjoy them. My moth trap will be going out before to long so that may be one of the subjects for my future blogs.

Regards,

Andy