The Life, Times, Trials and Tribulations of Hampshire Bob

Mull Diary Day 7

Well, that's it! Our final day on Mull draws to a close and once again, it doesn't disappoint. We had only two plans today. Spot a White Tailed Eagle, and shop. We popped along to a likely spot we had identified earlier in the week and waited. We saw three eagles. The first flew over keeping a reasonable distance. The second spotted through the scope, perched in a very distant fir tree. The last flew over as we were eating lunch, causing much panic, food going flying and hasty shots grabbed with the camera as he headed off.

The evening brought a beautiful full moon and clear skies. We ate out at a superb pub about 10 miles from our apartment, meaning the drive back was along very dark, single track, forestry roads. I stopped the car en-route and switched the engine off. The sound of a distant male Tawny Owl marking his territory, the only thing to be heard. As we continued our drive back, a Red Deer doe came into view in the headlights. I commented what a beautiful evening it was and that even our final drive back didn't disappoint. Just then the headlights caught a Stag with six or seven does. The perfect end to a fabulous week.

 

Mull Diary Day 6

Today we took a 7 mile walk across the Treshnish Peninsula. The walk took us out onto a coastal path and back through long abandoned villages where smuggling took place. On the coastline was a large cave known as Whiskey Cave, where locals distilled their own moonshine Whiskey. We hoped to sight Golden Eagles which are known to be in this area, but were unlucky. We did however get very lucky spotting a group of three Otters. We were able to sit on the cliff and watch for several minutes as the three, presumably a mother and two cubs, fished, played and fought just yards from the shore. Managed to get some stunning shots. Here's one for now.

 

Mull Diary Day 5

What a great day. I had low hopes for today. The weather forecast was dire, with heavy rain predicted through the day and into the night. Never trust the forecast. This was our second day with a qualified wildlife guide and boy was he good. We started the day with a show of Porpoises in the bay close to our apartment. An Otter quickly followed before it was off to a known White Tailed Eagle roost. Our luck was in. Two juvenile White Tailed Eagles on the beach! Add that to our second spot of a Golden Eagle (no good photographs yet) and a later sighting of seals and a bitch Otter with old cub. Superb!

   

Mull Diary Day 4

We started the day with a walk round the ruins of Aros Castle which stands in the grounds of our rented apartment. From there, we drove off to visit some of the areas that we passed by on our drive on day 2. Some of the roads that lead off down to remote villages. Another great day, with lots of wildlife. We came across our first Mull traffic jam as you can see from the picture below. We later proved that we didn't need a guide to spot Otters.

  

Mull Diary Day 3

Today was the day the sun was supposed to come out. Hmm. Steady light rain was the order of the morning, though the sun did put in an appearance in the afternoon. Today we had a wildlife guide showing us around. We saw a multitude of birds of many different species, mostly at a distance and in poor light, which made photography very difficult. Three Otters showed themselves, Grey and Atlantic seals were also noted. More Buzzards than I care to remember, including one pale variant. The strangest bird today was a Greylag Goose hi-bred. A cross of a Greylag with a Canada Goose. Two photo's today. One poor quality distant shot of the White Tailed Sea Eagles (just to prove I've seen them), and a Stag. Ignore the fence behind, he is wild.

 

 

Mull Diary. Day 2

Day 2 doesn't start off brilliantly. Several hours of being stuck in the car unable to stretch out, followed by a night in a strange bed, was enough for my lower back to remind me I'm not as young as I once was. Much localised pain followed, which left me struggling through the day like the old man I'm slowly becoming. The rain came, and the rain stayed, but didn't damped our spirits. We decided that today was a good day to travel round the Isle and get to know where places were and what they had to offer. All in all, we had a great day. We saw some great wildlife and pointed the old Rover down some long and winding tracks leading inevitably to someone or another's farm. During a break in the weather, we came across this Buzzard. Soaked through and trying to dry out in the brief dry spell. The closest I've ever managed to get to one in the wild. Roll on Day 3. 

 

Mull Diary Day 1

Well we made it. We got to Mull. Almost didn't get here on time. Having left our B&B near Loch Lomond I decided to take the scenic route to Oban where we were to catch the ferry. Unfortunately I failed to take a crucial turning and ended up taking the very scenic route instead. Even worse was my failure to realise that I'd taken the very scenic route until I was more than half way round it. We ended up getting to the ferry-port 8 minutes late and were put to the back of the 'you might get on if your lucky' queue. The car and caravan ahead of us was out of luck due to it's length. We just managed to squeeze on the back of the ferry. A little later we were on mull. It's really sparse here. The main road is mostly single track with passing places and in a poor state of repair. In the main town Tobermory, we struggled to find somewhere to eat. It's bloody lovely. Can't wait to get out with a backpack on. The Apartment is great with lovely views as you can see from the photo. This is the view from the lounge.

Isle of Mull

Off on our hols again. Julie and I are travelling up today, staying near Loch Lomond overnight, before catching the Oban ferry to Mull Saturday morning. Off for a week of nature watching, walking and photography (weather permitting). Steve and mum are staying home this time, so it's just me and Ju. Woo Hoo!